# What will cross breed with what?



## Hawks (Feb 7, 2008)

I have a 6 foot 125 gallon tank that I'm looking to use as a breeder tank.

Right now I've got 14 Placidochromis Phenochilus that I want to try to get to breed. I'm looking at keeping 2 males and 6-7 females (hopefully) from the group.

I'd also like to try to have one or two other species that I would like to try to get to breed as well in the same tank without having to worry about them cross breeding with each other. I'd like to have certain species of Peacock and some Otopharynx lithobates. Would this work without cross breeding?

I'm thinking the lithobates with the Placidochromis may not work.

Thanks for any help.


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## lotsofish (Feb 28, 2008)

At one time, I had phenos, ruby red peacocks, yellow labs and shellies all breeding in the same tank without cross breeding. I don't know if the lithobates would cross-breed with the phenos.


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

as long as the fish dont look too similar and the male to female ratios are good id say ud be alright. :thumb:


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Thats the prob with cichlids though. So many will hybridize at a very low level. The release of sperm is so great it only has to be near the eggs and can firtilize a few despite the females efforts to breed with only her own type.
A dedicated breeding tank with no hybrid risk has just one species.
You can reduce the hybrid risk in other tanks with very different colours shapes and breeding strategies and high numbers of both types but not sure you can eliminate it (in captivity).


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Thats the prob with cichlids (esp Malawi's) though. So many will hybridize at a very low level. The release of sperm is so great it only has to be near the eggs and can firtilize a few despite the females efforts to breed with only her own type.
A dedicated breeding tank with no hybrid risk has just one species.
You can reduce the hybrid risk in other tanks with very different colours shapes and breeding strategies and high numbers of both types but not sure you can eliminate it (in captivity).

Pretty much every Malawi cichlid can be made to breed with pretty much any other and produce viable young.

In a good breeding farm you would not let even the water from one type into the run containing another. Why is it different for hobbyists tanks?


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

IMO, I think haps and peacocks are even more prone to crossbreeding than most mbuna. The unidentfied folder seems to provide enough evidence for me, anyway!

I would not house any two species of haps/peacocks together for breeding purposes.


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