breeding cichlids

[jackm]

hi
i am looking to breed some cichlids in a small tank either neolamprologus leluepi or neolamprologus brichardi or neolamprologus daffodil. i was wondering how to keep the water oxygenated as there will be no plants, also if i buy a pair of about 5cm how long will it take for them to before they spawn, and how long the babies need to be alive before they can be sold. also the tank i have has undergravel filtration is this ok, what are the benefits/negatives of this filtration. which substrate should i use aswell. are there any pointers you guys can give me
thanks
jack
ps i will buy another tank to rais the fry in what kind of tank should i buy?

 

[Ethos]

If I were you, I'd post this in African Cichlids, you'd get much better, and many more replies.

 

[Orbital]

Get a pair and add water, they will pair up and flood you with babies.

BTW the parents of those species take care of their offspring, so you won't need to get another tank right away. They will get large after awhile though and you will have to find a new home for them or setup more groups...

 

[freddyk]

The fish you want to breed (rock dwelling Tanganyikans) do best with a sand substrate, but they'll manage with gravel. If you go with sand, you can't go with the undergravel filter. Water would be oxygenated like any other non-planted tank, which, if you are interested in breeding these Tanganyikans, you should probably already know.

For breeding purposes the water should have a PH of at least 8 and a KH and GH of at least 10. The fry can usually be sold at about an inch. I hope this breeding project is out of interest and not some money making scheme - these fish are very easy to breed and can be equally tough to sell.