First Time trying to breed.

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Swarsh

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 21, 2011
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UK
Hey guys.

I've decided to try breeding but before I start I'm a newbie at this and had a few questions.
I will be attempting in a 3foot tank, running fluval 204 and a eheim ecco.
Currently it has live plants, bogwood and sand substrate.

Questions are, what are a good fish to try breeding first ? (I've had platys, mollys breed before but those are just simple as cake.)
I was thinking cichlids or maybe some rarer/harder to breed fish.
Will my tank be ok to breed (substrate, wood, plant) or will I need some other special equipment?
If breeding is successful how do i look after the fry ? do I need one of those breeding box things to keep them apart?

*EDIT* Will I be looking at finding 1 female and 1 male or 2 female to 1 male?

Thanks,
Swarsh
 
What are a good fish to try breeding first ? (I've had platys, mollys breed before but those are just simple as cake.)
I was thinking cichlids or maybe some rarer/harder to breed fish.

First time breeding cichlids, start with Convict Cichlids........A male and female will spawn withn two weeks of getting settled, gauranteed.......Females have yellow to red blotches on their bellies, as males do not...........The fish cost anywhere between $1.99-$15.........This fish is porlific and will breed once a nest site is picked......Try a laying a clay pot on its side, here they will lay eggs........The hatching starts after 2-3 days........The parents can raise the young...........If you want, you can purchase a 20g tank and put the spawn in it to raise on your own to have more babies reared to saleable size..........


Will my tank be ok to breed (substrate, wood, plant) or will I need some other special equipment?
Tank is perfect..........Adding lots of clay pots for nest sites is the only thing I can imagine to add.........

If breeding is successful how do i look after the fry ?
The fry can raised by the parents for, of course some will be eaten........So if you want more to survive, then I would suggest placing the spawn in a 20g long tank right after they start swimming, within 5 days after hatching........


do I need one of those breeding box things to keep them apart?
NO.........

Will I be looking at finding 1 female and 1 male or 2 female to 1 male?
Usually one male and one female is best...........If anything, buy two females to one male..............
 
Thanks for info,

Yeah I heard that convicts are easy to breed aswell, what about mixing ?
Will it be possible to mix convict with one of those electric blue ones (not too knowledgeable on cichlids :P)
I was also thinking about oscars but read that they are quite hard to sex and also breed.

For cichlids I look out for the "kok"/hump for males and smaller fins/tail/head for females?

*EDIT* Forgot to say that currently in that tank I have a couple of small dats, tiger barb, golden nugget plec and 4 clown loaches.
These will be put into my big tank in a month or so, so I was thinking about buying some juvi/baby pair, preferably ones that will need to reach a good size to start breeding. So I can grow them out with these guys with them before they will breed.

Thanks man,

Swarsh
 
Wow, I like the fish in your avatar! :P
what did you mix to get that ? :o

Hmm yeah firemouths are pretty cool looking, will i be able to mix those with other cichlids?

Thanks
Swarsh
 
You could also try kribensis. They breed just as easy as convicts, they won't eat their young, they display a lot of the same behaviors, and I think they are a much more attractive fish. The one in my avatar is my male.
 
Hmm will look into those too!
I saw a firemouth today and thought that they are quite good looking!

How big do they get to and would it be possible to breed him with one of those electric blue cichlids?
 
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