CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

Is it better to breed in Colony tanks or community?

I have two species of cichlids that are ready to breed. Both species are in a community tank, hongii and venustus.

Hongii I'm pretty confident are mouth brooders but I'm positive venustus are egg layers..Having catfish I know there's no Hope for egg layers.

I've bred fish before but I'm looking at starting my own breeding business in the future, so pros and cons re. colony vs. community from anyone with experience would be awesome lol.

ta, ta and ta again.

Katie.

I've never worked with large #'s of africans (except yellow labs and Aulonocara's)

But I do keep a fair # of new worlds that I sell retail and wholesale,so here's my take on it.

I'm reading your

Colony tanks

to mean species tanks?

If so 99% of all pros (in my thoughts anyways) are in favor of species tanks.
1 - no chance of hybrids
2 - easier to take out problem fish - ie aggressive fish
3 - easier to work on colors and avoid to much inbreeding since the fish are easier to keep track of.
4 - "Usually" it's easier to have fry with their own species only since they are often eaten even faster by other species.
5 - easier to change water parameters if needed to trigger spawning (sometimes a change that will spawn 1 species will annoy another)


The only "advatange" of of community spawning is less space is needed "if" it works out that way.

but I'm positive venustus are egg layers..

If you mean Nimbochromis venustus, they are mouth brooders like most of the Malawi "Haps".

ok cool. thanks heaps for you help mate.

Colony tanks it is. I have 6 of each species, 2 male four female (aggression reasons). What size tank is ideal? say 3 foot tank?

maybe someone else will chime on on tank size but I'd guess a decient 3 foot tank would work.

again though I'm not well versed or very experianced with most africans