# baby cichlids



## curtkram

Hi forum. 

i have a 60gal. tank with 5 cichlids, a rainbow shark, and a pleco.

the cichlids started making fry. at first i thought this was a thing that could just be left to nature, and the bigger fish would sort of make the little fish disappear. that didn't happen. they're growing up, there are a lot of them (i think at least 8 or 10), and i think there might actually be 3 different generations in there. 

i'm not going to be able to keep starting new tanks to house all these fish, and i think there are too many for my tank. i wouldn't mind keeping about 1, but i think that's all i can hold before overcrowding.

is it common just to scoop out as many as i can on a fairly regular basis and euthanize them?


----------



## StevenT

Over crowding in a cichlid tank is a good thing. What kind are they?


----------



## coralbandit

You could trade them to your LFS for store credit or just give them to them or friends.
You could list them on craigslist for free or whatever(you may make a couple bucks and score free food or something?).


----------



## majerah1

I agree with Coralbandit. You should sell them or trade them. Join a local aquarium club and offer them up to people there. They have periodic meetings and such you could also take them to and auction them off.


----------



## curtkram

i have 5 different kinds of cichlids from petsmart. i would kind of assume since they're from petsmart, they weren't necessarily well bred to begin with. the children would be mixed breed, so doesn't that make them a lot less desirable if i tried to sell them back to the store, or trade them to hobyists?

i just wanted a fish tank; i had no idea they bred. i guess if i put some thought into, it kind of makes sense.

for the person who said an overcrowded tank is good, is that sarcasm or are there really people with sound judgement that would think 20 cichlids in a 60 gallon tank is a good thing? if i can't find people to give these fish to, is that really an option, or do i have to get rid of them for the overall health of the tank?

i'll ask around at work to see if anyone wants free fish. they seem to breed a lot, so eventually i will run out of people to give fish too. these aren't gold fish ; they live longer and get bigger, and they're kind of a commitment with having to keep the water clean and filtered and all. 

anyone here near kansas city and want some free fish, or want to give me food and filters for fish (that i would give you free anyway)?


----------



## Big Dog

If they are mixed. Then I would just give them away to someone or to the fish store. Just tell them they are mixed.


----------



## StevenT

Over crowding an african tank is a good thing. Over crowding spreads the aggression out. Less deaths. I have 70 africans, cat fish, and plecos in a 180 gallon tank atm and I am starting to think I might need more.

Over stocking requires weekly or byweekly water changes and over filtering but with africans you should pack them in.


----------



## choutman

im near Kansas city if you want to give some fish away and yea its common to over stock African cichlids...we have a great fish club here as well with weekly meetings and auctions you could get rid of them at...kcfishclub.com....good luck


----------



## coralbandit

Steven is not sarcastic,you really need to over crowd AC in order to distrubute the beatings.A power head /circulation pump also helps with keeping them from establishing territories they will kill to defend.
Pile the rock to the top!


----------



## graybot

By all means do NOT return these hybrid fish to the LFS. The last thing the hobby needs are more worthless mutt cichlids diluting the species. It's not fair for unknowledgable consumers to be sold hybrid cichlids, which can be unpredictable in behavior and frankly quite ugly when they mature. If you have the stomach for it, I would humanely euthanize them if you can't keep them. Otherwise, if you must give them away please make sure the recipient knows exactly what they are getting and will avoid allowing them to breed further.

With a 60 gallon tank you should aim for at least 15-20 cichlids, if not more. Though with such random species, you will have further trouble with hybridization. I would start over with one or two species only. Less likely to cross breed in that scenario.


----------



## dalfed

If you do not want mating go with an all male tank, great color and no mutts.


----------



## Bumblebeechloe

Could you post your pic please! I would like to see what they looks like baby cichlids fry?. What kind of cichlid fish you have? :fish5:


----------



## curtkram

can you see him?








i started with 6 fish, and have at least 20 now. i'm fairly certain there are a few more in hiding i didn't count. probably going to scoop out what i can this weekend again the thin the population a little.


----------



## hotwingz

I currently have 32 fish in my cichlid tank. Not all of them are cichlids. A lot of times its a good idea to put what's called either fish. Something small and fast that they can chase buy not catch. It helps with keeping the cichlids after going after each other and getting hurt. I also have a mating pair jewel cichlids in there, the only issues I have is they will make the tank smaller by chasing others away. The only real issue with over stocking your tank especially with cichlids is water quality. I am putting together a 20g sump for it. I also do a 40-50% weekly water change.


----------



## curtkram

my nitrates tend to always be a little high. i change the water about every 2 weeks and do close to 1/2. i changed the water every week for a while, but testing shortly after the water change didn't seem to make much difference. are there any good natural sort of ways to reduce nitrates? the cichlids kill most plants, but i have few anubiases of some sort they let live. otherwise, as far as i know, water changes is about all you can do. i wouldn't be surprised if i found out i feed them too much i suppose.

one of my original half dozen was a pleco, the other a rainbow shark. they both seem to be doing fairly well. one of the fish i suspect is partially responsible for the breeding sometimes tries to fight the pleco out of his space, and i think the shark gets picked on sometimes, but not any more than and of the others.

i don't think i really want an overstocked tank. if i was aware of the potential breeding issues and knew of a way to avoid it at the beginning i would have gone that route. as it is, i have the fish now and figure i should just do the best i can to take care of them.


----------



## hotwingz

Did we go over filtration yet? What are you running and what media do you have.


----------



## curtkram

my filter is the penguin biowheel 350. by media, you mean the blue things? i have 4 of the blue things in it. i stopped replacing them a few weeks ago, and instead just take the 4 i have out and hose the gunk off, so there isn't much for charcoal filtration anymore. my ammonia and nitrites are fine. i don't think rinsing instead of replacing affected the nitrates.


----------



## hotwingz

Ok. Ya I would add another filter. I used 2 350's on my 55 cichlid tank until I jumped t canisters. And even then I now have two of those on there. But yes you are correct in not replacing the cartridges. The only one who recommends replacing them are the people selling them! However never do all of them at the same time. And its best to rinse them in a bucket of tank water. So do it when you do a WC. When I clean filters its either just one or just one side. That way you don't loose too much of your bacteria. As far as the carbon . Don't worry about it. Carbon has its uses but it is not needed for everyday filtering. Its good for getting colors, meds, and if needed odors out of the water. If non of those are present your better off with more sponge or floss media. Like I still use my 350's but on my 29s. I use the cartridges mostly to hold everything in. I have a piece of floss and bio rings on each side and only one cartridge.


----------



## curtkram

more filters reduces nitrates? is that because there are more bacteria that eat it in the filter than just floating in the tank?


----------



## susankat

No, the only way to reduce nitrates is through water changes. Filters are used to convert ammonia to nitrites and nitrites to nitrates. When a tank is over stocked its best to do at least 50% water change each week.


----------



## hotwingz

You really don't have enough bacteria in the water column to make a difference. Its all going to be in your filter, gravel, and decor. But as stated above an extra filter wont be the key to lower nitrates, but your biolad is too high for just that filter to handle. Your water quality will improve with higher amount of filtration.


----------

