# brichardi breeding



## Tall Cool One (Apr 8, 2006)

I am in the process of setting up a brichardi species tank. What do I need to have in the tank to ensure breeding?


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## alexrex20 (Aug 26, 2005)

for brichardi, you just need water.


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

I'm with *alexrex20* , water and a male and female is about all you really need. Mine have been breeding regularly since they became mature and I haven't had to do much to encourage them. 
There are a few tricks to get them in the mood like skip a water change then do a larger than normal change, or give them a lot of live food(that one doesn't always work but the fish enjoy it) . Like with convicts , the trick is more in getting them to stop than getting them to start.


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## Tall Cool One (Apr 8, 2006)

What would be ideal in terms of cover for the brichardi? I have 2 upright and 1 horizontal piece of driftwood along with five fist-sized rocks. Should I build a "pile" of rock with some crevices in the pile? Or, should I add something else?


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

I've been using rock piles and stacked stone "houses" in my tank. They haven't been all that picky about it as they've spawned in both but do seem to prefer the stacked stone more than the piles. When they did spawn in the pile it was right next to the stone "house" they normally claim.

As far as driftwood is concerned I don't use it in my African tanks due to it possibly altering the water chemistry (causing ph shifts) and staining the water. Synthetic driftwood(resin reproductions) would be OK but not really needed unless you like it .

Also Brichardi being substrate spawners have a tendency to dig, Mine are prone to major feats of aquatic excavation, so care should be taken to minimize the chances of the decor collapsing on them as they dig. Stacking the stone for greatest stability goes along way towards that end, but siliconing the rock together beforehand works well too.


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## Tall Cool One (Apr 8, 2006)

sorry for the multiple post


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## Tall Cool One (Apr 8, 2006)

sorry for the multiple post


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## Tall Cool One (Apr 8, 2006)

Thanks. I have had the driftwood in the tank for a year and a half and it hasn't been an issue up to this point. I have hard water in my area and I mixed in some kind of crushed something or another (I don't remember what it was) with my gravel I put in as substrate to stabilize the ph level. I have never had a problem with ph before.

I'm glad to hear that brichardi are excavators. I have had cichlids in the past that dug the whole place up and I loved it. I think diggers help keep the substrate clean by stirring up the junk and putting it back up in the water so the filter can grab it.


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## Neolamprologus Marco (Jan 14, 2008)

They are not extreme diggers. My female has dug a pit and reused it on 6 occasions...including one today :thumb: .More mouths to feed


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

Your lucky then *Neolamprologus Marco* ,mine have rescape their tank to their own liking. Lots of variation on that trait it seems .


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## mormodamballa (Feb 21, 2007)

I actully am trying to get mine to stop breeding. I use holey rock and a conch shell. They really love using the shell. So much that I had to remove it because they were laying eggs every three weeks and the fry were living very well inside the shell.
If you need some to start your tank I have some I am willing to get rid if for free.


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## Tall Cool One (Apr 8, 2006)

How long does it take to go from fry to juvenile?


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## Multies (Mar 9, 2007)

it depends on how well you treat them.
less water changes and less feedings=slower
more=faster


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## Tall Cool One (Apr 8, 2006)

Once the fry are laid, what do I do to keep them healthy? Should I turn the power down on my filter so they don't get sucked up into the filter? Do I put something over the input of the filter to make the holes smaller? Do I feed them a special diet? I have a river rock "cave" made and have a bunch of cover on the floor of the tank for protection.

I really want to develop a Lamp Brichardi species tank and want generations of lamps to enjoy for years to come.


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## Tall Cool One (Apr 8, 2006)

Also, after reading all of the posts about having a ton of brichardi fry, when do you know you have too many brichardi in the tank?


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## Tall Cool One (Apr 8, 2006)

bump


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