How many Juvies to buy to insure a pair?

[WJC05]

How many juvenile cichlids should I buy to try to make sure I get a male and female? Do you guys think 4 is enough?

 

[ryansmith83]

Obviously the more you buy, the greater your chances. Four is a bare minimum. Most people would suggest six to ten. Sometimes you're just really unlucky -- I bought eight Dicrossus and ended up with all males. So I'd suggest buying as many as you can afford, and have room for. You can always rehome the rest as you see definite males/females or pairs starting to form. This is how I pair off all my cichlids.

 

[evojoey]

I always buy 6. 4 is probably enough but I like to be sure, so I buy a couple more.

 

[decoy50]

If I'm buying really small fish 1-2in I like to buy 10-12. You will inevitably have one or two that just don't grow out the way you want. Also, I like to cherry pick the best males/females. 6-8 fish if your juvies are 3-4in.

 

[duanes]

I try to buy as many as possible, depends on what's available, and what I can afford.
Last year I bought 10 belly crawler pikes, and the largest female ate the other 9.
I bought 4 Geophagus iporangensus this spring, and within 2 weeks I had a spawn.
If at all possible, somewhere between 6 and 16 (although if the price is right, I've been know to pick up 30).