# First time breeding. need help please!



## cichlid4real (Nov 13, 2015)

Hi guys first time posting on this forum  i just setup up a 40g breeding tank and im trying to breed chilumba peacock but i have a few question to be answer please.
ok so my male is about 6-7 inch and i have 2 females that are 3-3.5 inch so my question is will they still breed even if the male is a bit larger?
second question is is 1male to female ratio enough or do i need more female? 
third question is i just got the male and atm he seems to like hiding in the cave and havent have much action with the female, so what does that mean?

Sorry again for these newbie questions lol it's my first time breeding. thank you in advance for all your answers guys


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## Been_away2long (Jul 13, 2015)

In terms of breeding you need to be patient that's the key. When they are all comfortable he will starting show more color and be flaring/dancing with the females. I would add another 2-3 females. Sometimes males can be very aggressive to the point of stressing and killing females. I just went through that with my albino fryeri I hd 3 females he killed all but 1. Also if the fish is 6-7 inches a 40 gallon is probably too small. I like breeding my fish in atleast 55 gal a little more room and hiding places if the male becomes overly aggressive, but it can be done. If he's hiding a lot just means he's not comfortable in the tank yet. Give him time to settle in he will become more lively


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## Kanorin (Apr 8, 2008)

I agree with the above poster. As a guideline, it often takes 4-6 months from the time new fish are introduced to an aquarium before they feel comfortable enough to begin breeding.


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## Roger That (Aug 12, 2015)

I've had my stock for seven weeks now and had two yellow labs that were holding by week two, one Rusty by week four, and now one White Top Hara by week six. Like the others stated, be patient and just let nature take its course. But I agree with adding some more females.


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## cichlid4real (Nov 13, 2015)

Thank you everyone for your response 

i have another question will my 6-7inch male breed with my 3-3.5inch female?


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## Roger That (Aug 12, 2015)

I don't see why he wouldn't. Nothing wrong with little women.


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## James&amp;Sue (Nov 14, 2015)

We brought home a 5" Red Zebra male Mbuna, he decided he took a liking to our 3" hybrid female Red Zebra, about 3 months after we added him sure enough she was holding. Have since had 50+ fry spread out over 3 other tanks in our house! They're the only two that will breed in our large mixed 55g tank... in the 6 months since we brought the male home they've spawned twice. I have more babies than I know what to do with!! I'm not sure the male/female ratio matters too much if they're committed lol. He's a bit of a bully, but when he's ready to spawn the only fish that suffer are the others in the tank. Not the female.


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## Roger That (Aug 12, 2015)

I got to watch a pair of Rusties go through the spawning process up close for the past hour or so. Quite fascinating!! Both of the Rusty's vents were protruding, the one Rusty would swim up to the other quickly and would tilt a little to the side and quiver, the other Rusty would swim up and suck them up as close as he could get to the vent of the female because there were constantly three Synodontis Multi's right up there too trying to eat them. They were relentless on the Rusties. It was a constant game of chasing them off...find a spot real quick and go at it for a few seconds...chase them off again and repeat.

James&Sue...what are you going to do with 50+ hybrid fry when they grow a bit?


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## Been_away2long (Jul 13, 2015)

I'm not saying during breeding they are aggressive im saying when the male wants to the breed and the female has no intention on doing so after he dancing and flares up is she swims away he will chase/nip her. I'm speaking from my experience as I have seen this in my breeding tank with my albino fryeri's. I could also just have a hyper aggressive male


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## cichlid4real (Nov 13, 2015)

Okay just an update i've moved my breeding group to a 57gallon tank and added 2 more females so its now 1m and 4female. 
Quick question what are some of the signs that i should see when my male is getting ready to breed with my females?


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## James&amp;Sue (Nov 14, 2015)

Roger That said:


> I got to watch a pair of Rusties go through the spawning process up close for the past hour or so. Quite fascinating!! Both of the Rusty's vents were protruding, the one Rusty would swim up to the other quickly and would tilt a little to the side and quiver, the other Rusty would swim up and suck them up as close as he could get to the vent of the female because there were constantly three Synodontis Multi's right up there too trying to eat them. They were relentless on the Rusties. It was a constant game of chasing them off...find a spot real quick and go at it for a few seconds...chase them off again and repeat.
> 
> James&Sue...what are you going to do with 50+ hybrid fry when they grow a bit?


Currently we're getting them grown up to about 2" so that we can sell the privately or back to the LFS (who have agreed to take some). We've also just let the female spit in the tank too. So far I see 2 tiny and very brave babies popping out from deep rock work and plants off and on. Letting nature take its course until we have more room in the fry tanks.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

cichlid4real said:


> Okay just an update i've moved my breeding group to a 57gallon tank and added 2 more females so its now 1m and 4female.
> Quick question what are some of the signs that i should see when my male is getting ready to breed with my females?


Spawning behavior can be practice for a year before you get eggs, or it can be aggression.

Spawning involves the male/female swimming in slow circles. A more hopeful sign is if you see a female with a dropped egg tube.


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## RandyS (Feb 6, 2015)

DJRansome said:


> A more hopeful sign is if you see a female with a dropped egg tube.


Hmmmm.......I may have seen this the other day on one of my bigger Yellow Labs females. It kinda worried me at the time.
What does it look like exactly?


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## Roger That (Aug 12, 2015)

The egg tube is slightly protruding from the belly of the fish and is easily visible from the side view. The female Rusty I described above in the spawning process had a dropped egg tube.

I now have yet another Yellow Lab holding. I've had at least one fish holding in the tank for six weeks straight now, but have yet to actually see any fry. I guess the Synodontis are doing their job.


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

DJRansome said:


> A more hopeful sign is if you see a female with a dropped egg tube.





Roger That said:


> The egg tube is slightly protruding from the belly of the fish and is easily visible from the side view. The female Rusty I described above in the spawning process had a dropped egg tube.


I'm actually rather surprised with this! :-? I watch mbuna spawning act many, many times.......and even on larger fish like bumblebee, I have yet to see much of anything protruding on either male or female. I specifically look for it, as looking at the genitals from the side view in the water is how I sex all cichlids easily, and usually fairly quickly (confirmed 100% in a matter of a few months at most). Mbuna being the exception, as even during the spawning act, the most I've been able to see is a wider area from where the egg comes out.....but nothing really protruding.
Anyone have any good side shots of mbuna breeding tubes?


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## Kanorin (Apr 8, 2008)

I found this picture that I took years ago of one of my female L. fuelleborni with her eggtube (aka ovipositior) distended.


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

Thanks for the picture. The egg tube is certainly very visible in the picture..... though not protruding quite like a substrate spawner ready to lay eggs. Can't say I have ever seen anything like that on any mbuna . Wonder if there is any correlation with the number of eggs and how far the egg tube protrudes :-? ,( as all the spawning acts I have witnessed produced around 10-15 fry).


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

BC in SK said:


> DJRansome said:
> 
> 
> > A more hopeful sign is if you see a female with a dropped egg tube.
> ...


BC-
I rarely see much of a tube either on mbuna. This video of some young Red Zebra spawning shows a decent shot of a tube around the 6:55 mark and again after that.


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## Roger That (Aug 12, 2015)

Here's a current photo taken today of one of my females holding with a slightly protruding or dropped egg tube. This one even eats pellets while holding.


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