Red Tail Shark Posted November 1, 2004 Share Posted November 1, 2004 i have just set up my garage with a number of different tanks i would like to try my hand at breeding what cichlids could any one recomend preferably some thing that looks after its own fry i dont think im at the level where i could retrieve them from there mouths cheers Cal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burek Posted November 1, 2004 Share Posted November 1, 2004 Convicts!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prince Posted November 1, 2004 Share Posted November 1, 2004 Convicts are alrite but it get aggressive when they breed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bling Bling Ghetto Child Posted November 1, 2004 Share Posted November 1, 2004 Try some of the tanganyikan step breeders maybe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted November 1, 2004 Share Posted November 1, 2004 Start with the basics. to me breeding is about having the right conditions. get some electric yellow, blues, or something like that, get the water right and they will breed. i dont think it matters if you let them hold full term they just spit the fry in the tank. Give the fry plenty of spot to hide and they will survive. At some stage you will have to remove them any way. Josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scaley Posted November 1, 2004 Share Posted November 1, 2004 1. Convicts 2. P. Salaousi 3. Electric Blues or Yellows Thats my order! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r.d.m Posted November 2, 2004 Share Posted November 2, 2004 all cichlids get aggressive when they breed, apart from my beautiful devils who are deeply in love(at the moment ,ive got eggcrate just in case) id go for at least one pair of big americans(devils ,texas ,dempseys etc) all good parents, no"oh my god shes spat in the net quick get the bucket" nonsense and you only have to buy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YeW Posted November 2, 2004 Share Posted November 2, 2004 Why not try one of these species (IMHO) the best of all beginner cichlids: 1. Pelvicachromis pulcher (kribensis) or relatives. 2. Anomalochromis thomasi (african butterflies). 3. Neolamprologus multifasciatus (speak to BaZ or Cthompson on the ACE forums for good stock). (not in any order) If you want to try a mouthbrooder I'd recommend electric yellows or electric blues. Avoid other zebra types etc. Dont breed convicts - while I think they are good fish I think they make poor beginners cichlids.... and while all the fish Reddevilman recommends are indeed fantastic - I dont think they are ideal for someone starting out with cichlids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ducksta Posted November 2, 2004 Share Posted November 2, 2004 I tend to agree with YeW's suggestions, as unlike convicts etc, the fry will always be able to be sold easily for reasonable money considering the cost and effort of growing them. Even if you are unable to move all your stock privately, those species will always be accepted willingly by local shops or even wholesalers if the numbers are up there, especially if you pride yourself on quality The problem with the majority of the americans, partcularly those reddevilman suggests, as much as I love them , is that they are quite unpredictable and if your back is turned for a few minutes, you can turn back to a dead adult female (or male!!!) which is quite disheartening. Also they need big tanks - which is unlikely to be on the agenda for a new breeder setting up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlakeyBoyR Posted November 3, 2004 Share Posted November 3, 2004 Ducksta and Yew are spot on mate. You don't want to be shelling out big dollars for a breeding colony when you're not terribly confident or experienced in the process as a whole. What fish you want to breed will also be influenced by your bank balance (as are most things in life). If you want to keep it cheap then track down some good quality electric yellows (do a forum search in the breeders registry for someone in your area), or alternatively if you've got the dollars, someone is selling lab. perlmutt in the classifieds at the moment, but as I said, perlmutt are only if youre into taking risks that could cost you some big bucks, especially with fry at $35 a piece. Good luck mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chester Posted November 3, 2004 Share Posted November 3, 2004 I don't see anything wrong with beginners having convicts. THey are hardy fish and for beginners they are good because you don't have to worry about buffering the water or other water chemistry problems that effect other fish. Just keep one pair and when the fry grow up just donate them to your local fish shop. After you have had some success breeding convicts then you will be ready to take the step and try breeding something a little more difficult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazimbwe Posted November 3, 2004 Share Posted November 3, 2004 Gotta agree that N.multifasciatus are the best begginers Cichlid. Little space required and they look after their own fry better than almost anyone else. HTH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subgirl Posted November 3, 2004 Share Posted November 3, 2004 Gotta agree that N.multifasciatus are the best begginers Cichlid. Little space required and they look after their own fry better than almost anyone else. HTH And so cute too..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Morelia Posted November 3, 2004 Share Posted November 3, 2004 I can't see what's wrong with Convicts ?!?! No need to buffer or anything like that, just let 'em do their thing, and then donate their fry. When you're sick of them producing fry you can't get rid of, sell them, and go a step up ! How could you possibly ask for a better begginer's fish ? We're not talking about creating a vastly profitable breeding empire here. (at least not yet eh, RTS?) Plus they'll help steer you away from Africans. (Plenty of those around ) I guess it all depends on what you like of those suggested. Andy P.S.... don't start out with Trimacs.... i learnt the hard way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamsherman Posted November 3, 2004 Share Posted November 3, 2004 Is anyone gonna say Herotilapia multispinosa (rainbow cichlids)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subgirl Posted November 3, 2004 Share Posted November 3, 2004 I can't see what's wrong with Convicts ?!?! P.S.... don't start out with Trimacs.... i learnt the hard way. IMO Convicts are piontless. They'll happily breed in the S-bend of your toilet..... meaning RTS isn't going to learn a whole lot about breeding fish is he !?!? And then there is the problem of offloading the fry that most fish shops don't want. If you have something to feed them to however....... Trimacs for a begginer silly silly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlakeyBoyR Posted November 3, 2004 Share Posted November 3, 2004 Most LFS will only look at convicts as feeders for barra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazimbwe Posted November 3, 2004 Share Posted November 3, 2004 IMO Convicts are piontless. Very forcefull statement for a "Sub"?! Totally agree with you too, BTW!