# Breeding African Chiclids and South American Cichlids



## Rick n' fish (Apr 26, 2012)

I have had both of my 55 gallon aquariums for two months. One is an african breeding tank and the other is a south american breeding tank. I have five yellow labs, I saw two of them spawn about a week ago. This is the first time anythin has happend in that tank. They all range from an 3cm to 6cm I have two males and three females.... I think. I think the female swallowed her eggs though. I also have three Blue dolphins (moorii). They are about three inches long. Then about a month ago I got what was labled "Red Peacock" 1 male and 2 females. The male is probably around five inches and the females are like 3.5-4. inches long. The male is showing colors and looks sexully mature. I cannot get them to breed and it seems that the male is exteremly pasive. I COULD REALLY USE SOME TIPS OR ANYTHING TI HELP ME. In my other tank I have three pink convict cichlids I think I have two females and one male but I am not exactly sure they are 3-2 inches. I got those like three days ago and nothing (understandable), I have three silver dollars (I am probably going to get rid of them though) I think I have one male and two females by coinsadince. Then I have two tiger oscars the male is about 2.5-3 and the female is 2-2.5. But I do not expect them to breed yet. And of course I have a four inch pleco. ANY TIPS ON THAT? Suggestions on cichlids that are easily breed that I could swap out for the ones I have now? COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS ARE GREATLY APRECIATED. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

The moorii is too big for a 55G and is probably not mature enough to spawn yet. For the peacocks, I'd add females to get four. It's possible they are intimidated by the yellow labs in the tank.


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## Rick n' fish (Apr 26, 2012)

Ok, thanks for the feed back. What should I replace the moorii with?


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

If the male Red Peacock is 5", I doubt he is being intimidated by a 6cm Lab. Agreed that the moori will get too big for the tank eventually, but they are slow growers and you can probably keep them for a year, or get a bigger tank. A month isn't really enough time to expect fish to be breeding, sometimes it takes months for fish to settle in. Have some patience, good water conditions, regular water changes, decent food and they will start breeding soon enough. Otopharynx lithobates might be a good addition, if you get rid of the moori.

As far as the "South American" tank... the Convicts aren't from South America... they are from Central America. If they breed, it is probable that the rest of the fish in the tank are dead. You will need to get rid of the silver dollars and the oscars, as they all will become too big for this tank. If you are going to keep Central American cichlids as a community, I would recommend keeping one male of three or four species, that don't get much over 8".


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## Rick n' fish (Apr 26, 2012)

Thank you for the feedback. I will take that into consideration. So what other fish would you put into the central american tank then?


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## conoholic (Nov 12, 2005)

you cant tell the sex of oscars really.. even at that young of an age/size.. males and females are identical.. and convicts, are the easiest fish to sex. females have orange on her stomach, males dont.. females get to about 2.5 to 3 inches, males get to about 5 inches.. and the african tank.. yellow labs will swallow there eggs the first few times.. takes awhile to get them right. the blue dolphin gets way to big for the tank, and the peacock. MAY get a to big. not sure though.. anyways OH and the pleco ( common? ) will also get way to big, i have had one that was about a foot.. but they can reach far past a foot.. anyways good luck with everything!


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## Rick n' fish (Apr 26, 2012)

That did not help at all.... you just told me that my tanks were failures. I even know enough to know that what a lot of what you said isn't true :lol: . Oscars are sexed at that age by size and behavior. And I have pink convicts and niether of them have orange stomachs. My female yellow lab is holding for the first time and she has been hold for almost 2.5 weeks and she still has her eggs. Dolphins will get 10-8 inches. If they reach the small sides they actually might be able to live in a 55g. For sure the peacock will not get to big for a 55g I know for a fact. Some experts say they can live in a 40g tank. Every single article you read regarding peacocks, will say 50-55g. Ad yes I do agree on the pleco but they are slow growers and I need one because one of my tanks is right next to a window. It isa gold spotted pleco. (I think that is what it is called) sorry if this came across as an insault


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## Chromedome52 (Jul 25, 2009)

Oscars are sexed neither by size nor behavior, especially at 2.5 to 3 inches. I'm guessing you've never bred Oscars; I have. They often are buddies up to about 6-7 inches, then they mature sexually and all bets are off, especially if both end up the same sex.


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## Rick n' fish (Apr 26, 2012)

I do busniess with a 55 year old man that has been breeding every cichlid imaginable since he was 15..... :-? Who is wrong.. idk. You guys would know better than me so im not saying anything :thumb:


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## Anthraxx8500 (Feb 11, 2011)

rick your information is far from spot on. the only thing anyone here is suggesting is that your headed for trouble in both tanks. oscars reach 13+ inches and lets be frank a 55 is less then 12'' wide. do the math this simply wont do. as for the moori its the same issue. rather then try to say you and your supplier know better, why dont you take some of these guys seriously. they have been in the hobby for many years, are regulars at many large cichlid events, & more then a few have actually been to the lakes in africa. if you dont like the answers your receiving just do as you please and dont complain about the results.

as for the answers being short and a bit rough, it gets old trying to help people over and over again with the same issues who simply choose to ignore all relevant data on the subject and do as they please. i wish you the best of luck but u need to broaden your horizons on relevant information.


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## Rick n' fish (Apr 26, 2012)

I just said in my other post that you guys know way more then I do.... But what you guys are saying is way down the road. My oscars are like three inches long and the moorri are like three inches.


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## Chromedome52 (Jul 25, 2009)

I understand the desire to put more fish in a tank that looks empty, but you reall do have to plan for "down the road". If it helps you listen, I bred my first Cichlid four years before your "guru" started keeping fish. And more importantly, I'm not trying to sell you something; I'm trying to help.

Oscars will go from three inches to 8 inches in about a year to 18 months. An acquaintance of mine had a store and sold a ton of 2 inch Oscars because he had a source that made him more than competitive with the other shops in the region (Jacksonville, FL). Everyone wanted to buy a 29 gallon tank for a single Oscar, and almost every one of them came back about a year later to buy a 55 set up because their Oscar was 6-7 inches. He knew they would need the bigger tank, but not telling them increased his sales. That was for a *single *Oscar, and even that wasn't permanent, but there weren't a lot of tanks over 55 in commercial circles in the early 70s.

As for the Blue Bumpheads, I brought three 2 inchers when I moved back to Michigan in '77, sexed as a trio by the anal fin shape. It took about a year and a half for them to reach 4.5 inches, and they bred for me in a 55. However, they were the only Malawian Cichlid I had at the time, and talking to a lot of experts suggested that they might not have bred had they been in a tank with other Haps or with Mbuna. I also moved them on to another breeder shortly after so that I could work with other species of fish.

I"ve never kept Peacocks, as they don't really interest me, but I would keep them in a single species tank if I wanted to breed them, just on principle.


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