How to Breed Jewel Cichlids

Jewel cichlids are a medium-sized cichlid of around five inches in length. They are extraordinarily shiny, orange-tinted fish that are relatively easy to breed for experienced keepers. If you're new to raising or breeding jewel cichlids, there are several steps you should take to ensure a proper, healthy spawning. One misconception is that you need to separate the breeding pair into their own aquarium. Instead, the pair should already be an established part of an established aquarium and separated using grated tank dividers.

Things You'll Need

  • Adult jewel cichlids, 3 female 1 male
  • Tank dividers, 40-gallon size
  • Decorative rock
  • Nylon net
  • 10-gallon aquarium
  • 10-gallon filter
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Instructions

    • 1

      Set up your jewel cichlid aquarium, if you haven't already, and introduce your cichlids. They are a fairly aggressive species and require a tank of approximately 40 gallons that is comprised exclusively of jewel cichlids. They are a hardy species, requiring standard gravel, some rocks, an appropriate filter and a pH between 6.5 and 7.5 and a temperature of around 78 degrees Fahrenheit.

    • 2

      Observe the fish and wait for the male to select a partner female. You'll notice that he'll hover around her, often rubbing up against her body, while aggressively fighting off the other two females.

    • 3

      Place a divider in the aquarium to keep the breeding pair isolated from the other two. Some breeders suggests putting the breeding pair in their own aquarium; however, Fish Channel suggests that this will cause the parents to eat their eventual young because of a lack of other fish on which to take out their aggression. Dividers are ideal because they keep the pair separated while allowing them to view the other fish, keeping them from taking out their aggression on their young.

    • 4

      Place a flat rock in the breeding pair's division of the aquarium. Jewel cichlids are egg-layers and will adhere their clutch of eggs to the rock. They may also burrow in the substrate to lay their eggs.

    • 5

      Allow the pair to breed and spawn. There is nothing you can do to induce the process; it's simply a matter of waiting and watching. Eventually the female will lay eggs and the male will fertilize them. This is followed by aggressive protection of the eggs until they hatch, releasing small fry after about three days. You won't be able to remove the fry from their parents for four days, so set up the fry tank in that time.

    • 6

      Fill the 10-gallon tank with freshwater and hook a filter up to it, letting it filter for four days. You don't need to add gravel or decor to the fry tank, as many will die as they grow, and you'll need to take them out, and this process could be impeded by the presence of decor.

    • 7

      Transfer the fry from the primary tank to the fry tank using a nylon net after they've been hatched for approximately four days. You can feed them crushed fish food flakes or baby brine shrimp as they swim in the fry tank, which will serve as a nursery until they're large enough to live in established aquariums.