While Cichlid breeding can be accomplished easily for some Cichlid species, it can be quite difficult with others, requiring special conditions and care. Cichlid breeding is much easier and produces far greater results when the Cichlids are well taken care of and given conditions similar to their natural habitat. Thus, perhaps the most essential element in Cichlid breeding is keeping the aquarium clean and maintaining the conditions required by that particular cichlid. The fish will be much healthier and it will induce them to mate more readily.
Fish Tank:
The most basic of equipment for Cichlid breeding is the fish tank itself. The size entirely depends on the fish, room, budget and preference. Research the Cichlid you are interested in keeping and look at the requirements. Personally, I always go with tanks bigger than what is “required” to give the fish more freedom and comfort.
Filtration:
Filtration is a big factor in maintaining good water conditions for Cichlid breeding. Which filter to use for Cichlid breeding entirely depends on the setup, fish and preference. For a pairing, show or grow out tank under 150 gallons a power filter is usually best. I’m a fan of the Penguin BIO-Wheel filters, as they have been the most efficient and easiest to use, not to mention rather cheap. For my 55 gallon tanks I use the Penguin 350, and Penguin 150 for my 20 gallon planted tank. Two Penguin 350s will work great for up to 150 gallon tanks, but anything beyond that you will probably want to look into high-capacity canister filters like the Eheim Pro III. While canister filters are more complicated and costly, they allow customization of the filter media, making the filtration much more adjusted to your specific needs.
The pulling force of both power and canister filters might harm or even consume the fry, the water current could also cause severe complications to the developing fry as well. Thus, for a Cichlid breeding/fry tank I would recommend sponge filters, as they are entirely safe for the fry. You’ll need a sponge filter, air pump and airline tubing; I suggest a Whisper Air Pump as they are fairly priced and one of the only air pumps that actually make good on their claim of being near silent. The sponge filter will need to be established, the best way to do this is to run it in a pre-cycled tank for about three weeks. Bacteria will colonize on the sponge and this will help biologically filter the water. If you don’t have another tank and this is a new project, just use the new filter when cycling a tank, once the tank is cycled and ready for Cichlid breeding the sponge filter should be as well. To clean the sponge filter just squeeze it in some old tank water when doing a water change, never clean it with tap water, as the chlorine will kill the beneficial bacteria.
Water Conditions:
A fully planted tank will aid in filtration as ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are among the nutrients that plants use. This will help keep the beneficial bacteria levels in check and if something happens to your beneficial bacteria there is a buffer present to minimize the problem. A fully planted tank will also induce spawning as it will replicate their natural environment and also allow for hiding and spawning locations. If you do decide to keep plants I would start with an easy to keep low light plant such as Water Sprite, which grow like a weed pretty much regardless of your setup (it will literally grow out of my tank if I don’t prune it). A stock fluorescent light fixture left on 8-12 hours a day should be enough to grow it in most setups, we’ll be doing a whole guide on starting a planted aquarium in the coming weeks. Nonetheless, I suggest keeping it minimal and focus on Cichlid breeding foremost.
African Cichlids enjoy alkaline water conditions, South American Cichlids can be found in exceptionally soft and acidic blackwaters, while American Cichlids usually inhabit water ranging from neutral to alkaline. If your water isn’t well suited for African Cichlid breeding you can get African Cichlid pH buffer, which will stabilize the aquarium pH to 8.5 as well as condition the water with elements found in their natural habitat. This can help, but usually isn’t greatly needed. However, for South American Cichlid breeding it is a bit more essential, especially for very delicate fish such as the Discus fish.
Peat moss can be a great way to naturally lower the pH of your aquarium, which I personally use in my planted freshwater Angelfish tank. You can buy some from any garden center for rather cheap, if they happen to not have any you can buy some online, after that put some in mesh bag (cut off panty hose also works) and place it in the compartment where the filter pad sits so water can flow through it.
If you would rather not deal with peat moss, blackwater extract contains natural humic and tannic acids that simulates water conditions of the Amazon River basin created by soil, peat moss and decaying vegetation. It makes for better water chemistry, encourages spawning, aids the hatching process and tints the water a light brownish yellow color just like the Amazon River, which is pretty cool looking.
Regular water changes are critical to maintaining a good water chemistry for Cichlid breeding. How often and how much water to change is quite debatable. For my fully planted tank I do 33% (1/3) water changes every two to three weeks; for a loosely or non-planted tank I would advise weekly water changes. Ultimately this differs for Cichlid breeding according to the species and each breeder has a different philosophy on water changes, so you can experiment with what works for both you and your fish. I am a huge advocate of the Python water siphon, years ago I had to lug around heavy buckets of water to change the water in my aquariums but this makes it incredibly easy and saves a lot of time as well, it is an amazing investment.
Temperature:
A heater to maintain consistent water temperature is essential for Cichlid breeding. I prefer Visi-Therm Deluxe heaters as you can set the desired temperature and forget about it. With older heaters it was trial and error until you got the correct setting, but that’s no longer necessary. Quite amazing how aquarium equipment has evolved over the past decade.
Diet:
Cichlid breeding also requires quite the diverse diet, many primarily feed on algae and plants while others are primarily carnivorous and prey on smaller fish. With the latter it is important to choose their aquarium mates carefully, more so for Cichlid breeding as that could create quite the debacle. Only healthy fish will readily mate. Furthermore, many female Cichlids such as mouthbrooders do not eat during the incubation, which may in some cases last up to four weeks. Only a fish that is in good health will be able to endure such abstinence from food.
Many foods formulated specifically for Cichlids are available. I personally use Wardley’s Cichlid Advanced Nutrition, it’s higher quality than most common flake foods and seems to hold its own against some of the more expensive foods. Furthermore, it comes in pellet form, which is critical for me. I dislike flake foods for the most part, as they eventually deteriorate into dust and it also creates quite a bit of mess. I find the pellets to be much cleaner and cost effective, the fish also seem to respond to them more as it is easier to see and eat.
Fish should be conditioned before Cichlid breeding, which is to provide a variety of live, dry and frozen foods to get them in top condition for spawning. There is a wide variety of great live foods like tubifex worms, bloodworms, brine shrimp and beef heart. Fish love live foods and they are quite beneficial for them; however, try to feed these carefully to avoid an unbalanced diet. If you would rather not deal with live food, freeze-dried foods are entirely safe, cheap and easy. Feeding your Cichlids a rich varied diet is not only healthier but it will thrive and bring out much better colors.
For more information visit this guide.
See the Cichlid Breeding Guide
