Types of Cichlid Breeding

Cichlid breeding is fascinating due to the parental behavior and highly organized breeding activities of Cichlids. Cichlid breeding usually consist of a mating system that is either monogamous or polygamous. Though communal parental care has also been observed for a number of Cichlid species, which is where multiple monogamous pairs care for a mixed school of young. For example, the Brichardi Cichlid (Neolamprologus brichardi) is a species that commonly lives in large groups and the fry are not only protected by the adults, but also by older juveniles from previous spawns. All species show some form of parental care for both eggs and fry, often extended to free-swimming young until they are several weeks or months old. Cichlid breeding parental brood care falls into one of three categories: open brooding, cave brooding, and mouthbrooding.

Open Brooding:

Open brooders spawn on open surfaces like rocks, plant leaves, logs or substrate. Open brooding Cichlids are quite common in Cichlid breeding, including Discus fish, German Blue Ram and freshwater Angelfish. In general, biparental open brooders usually engage in differing roles in Cichlid breeding with regard to protection and raising of the fry. Most commonly, the male parent protects the pair’s territory, while females tend to the fry by fanning water over the eggs, removing infertile eggs and eventually leading the school of fry while foraging. Despite this, both sexes are able to perform the full range of parenting behaviors. Parental behaviors such as leaf-turning and fin-digging have been observed in Cichlid breeding for a number of South American Cichlid and American Cichlid species. Open brooders tend to lay more eggs (sometimes as much as 10,000) than cave brooders (around 300).

Cave Brooding:

Cave brooders lay their eggs in caves and in depressions, thus Cichlid breeding becomes quite easier if mouthbrooders are provided with sheltered areas where they can spawn. Rocks, plants and pots can be used to provide them with these hiding places. Communication between free-swimming fry and parents has been observed for a number of open brooding and cave brooding Cichlids in captivity and in the wild. Frequently this communication is based on body movements, such as shaking and pelvic fin flicking. Kribensis and Convict Cichlid are both popular examples of cave brooders.

Mouthbrooding:

Mouthbrooders are commonly known to carry the eggs and the fry in their mouths. However, there are actually two types of mouthbrooders: ovophile and larvophile. Ovophile mouthbrooders incubate their eggs in their mouths as soon as they are laid and frequently continue to brood free-swimming fry in their mouths for several weeks. Many of the African Cichlids endemic to the Great African Rift Lakes (Lake Malawi, Lake Tanganyika and Lake Victoria) are ovophile mouthbrooders. While larvophile mouthbrooding species lay the eggs in the open or in a cave, and upon hatching take the larvae into the mouth.

Regardless of whether ovophile or larvophile, the vast majority of mouthbrooding Cichlids are maternal mouthbrooders, meaning the female mouthbroods the young. The female releases the fry depending on a number of factors such as her species, her age, and the state of her health. Water quality is a factor of health, water temperatures of about 76-78°F and alkaline water will aid in the hatching of the eggs and African Cichlid breeding. Much like the cave brooders, Cichlid breeding is much easier with mouthbrooders if provided hideouts, this is due to needing more than usual protection when they are egg-laden.

For your first attempt at Cichlid breeding, the young inexperienced females are not likely to carry the eggs for the full term, after that first time they learn to breed successfully. Raising and harvesting of mouthbrooding Cichlids can be done in several ways, with the best method being to simply allow the mother to spit out the fry naturally in a separate tank. Here she does not have to worry about other adults who may eat the fry, thus the survival of the fry is almost certain unless the mother herself consumes the fry. In which case it would be best to transfer the mother to another tank once she has released the fry.