# What size tanks do I need for breeding?



## daryls1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Hi, I am wanting to start breeding African Cichlids. Using a ratio of 1m - 4f per tank??, what size tanks would be best?

Thanks


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## shellies215 (Jan 7, 2011)

You need to be more specific than " African cichlids" What species are you looking to breed?


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## daryls1 (Mar 9, 2011)

breeding mbuna cichlids.


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## shellies215 (Jan 7, 2011)

Ok, mbuna cichlids is still not a species, but your getting closer. For a single species breeding tank you could use a 30 or 40 gallon with a 36"x18" footprint, the only difference between the 30 and 40 is the height.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

Lots of different ways to go depending if you are aiming strictly at breeding for pure production or using a tank for pleasure with breeding if it happens. I'm more the accidental breeder type. I do pay attention to avoid mutts. With that, I find having tanks for grow out to be much more a problem. Thirty and up for many will work for the main tank but then lots of smaller tanks (10-20) for growing them to good size to sell. Right now, I have one 75 where the breeding occurs and four small growout and that is not enough for small tanks.


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## daryls1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Sorry. Here is a list of what I want to start breeding.

Labidochromis caeruleus
Pseudotropheus demasoni
Metriaclima callainos
Pseudotropheus socolofi

I am wanting to do it as a hobby.


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## Vadimshevchuk (May 23, 2009)

I would start with 1 male 5 females Labidochromis caeruleus in a 40 gallon breeder and you should be fine breeding them. Make sure to get them from 2 different breeders to make genetics better.


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