Live aquaria cichlids any good for breeding?

[Sharkluver]

I am looking into breeding cichlids and found live aquaria. I am wondering if their fish, particularly the flowerhorns are any good to breed. The pics of the flowerhorns look like they are very poor candidates to produce nice offspring but I was hoping that they have fertile males and some potential to get a nice one. I'm not looking for anything crazy incredible, just your average flowerhorn. If they are crappy, do you think their other new world cichlids are quality enough to breed or should I look somewhere else?

 

[tlindsey]

I am looking into breeding cichlids and found live aquaria. I am wondering if their fish, particularly the flowerhorns are any good to breed. The pics of the flowerhorns look like they are very poor candidates to produce nice offspring but I was hoping that they have fertile males and some potential to get a nice one. I'm not looking for anything crazy incredible, just your average flowerhorn. If they are crappy, do you think their other new world cichlids are quality enough to breed or should I look somewhere else?

I don't know about FlowerHorn but if I ordered Cichlids and planned on breeding them it's my responsibility to get them in breeding condition imo not the vendor.

 

[Sharkluver]

Yes, I agree, it is my job to condition the fish. I've just heard stories of live aquaria having bad customer service and some people got fish that were in very poor condition. I would rather buy from someone with good quality fish I know will thrive in my tank and have a good lineage if there is a better option. I just don't know if the talk about how bad live aquaria is are rumors or if they're true.

 

[paulW]

I would use a local pet store, other hobbyists or aquabid before LiveAquaria.
Also, not sure there is that big of a market for flowerhorn offspring.. what are you going to do with them if you have a batch? It is a really niche fish, a lot of the "traditionalist" hobbyists are kind of snobby about hybrids.. I do not want to start a debate, but that is how it is.

Why not try to breed another kind of South American cichild instead? Or maybe start with Malawi. I have the impression you are new to breeding... Non-flowerhorns will be a lot more streaghtforward and you will have a better chance of selling the offspring.