What size for pairing?

[Trucker84]

At what size do cichla start to pair off for breeding? Is there alot of time between when they show intrest in one another and when they actually do the deed?

 

[bOOsteN aUdI]

depends on the species

 

[Trucker84]

monos and orinos

 

[bOOsteN aUdI]

i have seen monos spawn as small as 14-16 inches, i have seen orinos spawn around 17-18

 

[Trucker84]

do they make noticable pairings long before they spawn?

 

[bOOsteN aUdI]

ehhh they show signs ... but only when they are sexually mature will they spawn.. if water quality is perfect and you do everything right , have enough males and females you will get a pair

 

[Trucker84]

How much earlier? I plan on raising 5 monos and 5 orinos until they show signs of pairing, then only keeping the pairs and finding new homes for the others. As of now i dont have space for all 10 at maturity, so i am curious how soon i will know which ones i can move into the larger tank. 10-12"?

 

[bOOsteN aUdI]

its a possibility... there are ways to sex cichla so that you know which is female and male. plus if your keeping them for breeding purposes your going to want the best colored cichla so starting out with a large group is necessary. remember that the female chooses the male

 

[blacktip]

My monos started breeding at 10"-11". There was no sign of pairing off until a couple of weeks before the first spawn when the female started chasing the male all over the tank. She was so aggressive he almost jumped out of the tank a couple of times.

 

[jiNRo.]

any one now about tems? or ocells? how big they get before they start breeding?