A few juvenile A. cacatuoides growing up

[gwand67 184]

 

[Back in the fold22 7]

They’re sure pretty fish . Like little Canaries .

 

[emeraldking48 99]

I've bred Apistogramma cacatuoides in the past as well. But not the color you have. Yours look great in yellow. It's a bit unclear to me if their eyes are red or black. Which one is it?

 

[gwand67 184]

I've bred Apistogramma cacatuoides in the past as well. But not the color you have. Yours look great in yellow. It's a bit unclear to me if their eyes are red or black. Which one is it?

The eyes are black.

 

[emeraldking48 99]

The eyes are black.

It must be the reflection of the light then...

 

[GaryE28 26]

A lot of people can get fry from dwarf Cichlids, but not so many manage to raise them to the point they can be shared. That's good fish breeding there.

 

[Back in the fold22 7]

A lot of people can get fry from dwarf Cichlids, but not so many manage to raise them to the point they can be shared. That's good fish breeding there.

How can ANYBODY not be able to raise cichlid fry ! ? ! ? As long as you feed them it’s impossible for them to not grow up . Cichlids are easier than guppies .

 

[GaryE28 26]

How can ANYBODY not be able to raise cichlid fry ! ? ! ? As long as you feed them it’s impossible for them to not grow up . Cichlids are easier than guppies .

It really depends on the Cichlid. Apistogramma cacatuoides males will start knocking each other off young. A lot of species are super sensitive or slow growing. Plus, with their territoriality, they need space to grow properly like the ones in @gwand 's photos.

A lot of Cichlid species aren't hard to get to spawn, and people keep the young for 3 or 4 weeks with no problem. Then it all goes to pieces. Spawning Cichlids can be easy, but raising rainforest ones without stunting, etc isn't easy. Or commonly done.

Mbuna from Lake Malawi grow themselves, but they're the exception. I guess the big cheap ones like dempsies also qualify. But the little ones take skills.

 

[emeraldking48 99]

How can ANYBODY not be able to raise cichlid fry ! ? ! ? As long as you feed them it’s impossible for them to not grow up . Cichlids are easier than guppies .

I guess, that depends on who's breeding them... Well, there are more fish species that supposed to be easy to raise but the fact is that there are also a serious number of people who do struggle to raise them. And what the actual problem is? I guess that that's totally an individiul issue.
Personally, I never had problems to raise cichlids. At least, the ones I've kept that is...

 

[gwand67 184]

I found out with A. cacatuoides that you need to separate the juveniles from their parents around 6 weeks after hatching to prevent infanticide. Then they need a large grow out tank to prevent stunting and fratricidal behavior.

 

[gwand67 184]

A general statement about cichlids is meaningless. Are we talking East African, West African, Central African, South American etc. There are probably over 100 species of Apistogramma alone. The only general statements about cichlids that has meaning is that they are fish.

 

[GaryE28 26]

What I like about all these fish is they bring up the great question of all fish breeding: "They did what?!??!"

When I bred yellow Labidochromis caeruleus, in my broke and hungry years, I could get 50 fry and sell 50 adults, I churned them out with very few losses and no complications. They grew fast and prospered. Mbuna are tough fish that live in large groups. But when I was breeding lots of rainforest Apistogramma and Pelvicachromis, years later, the puzzle was radically different. These weren't social fish that lived in huge aggregations. They held territories far larger than an mbuna's temporary spots. Many lived in social groups when young, others started killing each other before I could see what sex they were. They knew.

it's exactly the problem I encounter with some of my killies.

What hobbyists encounter with all home bred fish is stores can only sell them when they have colour and size. They don't have to be adults, but a store that buys fry is politely buying feeders. They can't afford to stop turnover in their tanks long enough to raise young fish. So you have to have a sharp eye and a good water changing regimen. You have to learn to spot behaviour, move fish when they need to be moved (always an inconvenient time) and feed carefully.

For me, living in a bit of a backwater hobbywise, I can't sell the weird little dwarf Cichlids I love to keep. My challenge is triaging and then raising enough to get to the next generation. I can't sell them, but I can't buy them again, either. All my Cichlids began with wild caught pairs, and several were wild caught while I was splashing through African streams. I can't afford to go back and get more, but they are tough little creatures to raise.