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Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)

Hi,

John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.

I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.

With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.

I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.

If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.

I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.

I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.

Thank you
Darragh Sherwin

Breeding

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26 Jan 2010 23:51 #1 by siamesefighter (Andrew Watters)
Breeding.
I was wondering was there any set way to breed cichlids? Im looking for set guide lines and things that MUST be done when starting out to breed these fish, down to temp of tank and also what type of food, Bascialy a beginers guide to breeding cichlids and i DESPREITLY SEEK help :P thanks guys

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27 Jan 2010 00:26 #2 by platty252 (Darren Dalton)
I wouldn't be the bast person to answer this but i know it depends on which Cichlids you want to breed.
What particular fish are you trying to breed?
The extra info will help someone guide you in the right direction.

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27 Jan 2010 00:40 #3 by PAULHARTE25 (PAUL HARTE)
hi there,i just set up a malawi mbuna tank the week before xmas,did nothing special,just the weekly water changes and i've got one holding already,i dont think they're the hardest fish in the world to breed,basically good water and plenty of hiding spaces and let them off

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27 Jan 2010 13:58 #4 by siamesefighter (Andrew Watters)
this would be my second tank. but i really want to breed the Convict Cichlid,

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27 Jan 2010 15:13 #5 by JohnH (John)
Replied by JohnH (John) on topic Re:Breeding
All you need is a pair - they'll breed for you!!! (and breed, and breed, ad infinitum).
You might want to consider what you'll do with the surplus though - they aren't that easy to get rid of, most people who breed them end up feeding them to their other fish as shops are reluctant to buy them in, or even to exchange them for other fish/credit...so be warned.
John

Location:
N. Tipp

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.


ITFS member.



It's a long way to Tipperary.

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27 Jan 2010 17:53 #6 by siamesefighter (Andrew Watters)
So whats the basic rules to follow when breeding these fish, best temp. best setups for them what about scenary. do i need to get rocks and stuff for them?
Also on that matter can i get rocks from the beach and shells and wash them over and over in hot boiling water and scrub the sh*t out of them and put them into the tank?

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27 Jan 2010 22:33 #7 by JohnH (John)
Replied by JohnH (John) on topic Re:Breeding
OK,
Perhaps my reply was a little blase but what I was trying to tell you is that really Convicts need little more than a male and a female to successfully breed (literally!), it really is that simple.

You really can have any sort of rocks and wood - even ornaments - as they honestly are not at all fussy about their environment (at least any I've kept down the years never were).

You don't even need to raise water temperature to get them to breed and I've found they aren't very fussy about pH and water hardness either - honestly, you can trust me...you have really picked probably the simplest Cichlids to start your breeding programme (with the possible exception of tank-bred Kribs).

As to using rocks from the sea shore, I would be wary as some may leach unpleasant and undesirable substances from within (or without - on the surface) so my advice would be to not use them.
Also I would not recommend you use sea shells either as they are almost 100% calcium and would gradually dissolve into your tank water.

John

Location:
N. Tipp

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.


ITFS member.



It's a long way to Tipperary.

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27 Jan 2010 22:39 #8 by Viperbot (Jason Hughes)
Replied by Viperbot (Jason Hughes) on topic Re:Breeding
Convicts breed like guppies. Seriously, just add water and they will go at it. Beware, the male will get very aggresive when they spawn and will defend them to the death. I had a pair spawn a few months ago and had to remove the Green Terror that they shared a tank with because it didnt get a moments peace. They are tough as nails and like a fellow fishkeeper once said to me you can flush the fry and a week later they will come back and bite you in the a**.
Taking rocks from the shore is OK once you boil or bake them to kill the nasties that will be living on and in them. Just be sure to let them cool before adding them. Good luck, and be ready for more fry than you know what to do with.


Jay

Location: Finglas, North Dublin.

Life
may not be the party we hoped for, but while we
are here we might as well dance.

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27 Jan 2010 22:52 #9 by siamesefighter (Andrew Watters)
Thanks lads.
When i go to collect my Cichlids. How to know that they arnt brother and sister or is there such a thing as insest in the cichlid community? Also should i lay off on the gravel pump when i have them in the tank i wouldnt want to suck up and eggs. or even small fry for that matter. how will i manange the maintance?

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27 Jan 2010 23:22 #10 by stretnik (stretnik)
Replied by stretnik (stretnik) on topic Re:Breeding
Just a heads up, it's illegal to take Rocks, sand etc fom the Beach or Lakesides.

Kev.

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28 Jan 2010 00:51 #11 by PAULHARTE25 (PAUL HARTE)
so dont get caught:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

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28 Jan 2010 01:21 #12 by JohnH (John)
Replied by JohnH (John) on topic Re:Breeding
siamesefighter wrote:

Thanks lads.
When i go to collect my Cichlids. How to know that they arnt brother and sister or is there such a thing as insest in the cichlid community? Also should i lay off on the gravel pump when i have them in the tank i wouldnt want to suck up and eggs. or even small fry for that matter. how will i manange the maintance?


Like as not they will be - most fish you buy in one shop will almost always (if they aren't Wild-caught) will be from the same parents, not the best scenario but it's been happening now almost since fish started being kept as 'pets'. Inbred fish, like any other creatures, should be avoided if at all possible but you won't be the first person who has bred from siblings when your Convicts breed.

As you suggest, it will be best to avoid syphoning the gravel until the eggs have hatched and they fry are at the stage where they will be able to move away from the disturbed area - but don't let that stop you doing water changes in the meantime, just syphon the water away from the the area and only replace water at a trickle - I use airline tubing for this purpose.

John

Location:
N. Tipp

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.


ITFS member.



It's a long way to Tipperary.

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28 Jan 2010 20:21 #13 by siamesefighter (Andrew Watters)
Thanks lads.
And what about the Frontosa cichlid? Im am getting 3 of them. 2 females and one male. how are they to breed and what do i need for them?

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28 Jan 2010 21:10 #14 by JohnH (John)
Replied by JohnH (John) on topic Re:Breeding
siamesefighter wrote:

Thanks lads.
And what about the Frontosa cichlid? Im am getting 3 of them. 2 females and one male. how are they to breed and what do i need for them?


You've just moved to an entirely different plain here - time for me to bow out gracefully...

John

Location:
N. Tipp

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.


ITFS member.



It's a long way to Tipperary.

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29 Jan 2010 03:00 #15 by dubfish (Alan Martin)
Replied by dubfish (Alan Martin) on topic Re:Breeding
siamesefighter wrote:

Thanks lads.
And what about the Frontosa cichlid? Im am getting 3 of them. 2 females and one male. how are they to breed and what do i need for them?


Hi,Frontosa are from lake Tanganyika and require a very high PH 8-8.5,if your trio are adults you will need a minimum of 300L.

Provide plenty of hiding places for the females,like PVC plastic down pipes and feed a good diet.NLS 3ml is a great food for large fronts and as a treat give them well washed earth worms.

I'm assuming their the common Burundi type which are alot easier to breed than their (blue)variants.Best of luck,and keep us posted on how your new challenge is coming along.

Regards Alan..

Regards Alan..

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