Great small cichlids to breed?
- Thread starter AnomalocarisAquatics
- Start date
Honestly just to observe. Maybe a few I might sell, but I find cichlids interesting and want to learn more about them.
They have quite a number of babies, you will have to house them or sell them. Mbuna average 20 babies each clutch, haps and peacocks more like 60 and I can't tell you for shellies. I had 180 fry from one clutch of calvus the one time I collected the fry. You will need as outlet as stated.
Might try julidochromis. Easy to breed and stay small. In a 55 you can do 2 or 3 rock piles and have a 3 breeding pairs. Many different varieties. Also able to have in planted tank.
It will assist your preparation to know your tap water parameters. Then if you need to modify it in any way you will be able to prepare for that ahead of time.
Having said that, most tank raised cichlids will do fine in a wide range of dechlorinated tap water.
Agree with danotaylor, If your not getting wild caught fish, neutral water is fine for fish. I breed central and south americans and african cichlids in tap water that is treated for chlorine.
For another view, I like to keep my Africans in water with the correct parameters for them...pH=7.8 - pH =8.0. I also like to buy from vendors who do the same, even for tank raised fish.
I agree with mimicking the correct natural parameters as this produces the best color and health of the fish.
Using aragonite as the substrate achieves the pH goal. I was fortunate to be on hard well water for the first 4 yrs I lived in the US and everywhere else the oh out of the tap has been 8 or higher
The request is that you test your tap water and provide results for pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. It is not always easy to adjust the water and maintain stable parameters if you are fighting your tap water...especially if you need a lower pH.
