Breeding

[fish-r-fancy]

Hi i'm planning on getting yet another 55 gallon and devoting it to breeding african chichlids. What is an easy fish to breed, that is readily available and won't grow out of a 55 gallon? How should I set up the tank for these fish? How many of tehm should I get? Is there anything else that I should know about these fish? Thank you

 

[Tattoodfishfan]

Is there anything else that I should know about these fish? Thank you

it's spelled CICHLID and start here : http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/

 

[BiffMalawi]

I have "yellow labs" labidochromis caeruleus and I can't stop them from doing it.

2 males 8 females inyour tank.

Lots of rocks with caves and hidey holes. One good flat rock surface somewhere.

I use gravel but substrate your preference.

2 or 3 10g or larger spitting and fry grow out tanks. Lots of plants and rocks to make mom feel safe and for fry to hang in.

At about two inches or so they will circle each other on flat rock, female drop eggs, male fertilize eggs, female scoop eggs into mouth.

Wait 21 days rehome female to cycled fry tank. Wait 1 to 14 days. female spits.

Feed fry frozen baby brine shrimp. When bigger finely ground flakes.

Sell. Give away. Whatever.

Or not.

 

[adambrum]

yellow labs are the easy ones but not worth it imo there are way to many sub standard specimens about.

Get yourself some wild caught mbuna, something different that way you have fry that are worth something and adding more species to the hobby.

I currently have a zebra long pelvic and a afra red top breeding neither of which i have seen in any lfs.

 

[fish-r-fancy]

I have "yellow labs" labidochromis caeruleus and I can't stop them from doing it.

2 males 8 females inyour tank.

Lots of rocks with caves and hidey holes. One good flat rock surface somewhere.

I use gravel but substrate your preference.

2 or 3 10g or larger spitting and fry grow out tanks. Lots of plants and rocks to make mom feel safe and for fry to hang in.

At about two inches or so they will circle each other on flat rock, female drop eggs, male fertilize eggs, female scoop eggs into mouth.

Wait 21 days rehome female to cycled fry tank. Wait 1 to 14 days. female spits.

Feed fry frozen baby brine shrimp. When bigger finely ground flakes.

Sell. Give away. Whatever.

Or not.

Okay, so a total of 10 yellow labs 2 males, 8 females. That sounds good. Would lace rock be okay? That's usually what I use in my tanks. I could also get some slate rocks. I have a little hidey cave that I could use to. I have soem extra 10 gallons that I could use. Could I use plastic plants? I have another question. How do I know when I should move the female to the 10 gallon tank? Another question. Is it okay if I don't buy all the fish at once. Like I buy 3 this week and a couple more next month? Thank you for all your help.

I actually have 2 electric yellows in 1 of my tanks. When I bought them at my lfs they were sold under the sam name but 1 was black?silver with some stripes and the other was bright yellow. Did I get the right fish?(Both these fish will be moved to my new 55 gallon for breeding.)

 

[adambrum]

sounds like you have 1 yellow lab and something else there should be no silver on them or any dark barring on the sides as this is a sign of extensive line breeding. you need to get the labs from different shops otherwise you will be line breeding which is something that is all to common with yellow labs.

Lace rock is fine.

When the female has an egg face (you will know what i mean when you see it) wait 21 days then move her.

I keep my fry tanks bare except an old plastic log so its easy to clean.

I would recommend getting all the fish at once but as its labs its not to important as long as there not fully grown.

This is a pic of a good quality lab that would be fine for breeding.

Just 1 last thought 8 females might be to many when they start breeding every female could spit every six weeks so in theory you could have upto 20 fry every week ! so in six months when the first lot are ready to go you could have up to 500 fry ! As i said just a thought.

 

[Druchii]

sounds like the two electric yellows with one being black could be AURATUSES - which if they are, you want to take back immediately..


the info offered above is all good stuff, however i can not reiterate hard enough if you are seriously interested in keeping fish for breeding, then you need to get your fish from several places so that they are not related so that you can sell your fry and they are not inbred at all...

The other way you can do it is to cycle thorugh different males, so you have your initail bredding group and spawn, change the male, then all the group and the fry can spawn with the NEW male and create yet more unrelated NON-INBRED fish which the hobby will thank you for

PErsonally i would go for a different and unique species like Adam said, although if you have not kept Malawis before i would not jump straight in with WC fish, maybe start will F1's instead

Hope this helps,

Dru.

 

[fish-r-fancy]

Thank you everybody I really appreciate the help. By the way what is an AURATUSES? I will be getting all of my fish from different places I got 2 from 1 fish store and and maybe I'll get 3 from another. 1 of my yellow labs looks exactly like the one in the picture. Thank you again everybody.

 

[Druchii]

http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=750

they are what i think you are calling your electric yellows

after all states side johannis are called electric blues.. but you describe yours as one yellow and one black - i think you have a pair of melanochromis auratus

 

[fish-r-fancy]

That fish in the link was not my fish. My fish is silver and has 1 black line going horizontally and several going vertically. on the top of his/her fin it has a tiny strike of red. Thank you for all of the help.

 

[fish-r-fancy]

after gooing threw the fish index and google I think I might have a pair of Electric Blue Johannii, however mine doesn't seem to have its blue yet. I think I'm going to start out with 3 electric yellows from 1 store and then maybe in another month get a couple from another store and maybe I can get some from a breeder near me too. Thank you for all the help.

 

[fish-r-fancy]

I'm pretty sure that my yellow fish is a yellow lab so I think that the lfs might have sold me the wrong fish.

 

[fish-r-fancy]

I'm uploading a video right now of my fish. The video will be posted in the members aquarium and fish pictures and I will call the thread Please ID my fish

 

[adambrum]

Just had a look at your video you have 1 Labidochromis caeruleus (yellow lab) and the other is a melanochromis but not sure which one it looks like it may be a cross.

I have to stress that if you are going to breed these fish you need really good fish to start at least f1 the last thing we need is more poor fish, when i first started i spent £100.0 on fish that turned out to be hybrids and inbreeds i almost gave up the whole idea because of poor fish hence i only buy wild caught fish about 5 times the price but worth it.

 

[Druchii]

Just had a look at your video you have 1 Labidochromis caeruleus (yellow lab) and the other is a melanochromis but not sure which one it looks like it may be a cross.

I have to stress that if you are going to breed these fish you need really good fish to start at least f1 the last thing we need is more poor fish, when i first started i spent £100.0 on fish that turned out to be hybrids and inbreeds i almost gave up the whole idea because of poor fish hence i only buy wild caught fish about 5 times the price but worth it.

Adam mate - whats the avwerage WC price your paying - mine is only £12 per WC fish