I keep hearing about people selling off fish from their breeding colonies. Is this more just the tank being big enough for multiple males to be mating with a ton of females or the tank being big enough for fry to hide, mature and reproduce?
Do aulonocara form colonies?
- Thread starter Hybridfish7
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They don't form colonies like 'Lamprologus' Multifasciatus do so my best guess is that is people keep 1 or 2 males to a group of females in one tank and either remove/strip holding females OR let the fry grow enough in the main tank before selling them. Dedicated sellers probably use the 1st method to get the largest number of fry to selling size.
In the lake there are roughly two groups of Aulonocara. The ones that accept other coloured males in the same cave and the ones that will drive every coloured male out of their territory or make them loose their colours and hide in female camouflage.
So there is no surprise that the first type is easier to keep as a group than the second type.
So there is no surprise that the first type is easier to keep as a group than the second type.
I agree with Deeda. Depending on the species of Aulonocara, multiple males in a large tank may be tolerated. I shoot for 3m:9f in my 72" tank.
The fry will not survive unless you remove the holding female and raise them in a separate tank.
Once they are large enough to go back to the main tank (say 2"), you may want to sell of extra males or females to get back to your 3m:9f ratio.
People may also have the occasional survivor fry but that would not be 20 per spawn...it might be 1 every other spawn, depending on how many rocks you have and what other fish are in the tank. Synodontis are stocked to patrol for survivor fry.
The fry will not survive unless you remove the holding female and raise them in a separate tank.
Once they are large enough to go back to the main tank (say 2"), you may want to sell of extra males or females to get back to your 3m:9f ratio.
People may also have the occasional survivor fry but that would not be 20 per spawn...it might be 1 every other spawn, depending on how many rocks you have and what other fish are in the tank. Synodontis are stocked to patrol for survivor fry.
Peacocks seem to be a "your experience may vary" kind of fish, but Aulonocara I kept in groups with multiple colored males that mostly worked for me: A. stuartgranti ngara (flametail, I bred these, kept them as colonies or species tanks sometimes), A. jacobfreibergi eureka red (bred these, kept them as colonies or species tanks sometimes), Undu Reef (lemon jake), and Otter Points jakes-- I also had some of the swallow tail jakes, forget location, a little more belligerent if I remember correctly. I kept a few of the red peacocks for a while, German red, ruby red, etc. I don't remember them being too bad. A type I typically found to be too belligerent for multiple males were the "sunshine" peacocks; didn't matter on location, despite some saying they're peaceful I seemed to get one mean male after another. On the other hand, while some people say the "jakes" are among the more aggressive Aulonocara, for me most of them weren't bad.
Special mention for me would be a smaller hap, Otopharynx lithobates Zimbawe Rock, which I bred, great looking fish and for me one of the more peaceful Malawi cichlids.
Special mention for me would be a smaller hap, Otopharynx lithobates Zimbawe Rock, which I bred, great looking fish and for me one of the more peaceful Malawi cichlids.
The Aulonocara genus can be broadly divided into stuartgranti and jacobfreibergi (Jac} group, and each has many species.
The stuartgranti group tend to be smaller fish and more tolerant. I keep a male colony of A. stuartgranti ngara in a 125 and they get along fine with occasional skirmish, but no severe injury or death. I keep females separately though to prevent violent as even the most peaceful cichlid can get aggressive in breeding frenzy.
The Jac group tend to be bigger fish and intolerant. I could not keep a Jac colony in harmony for long in a 125 as matured males fought one another constantly with intent to kill. In bigger tank, it may work out as social distant matters in pacification.