Advice On Breeding African Cichlids: Ensuring Proper African Cichlid Breeding

Because cichlids are beautiful fishes, a lot of people have become interested not only in caring for them, but also in breeding African cichlids

. Though breeding the said fish is not like passing through the eye of a needle - there are still must do African cichlid breeding steps that you should know and employ.

Here are important steps of how to breed cichlids:

1st step: Prepare the appropriate fish tank for cichlids.

The very first thing you'll need when you're really serious about wanting to breed cichlid fishes is an aquarium that can hold from 30 up to 75 gallons of water. Of course, you need to place clean water inside the aquarium, as well as a heater, sand substrates, filter and lighting for your fishes. People interested in breeding African cichlids should also know that those fishes need hiding places, so, the tank should be decorated with big rocks, rock caves, and the likes.

2nd step: Research on which type of cichlid you want to breed, then, decide.

Proper African cichlid breeding also requires one to learn all about the different cichlid species. There are so many types of cichlids, e.g. peacocks, mbunas, etc, which means that each type may also require different kinds of caring and breeding strategies. There are some cichlids that may want a fish tank for cichlids with no plants, while there are some that like a planted tank. Gaining knowledge on how to breed cichlids depending on the specie is therefore something a first time cichlid breeder has to work on.

3rd step: Search for places that sell cichlids.

After you've made your decision about which cichlid specie to purchase/breed, the next part of breeding African cichlids is for you to look for a shop or place where you can buy them. You can scout in pet shops in the malls, or, purchase from breeders over the Internet. If you'll be using a 30-gallon fish tank for cichlids, it is advisable for you to buy one male, and around 5 female cichlids. For a 55-gallon aquarium, it may be best to purchase two males and at least 10 females. For tanks bigger than 55 gallons, of course, you should buy more males, and more females as well.

4th step: Start breeding once you have finished buying the fishes.

As soon as you've placed your cichlids inside the tank, you can expect the African cichlid breeding process to happen immediately. One important fact on how to breed cichlids that you have to become aware of, though, is that after mating, male cichlids want to be away from their mates, thus, you have to make sure that those female cichlids have a lot of places to hide in. This also means that the tank you're utilizing for breeding African cichlids should be really roomy.

You can expect each female cichlid to deliver around twenty to a hundred fry, which, you should transfer to a separate holding tank. As soon as the fry grow at least an inch, you can start selling them to shops and individuals, either over the Internet, or 'offline'.

by: Karen Winton

POST COMMENT

Should you put an LCD TV, LED TV or 3D TV on your Christmas wish list? Holidays To Sharjah Five Reasons To Use An External Call Centre For Christmas They Came At Veranda Palmar Beach, Just At the Perfect Time Five Things To Do In Liverpool This Christmas Do You Want Supplemental Retirement Income? 10 Knitted Christmas Present Ideas Questions to ask your retirement party caterer Remote Assistance London Relax During the Holidays and Avoid the Stress! Africanized Bees (killer Bees) - Facts And Fiction Reasons To Visit Liverpool This Christmas Binaural Beats - The Secret to Fast Natural Relaxation