Hello all, longtime lurker, first time poster. I have been in the hobby for about 5 years now, did all the community aquarium stuff. Recently, my attention has been turning to Central American Cichlids. I want to start breeding them and am looking for some suggestions on a CA species that will help get me started. I know that convicts and fire mouths are easy, but my local area is saturated with those. In fact, my LFS had convicts in their tanks long enough for them to have several spawns in with them. I am in the market for a new tank, but don't want to commit until I get input from folks more experienced than I. I appreciate any and all input.
Guidance
- Thread starter mahaffeywj1984
- Start date
Due to their success in caring for fry you'll find most cichlids will quickly flood your local market. It would help suggest species if we knew more about your plans/setups and requirements (size, genus, colour, temperament, origins).
One you can try is Amphilophus Lyonsi. They look very simular in looks to Mesoheros Festae a crowd favorite. The good thing is they don't get quite the size as Festae. So would be possible to keep a pair in a 6ft 125gal.
Not my pic thank Google
They are a little harder to find. So make take some time to find. This time can get the tank setup and running.
Do the typical thing we all do. Buy six to eight fry and grow them out. Nature will do it's thing and form a pair or two. Keep tour favorite one, rehome the rest.
Not my pic thank Google
They are a little harder to find. So make take some time to find. This time can get the tank setup and running.
Do the typical thing we all do. Buy six to eight fry and grow them out. Nature will do it's thing and form a pair or two. Keep tour favorite one, rehome the rest.
My eventual hope is to move into some of the more rare centrals. I have really taken an interest in Cubans and Haitians.I also would love to try something from the parachromis as well. There is something about them that sparks my interest. Also, they seem to be hard to find. However, I’m a realist and know that will take time and practice with other species first. I’m planning on starting out with at least a 75. I honestly wouldn’t mind something a little more on the aggressive side when spawning.
I have been deep diving on centrals for a few months now and had seen the Lyonsi, ever actually looked at them. They are beautiful.
I have been deep diving on centrals for a few months now and had seen the Lyonsi, ever actually looked at them. They are beautiful.
If you want to breed for for the hell of it to say i breed a certain type of fish that is cool but if your looking to breed for profit "Good luck"
You need a large space with multipole tanks and for the fish YOU want to breed i would start off with a least a 220 and bigger then you will need around 15-20 tanks that are at least 20 longs or 40 breeders
You need a large space with multipole tanks and for the fish YOU want to breed i would start off with a least a 220 and bigger then you will need around 15-20 tanks that are at least 20 longs or 40 breeders
I would use a 6ft tank per mated pair, with a number of smaller tanks for raising fry, and others for producing foods, usually, an average of 20 tanks going that filled every room in my house simultaniously.
A semi automatic water change system, for doing daily water changes, using old water for growing live foods, and for double and triple use in the garden.
A semi automatic water change system, for doing daily water changes, using old water for growing live foods, and for double and triple use in the garden.
those are my beauties. in one of my home tanks. nice find.I offer juveniles a few times a year. currently out.
I don’t believe I want to do it for profit. Mainly just to continue on the species in the hobby. While lurking in the background of the forum I saw several posts about well known breeders getting out of the business. Which I completely understand. It is a shame that more people aren’t interested in it and aren’t buying like they used to. I was in my lfs a few months ago and heard one of the workers talking to a regular about the owner putting the building up for sale and not knowing if the store would continue on. It’s a small mom and pop store with an amazing selection. This is where my interest in CAs really started. They had a full grown Midas that someone had brought in. The colors were striking and when you came near the tank he would lunge at the glass. I was hooked at that moment. Been doing the community stuff for a few years but my interests shifted in that one visit to the lfs. I didn’t even buy the platys I had initially gone in for. For me that’s the whole drive to breed. So that I might be able to spark an interest for someone else in the hobby.
That's why I mentioned the Lyonsi. Midas and Labiatus are very common, Trimac a little less so. But Lyonsi are very rare.