The question about how to breed cichlids when they are so protective of their territory is one that is often asked by hobbyists.
This characteristic makes the fish quite aggressive when defending their spot during breeding and prior to breeding when claiming their particular terrain.
Plenty of rocks and plants are desirable to provide them with safe havens to "call their own" prior to spawning.
Cichlids are a diverse species and breeding strategies will differ.
Some will use open surfaces for spawning such as the substrate in the tank or some rocks.
Common open brooding species are the very popular Discus and Angelfish.
Others will prefer to have the shelter of a cavity and some type of "cave" is required for these such as a flowerpot or some large rocks with plenty of holes and cavities.
Dwarf Cichlids belong to this category.
Mouth brooders which carry eggs and fry in their mouths will particularly need protection and a safe refuge as they are very vulnerable during spawning.
The parental care used by cichlids make them such fascinating creatures to observe in the aquarium.
Often pairs will bond for an extended time to mutually raise the offspring.
With substrate spawners the parents each take a role.
The female will fan the eggs to make sure they have a supply of clean water and oxygen, while the male will be on defensive duty to drive off potential intruders.
At times the roles may be temporarily swapped allowing the other parent to feed.
The care is continued after the eggs are hatched and parents will often move the tiny fry to new pits they have dug in the gravel, by gently carrying them in their mouths.
When they are free swimming and have absorbed the egg sac which sustained them for a few days the parents will continue to provide care.
If the fry become startled while scavenging for food, they will immediately flee to their mother who will quickly "vacuum up" the frightened brood into her throat for protection.
Once the danger has passed the fry are expelled gently and can resume their food hunting.
This behavior is absolutely intriguing to witness.
Often an inexperienced female may not spawn successfully on her first attempt, and may possibly spit out the eggs or swallow them but will learn and "know the ropes" the second time around.
Sometimes there are problems with getting pairs to mate.
It is best not to overfeed and often hungrier fish will mate more readily.
Best tank conditions for breeding are temperatures of around 76 - 78 degrees F and they prefer alkaline, hard water.
It's great to watch cichlids doing what they are so good at and the fry definitely have a much better chance of survival than with other species.
The next step is identifying exactly when to separate the fry.
Usually the parents will give the signals by trying to avoid the fry and use unusual body movements which seem to indicate "stay away".
There may also be signs of a new courtship developing and some mating behavior displayed and then it's evident that this batch of fry are "on the outer" and are potentially on the menu.
This characteristic makes the fish quite aggressive when defending their spot during breeding and prior to breeding when claiming their particular terrain.
Plenty of rocks and plants are desirable to provide them with safe havens to "call their own" prior to spawning.
Cichlids are a diverse species and breeding strategies will differ.
Some will use open surfaces for spawning such as the substrate in the tank or some rocks.
Common open brooding species are the very popular Discus and Angelfish.
Others will prefer to have the shelter of a cavity and some type of "cave" is required for these such as a flowerpot or some large rocks with plenty of holes and cavities.
Dwarf Cichlids belong to this category.
Mouth brooders which carry eggs and fry in their mouths will particularly need protection and a safe refuge as they are very vulnerable during spawning.
The parental care used by cichlids make them such fascinating creatures to observe in the aquarium.
Often pairs will bond for an extended time to mutually raise the offspring.
With substrate spawners the parents each take a role.
The female will fan the eggs to make sure they have a supply of clean water and oxygen, while the male will be on defensive duty to drive off potential intruders.
At times the roles may be temporarily swapped allowing the other parent to feed.
The care is continued after the eggs are hatched and parents will often move the tiny fry to new pits they have dug in the gravel, by gently carrying them in their mouths.
When they are free swimming and have absorbed the egg sac which sustained them for a few days the parents will continue to provide care.
If the fry become startled while scavenging for food, they will immediately flee to their mother who will quickly "vacuum up" the frightened brood into her throat for protection.
Once the danger has passed the fry are expelled gently and can resume their food hunting.
This behavior is absolutely intriguing to witness.
Often an inexperienced female may not spawn successfully on her first attempt, and may possibly spit out the eggs or swallow them but will learn and "know the ropes" the second time around.
Sometimes there are problems with getting pairs to mate.
It is best not to overfeed and often hungrier fish will mate more readily.
Best tank conditions for breeding are temperatures of around 76 - 78 degrees F and they prefer alkaline, hard water.
It's great to watch cichlids doing what they are so good at and the fry definitely have a much better chance of survival than with other species.
The next step is identifying exactly when to separate the fry.
Usually the parents will give the signals by trying to avoid the fry and use unusual body movements which seem to indicate "stay away".
There may also be signs of a new courtship developing and some mating behavior displayed and then it's evident that this batch of fry are "on the outer" and are potentially on the menu.
Source...