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Morelia Posted November 3, 2004 Share Posted November 3, 2004 IMO Convicts are pointless. They'll happily breed in the S-bend of your toilet..... meaning RTS isn't going to learn a whole lot about breeding fish is he !?!? And then there is the problem of offloading the fry that most fish shops don't want. If you have something to feed them to however....... Ahhh haaa.... so RTS wouldn't learn anything at all ? Would RTS learn more from N. multifasciatus ? Kribs ? E blues ? Yellows ? RTS would learn more about keeping africans from these fish, not neccesarily about breeding. What use is starting off with mouth-brooders if RTS later wants to breed Nuclear family Americans ? What use are Convicts if RTS wants to breed mouth-brooding Africans ? I backed up an easy to keep, easy to breed fish for a begginer, a fish that was being bagged unnecessarily. Sure Convicts aren't the most economically viable fish to breed, but hey, if everyone was concerned about that, we'd have houses full of plecos. But they are easy to keep, fun to watch [read learn] breeding. What more could you ask for a begginer's fish ? seriously. Trimacs for a begginer silly silly Believe it or not, some people actually get fish to keep as pets, not to breed. Most LFS will only look at convicts as feeders for barra So let 'em ! At least you'll be breeding fish, then you can move up to something a bit more challenging. If it comes down to it, i'll volunteer to take convict fry off people's hands and feed 'em to my fish It depends if RTS wants to breed fish for money, or for the fun (love?) of it, and also if they prefer Americans or Africans. This thread just proves how many of you are purely profit-minded with regards to choosing fish. Disgusting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anchar Posted November 3, 2004 Share Posted November 3, 2004 Excuse me Dave but... Dont breed convicts - while I think they are good fish I think they make poor beginners cichlids.... why?? merjo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ducksta Posted November 3, 2004 Share Posted November 3, 2004 Thats because you need some other fry to eat the convicts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlakeyBoyR Posted November 3, 2004 Share Posted November 3, 2004 Whooaaa, I dont know what the view is like from the top of that soapbox Andy but I think you got the wrong idea. I myself arent even breeding fish at the moment, so I can hardly be called on my pentient for fish that make money now can I. My views on convicts are not motivated by finance, but the sheer fact I think they are very plain and boring looking fish. I dont find their personalities particularly interesting either. And yes IMO convicts are only good as feeders, you dont have to agree with me, but it's a bit of a glaring judgement call to say that people who have taken, for lack of a better phrase, an "anti-convict" stance in this thread are either "digusting" or "purely profit-minded with regards to choosing fish". Thats a pretty hefty shot to take at a bunch of people for saying they dont like convicts dont you think? As a matter of act, when reviewing this whole thread, you were the first one to imply a "vastly profitable breeding empire". There was actually only about two posts that even remotely resembled anything like a recommendation against convicts based on economics . I dont know if I took the "disgusting" and "profit minded" call too personally, perhaps I did. However I do feel it was unjustified and misdirected. Its 2am, Im tired, Ive been doing uni work all day so I apologise if I made this into something bigger than it is. I still maintain though it was a bit out of left field cheers, Blake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subgirl Posted November 3, 2004 Share Posted November 3, 2004 P.S.... don't start out with Trimacs.... i learnt the hard way. Trimacs for a begginer silly silly Believe it or not, some people actually get fish to keep as pets, not to breed. Your point being ? Note: i was just having a little bit of fun with you there. You are very defensive about this Dark Morelia. Why are you so keen to have an argument just because i disagree about the convicts as many others did ? You act as if they are the holy grail of fish keeping, yet my 2 year old daughter could easily breed them in a bucket of bleach. Hardly challenging, so i'd imagine also hardly rewarding. Other people ARE entitled to have opinions that differ from yours you know. That's mine, if you don't like it, ignore it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katanaone Posted November 4, 2004 Share Posted November 4, 2004 convicts were one of my first cichlids. i had quite a few (maybe too many) in a 4 footer, i loved them they were great breeders, they prepared me for the agressiveness associated with keeping certain types of fish, i found them really smart (taught them a few tricks) and i found that they lived despite my inabilities and ignorances at the time. to me they were like trainer wheels before i stepped up to other fish. i believe that if convicts were not that easy to breed they would be cherished a bit more than they are now, they have great personality. i still have my original breeding pair (about 5 years old) and i use their fry to feed my larger americans. RTS ther is no rule that you can't keep americans or africans and you don't have to go one way or the other both are different and just as interesting in their own way. most people i know have started with convicts, yellows, blues or something similar, i guess for the main reason that if they stuffed up it would not be a an expensive one. let us know what you decide on and maybe in the future we'll see you with something for sale. cmon guys lighten up, don't start squabbling about litte things it may drive Red Tail Shark away from breeding altogether! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mezzacam Posted November 4, 2004 Share Posted November 4, 2004 Well i see there's been plenty of suitable fish mentioned Everyone has their own ideas and ideals on what would be their own and personal recommendation on what a beginner should try breed. So i reckon it's up to Red Tail Shark to read up about all of them and find the one you thinks looks the nicest As they all should *hopefully* end up breeding for him whatever one you pick. So it comes down to personal preference mate. Have fun with whatever fish you buy. Enjoy them as much as you can, cause they are only the tip of the cichlid breeding iceberg (And sometimes they are the funnest, lol) So good luck champ. Cameron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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