How to?

[Buphy]

So I'm researching the particulars on trying to get specifically CA fish to breed. I can't do it right now due to lack of space but I would like to in the future.

Recommendations on water temp?
Decor/substrate?
Food?
Also how should you best pair? 1 male with several females? The reverse? Or just get a bunch and have multiples pair off (not preferable because I'd like to do it on a very small scale at first).

Or any other advice you may have. Thanks in advance!

 

[duanes]

I have had about 25 species of new world cichlids spawn for me over the years, and although my favorite way to get a pair is to grow out a number of young together, and let them choose partners naturally, this is by no means the only way.
I have a put a new female with a male, and had them spawn the next day.
I have moved a proven pair to (what I consider a more suitable tank) and found one of the pair dead, the next day.
Some require seasonal changes, like major water changes with lower pH water, or lower temp water. Some require water to become nutrient laden.
Some require different types of sites, caves or substrates.
Below are some that have spawned in my tanks.






Because a the moment I have at least 4 species with fry growing out, I have 3 ponds in my back yard dedicated to raising fry food just to keep up with their hunger.

 

[duanes]

few more
breidhori

motaguense

Austaloheros "red ceibal" these required a cool down (my tanks hit low 60sF


as did some of the Gymnogeophagus
yerbalito

paso pache, these liked to spawn in the pond

Geo iporagensus

and some old worlds


back to NW, grammodes

gram fry grazing algae

another OW, Alcalapia alcalicus, these needed salt and temps in the high 80s


with these, the fry had to be stripped from the mother, and raised in a breeder box

needed a breeder box for this Madagascan, to save fry from other tank inhabitants

Parents

 

[festaedan]

Couldnt've said it better myself, duanes

I've bred around 20 different species of cichlids and they all require different enviroments to spawn. My trimacs would spawn after a huge water change but some of my other cichlids would breed more readily if their water was on the dirty side.

Its hard to give advice without knowing the species, heres a video explaining breeding CA/SA cichlids in general
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnjD04mFEjY

 

[Buphy]

If I was to try it'd probably be jack Dempseys.

 

[duanes]

Not saying you need this, but in nature I've watched a small pair of JDs guard an area of about 4 square feet.
Below is a video of Cenote Cristalino where at @ 1 minute you can see a pair of JDs (brightly colored male, dull female) driving off any other JDs that venture into that size area, although they basically ignore the many surrounding live bearers.
The video was taken after a few weeks of heavy rain, and the water was cool, probably low 70sF, depth at the spawning site was about 6ft. JDs were the only cichlids I saw in Cristalino, there were a fair number of catfish, lots of live bearers, and an occasional goby.