Jewel Cichlid Breeding?

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GuppyZ

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 13, 2013
10
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New York
Hey everybody.

I've decided that I want to start breeding some Jewel Cichlids so I can a start rolling in a little bit of money off of something that I enjoy doing without having to get a job (I'm in High School). Jewel Cichlids seem to fit the bill considering that they seem pretty easy to breed once they get into the swing of things. However I do have some questions, and I was hoping that someone with experience breeding these fish could chip in.

So here's my first question, I've got a 20 gallon long and a 20 gallon high tank ready for use, and I want to save the 20 gallon long for two divided batches of fry at a time, with the older batch having two thirds of the space and the younger ones having the remaining third, just for the sake organization. I've read that a 20 gallon long is the minimum for breeding these fish, but considering how close in horizontal size the two tanks are, I'd like to know if it is possible to breed Jewel Cichlids in a 20 gallon high instead? And if so, will it have any effect on their breeding performance or egg count? If worst comes to worst, I'll get another tank, although I'd prefer not to because my funds are limited.

Also, I'm hoping to sell a batch of fish every 3 months to some of the lfs's in my area for around 2 dollars a fish. I'll talk to the stores about how big they want the fish, but does anybody know if the fish will reach that size in time for me to sell to the shop for the price I'm looking for?

Any help or suggestions is much appreciated. Happy hobbying!
 
Sorry, I meant that I hope to sell the batch after they reach three months old, so I'd sell a batch every month, not every third.
 
Your plan sounds good - Some people might say 20 gal is too small - but it really is fine - BUT getting a pair is the tricky part. You will want to start out with 4-5 young adults and get a pair from them.

Fry will not reach 2 inches in 1 month. At 1 month, they will be 1/2 to 3/4 inches on average. When you have a stable pair, they will breed often. Keep in mind that removing the eggs / fry could easily result in the death of one of the parents - they are pretty aggressive with each other when unhappy - I would allow SOME fry to remain, and when they have more, remove those, to keep their focus on the fry, instead of each other.

You will want to talk to the stores FIRST - otherwise you may be stuck with lots of fry nobody wants.

Good luck!
 
fwprawn said:
Your plan sounds good - Some people might say 20 gal is too small - but it really is fine - BUT getting a pair is the tricky part. You will want to start out with 4-5 young adults and get a pair from them.

Fry will not reach 2 inches in 1 month. At 1 month, they will be 1/2 to 3/4 inches on average. When you have a stable pair, they will breed often. Keep in mind that removing the eggs / fry could easily result in the death of one of the parents - they are pretty aggressive with each other when unhappy - I would allow SOME fry to remain, and when they have more, remove those, to keep their focus on the fry, instead of each other.

You will want to talk to the stores FIRST - otherwise you may be stuck with lots of fry nobody wants.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

But how big will they be in about 3 three months, that's what I'm looking for? My plan is to leave them with the parents for a month and then take them out, let them grow in a separate tank for two months and then sell. I also am planning on getting four small ones soon, let a pair form, and return the unpaired two. Don't worry, I did my homework. But I do thank you for warning me about talking to the shop first, if I screwed that up then that would certainly be an issue. Thanks.
 
In 3 months, they should be 1 to 1 1/4 inches but that is, of course, assuming they will get a LOT of good food, and very clean water.
 
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