Breeding Large Cichlids

scott - I have not bred festae but IME getting your stock at a small size and having them grow up together is a very good way to minimize aggression, so is plenty of hidingspots , targetfish , good feeding and good clean water.

With guapotes I have observed that targetfish are almost indispensable to avoid having the male and female turn their aggression against eachother. I like using convicts as they stay relativley small and managable not presenting a real threat to the pair, furthermore you can construct hiding spots for convicts that the festae won't be able to get into.

As far as tanksize, you should let the pair form in a large tank with plenty of aquascape - once the pair is formed and of breeding age they can be moved to their own tank which can be smaller.

Good luck - they are beautiful fish.
 
INXS- I have been using giant danios for target fish and the little festae have already killed one by chasing it out of the tank. Now the largest (maybe an inch and threequarters) just hangs out at the top and as the danios swim by he strikes at them. When do you suggest adding the convicts? I have read about this in other places but didn't really understand the principal of adding another aggressive fish. Should I add just one convict? Should I use multiple same sex, or a pair? When should I introduce them, after a pair of festae has formed? Thanks for the input, I appreciate the help. I am afraid that the convict growth rate will outpace the festae and the festae will be killed.
 
IME having noncichlids in a tank that houses large and aggressive cichlids is one of the few ways of being able to keep more fish together in the same tank - you have to pick them to be large enough and fast enough not to become a meal.

By using tinfoil barbs, silver sharks, silver dollars or any catfish you can add movement and life to a large tank which may only house one or a couple of cichlids. As the cichlids sense that the other fish are noncompetators they will usually leave them alone.

By adding another cichlid there is now competition for terratory and it needs to be guarded. If you don't have that threat some "enthusiasm" to breed may turn too violent as an aquarium has limited space and the fish may get hurt or killed.

I prefer convicts because:
- they are cheap
- readily available
- hardy and can take a beating
- small enough to get away and hide
- small enough not to pose a threat to the fish you really want to keep.

When I moved my managuense pair from the community tank and into their own breeding tank the bond they had developed while protecting their spawn and terratory against all the other cichlids drastically weakend and the male beat up on the female.
After adding a couple of convicts (one promptly got killed) they now concentrate on keeping the little bugger in his terratory and haven't been violent with eachothers.
 
Makes sense. I picked up some convict fry from a friend for free. They are about the same size or a little smaller than the festae. THey are in a 10 gal Q tank right now. WHen do you think I should add them?
 
Here my pal Mojos breeding festae. I believe he breeds them in a 150gallon tank that has a divider. The divider has holes cut out so the smaller male can visit the much larger female and still be able to retreat if she gets rowdy since she is too large to fit throught the same hole.
Festae%2093b.jpg
 
I currently have a stunningly beautiful F1 female that I am seriously thinking of breeding if I can find a decent sized wild or F1 male to mate her up with. Festae are somewhat of a slow grower when compared to the others in its species. a 75gallon tank should be ok for strictly breeding purposes for a good amount of time. the 150 would be ideal for a full grown pair.
 
Mine too is a Rapps fish. I t was then sold to Cichlidscene who then gave it to Mojo who then gave it to me. Shes been around.. Shes the twin sister of this beauty(they are from the same batch of fry this is the one Cichlidscene kept for himself):
20021025fes5.jpg
 
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