How to Get Cichlid Fish to Mate

Many aquarists keep cichlids because of their beauty and become interested in breeding the fish. Cichlid breeding can be difficult, while sometimes it may happen without the intent of the aquarium owner. Some cichlids are picky when it comes to finding a mate; others can be aggressive towards their chosen mate. Successfully mating these fish means setting up a tank separate from the aquarium called a breeding tank, or a rearing tank, once the baby fish called fry are born. If the water and environment conditions are correct, the cichlids will breed and fry will be born.

Things You'll Need

Separate breeding tank
Filtration system
Aquarium heater
Aquarium test kit

Instructions

- 1
  Raise healthy cichlids by monitoring water quality with a test kit, installing a good filtration system into the aquarium, doing regular water changes and maintaining the correct water temperature with a tank heater. Only fish that are healthy will be able to breed, so chose only the strongest and most attractive fish for mating.
- 2
  Keep a breeding male and female pair or a group of fish in a separate tank. Many cichlids will breed in pairs, although keeping a group may raise the likelihood of successful breeding.
- 3
  Prepare the spawning tank by providing a place the cichlids to hide so that they are comfortable breeding and laying eggs. Cave breeding cichlids, such as Apistogramma dwarf, should be provided with a terracotta pot or some other cave-like structure.
- 4
  Provide rocks as a surface for cichlids like discus to lay eggs on and substrate for mouth brooding cichlids like the Egyptian mouth-brooder to lay eggs in before the female puts them in her mouth.
- 5
  Watch the fish that are intended to breed carefully for signs of aggression or distress. Cichlids that are stressed will not breed, or worse, an aggressive male may kill a female.
- 6
  Keep the water temperature consistent once eggs are laid to ensure the eggs will hatch.