Starting Massive Cichlid Breeding Ground ~2500 gallons
- Thread starter WJC05
- Start date
Rocks, Caves, and also an easy way to ensure some live would be sunken leafs. Try to use oak or something, boil them, and soak them until they sink (usually for me it's like 1 day), and get a BUNCH of'em.. kinda almost cover the bottom with them. Fry will live, I promise. =P I've heard cases of Apisto breeders doing the same thing, and then they go to replace the leaves after a couple months, and see about 20 1'' fish in their tank that weren't there before! 
johnptc;1082117; said:
John,
How many do you usually have survive out of a batch of fry? If they can survive in your big tank than surely I will have some survive in mine with no large predators..
Dread;1082431; said:Rocks, Caves, and also an easy way to ensure some live would be sunken leafs. Try to use oak or something, boil them, and soak them until they sink (usually for me it's like 1 day), and get a BUNCH of'em.. kinda almost cover the bottom with them. Fry will live, I promise. =P I've heard cases of Apisto breeders doing the same thing, and then they go to replace the leaves after a couple months, and see about 20 1'' fish in their tank that weren't there before!
So your saying just take a bunch of leaves and boil them? Dead leaves on the ground or live leaves on the tree?
I've used both, most people would reccomend dead ones on the ground. Boil them, most should sink quickly. The bigger the better, so Oak leaves are usually suggested. Fry (and larger fish, actually) love to play in the leaves, I've found. In alot of the natural habitat of many CA/SA (mostly SA, I think) Cichlids, there's up to 1-foot of leaf litter sitting on the substrate, and fry use it to hide, and smaller fish use it to spawn. While researching it to do it myself, I read many storys of people thinking they lost fish, only to see them months later with fully grown babies! Also, fry seem to pick at the leaves which I imagine gather a culture of microrganisms on them that fry eat. If you want to look into it further, I have some great articles and links on using leaf litter.
Also, fry seem to pick at the leaves which I imagine gather a culture of microrganisms on them that fry eat. If you want to look into it further, I have some great articles and links on using leaf litter.Dread;1082443; said:I've used both, most people would reccomend dead ones on the ground. Boil them, most should sink quickly. The bigger the better, so Oak leaves are usually suggested. Fry (and larger fish, actually) love to play in the leaves, I've found. In alot of the natural habitat of many CA/SA (mostly SA, I think) Cichlids, there's up to 1-foot of leaf litter sitting on the substrate, and fry use it to hide, and smaller fish use it to spawn. While researching it to do it myself, I read many storys of people thinking they lost fish, only to see them months later with fully grown babies!
If you could post or PM me some links on it that would be great. Sounds like a good idea. Any dangers of using the leaves?
I couldnt agree with Dread I have heard of of the same tech but never tried it I would love to see how this would look...
But I love the ideal and wish you the best of luck with this...but if all fails I would go with the egg creat idael, probly the best way around the larger cichlids getting to the fry
But I love the ideal and wish you the best of luck with this...but if all fails I would go with the egg creat idael, probly the best way around the larger cichlids getting to the fry
Dread;1082443; said:I've used both, most people would reccomend dead ones on the ground. Boil them, most should sink quickly. The bigger the better, so Oak leaves are usually suggested. Fry (and larger fish, actually) love to play in the leaves, I've found. In alot of the natural habitat of many CA/SA (mostly SA, I think) Cichlids, there's up to 1-foot of leaf litter sitting on the substrate, and fry use it to hide, and smaller fish use it to spawn. While researching it to do it myself, I read many storys of people thinking they lost fish, only to see them months later with fully grown babies!
I used a leaf bed when I used to breed German Blue Rams and they worked wonders for fry. The parents were horrible but thanks to leaves some survived out of the batches.Some large (1-2inch) gravel in the bottom will allow the babies to swim in and out when danger threatens and the parents can keep an eye on them would help.
I've been planning a similar setup but on a smaller scale, but I plan on moving out of this house and don't want to have to move everything. What do you plan on using as a filter? Keep us posted with pictures and updates as I'm sure more than a few of us would like to do this. Me not so much for breeding but to keep some real MONSTERS.
Good luck and lots of luck!!!
I've been planning a similar setup but on a smaller scale, but I plan on moving out of this house and don't want to have to move everything. What do you plan on using as a filter? Keep us posted with pictures and updates as I'm sure more than a few of us would like to do this. Me not so much for breeding but to keep some real MONSTERS.
Good luck and lots of luck!!!
