Rate My Fish Tank

Wed Oct 14, 2009 3:12 am GMT   Reply      

Hey,
im just about to change my tank so that i have a good male to female ratio so that my fish will breed...
-Firstly, what are the best types of cichlids to breed? ive had success with mainganoes around 3 times but havent successfully breed my cobalt blue or electric yellows
-What should i look for when selecting the best males for the various species?one of my male electric yellows is developing a blueish colour...des this mean anything?
-also how many fish should i have in a 300L tank...i think that is around 70US gallons...
thanks!

Wed Oct 14, 2009 10:05 am GMT   Reply      

3-4 Females to each male is a good combination. You could do 3-4 species tank with a 1/4 M/F ratio and should be okay. I'm surprised the Electric yellows didn't breed. Do you keep up with weekly water changes and maintenance?

Firstly, what are the best types of cichlids to breed?

Yellow Labs usually spawn fairly easily....so are colbats. I would stick with those species but make sure you don't have more than 1 male per 3-4 females.

What should I look for when selecting the best males for the various species?

I would order from online sources....avoid lfs. Online can usually guarantee a pure strain of breed. You never really know with lfs.

also how many fish should I have in a 300L tank...I think that is around 70US gallons...

As mentioned above 3 maybe 4 species with one male to 3-4 females. I wouldn't do more than about 15-20 fish. Hopefully that answered a few of your questions.

Wed Oct 14, 2009 6:22 pm GMT   Reply      

well i havent had time lately with the fish but once i finish skool i am planning to re-do the tank so there is a good male/female ratio and then i can do weekly water changes to keep them happy and breeding...

i think my yellows havent breed because males were mistaken for females cause it turns out its like 3 males to 2 females...does the blue colour on one of my yellow males mean anything?

What online sources do u buy from?i have never bought fish online, only at pet stores...

Thu Oct 15, 2009 9:14 am GMT   Reply      

I would guess that if your lab has blue in it than it's a hybrid. There's various stores to buy from. Google cichlids for sale. I usually go to livefishdirect.com They have a great selection with great shipping rates.

Thu Oct 15, 2009 10:27 pm GMT   Reply      

See were you have said "Online can usually guarantee a pure strain of breed".
What do u actually mean by that...it is probably a stupid question but to me breeding cichlids is about putting 1 male - 3-4 femals of a species in a tank...and thats it...
so yeh in bout 3 weeks ill be trying to organise a breeding tank...my uncle actually owns a pet store so im thinking i might try to get i contact with his suppliers so i can organise a good group of fish...
is there anything else i should know about breeding cihclids?
thanks so much for all this help!

Fri Nov 06, 2009 12:18 pm GMT   Reply      

I think it has to do with the set up of yo tank because in my cichlid tank my first set up had fake plants and gravel in it and i have a Male Red Zebra and a female Red Zebra and they didnt mate at all, but as soon as i took out tha fake plants, tha gravel and put in sand and alot of rock work my female has been pregnant 3 times. I have 2 baby Zebras they where the only ones that made it