konnyaz Posted August 15, 2015 Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 Hi All, So I am still new to the Breeding game and find myself asking the question what fish can go with what and not cross breed in a breeding tank? Currently have numerous colony but find myself running out of tank room wishing I could put other ones in but scared that they will breed with each other. Is there a list of fish that can go in the same tanks that wont breed with each other? May be a stupid post but hey I thought I would ask the questions. Thanks All... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
none Posted August 15, 2015 Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 Short answer is that virtually all Malawi African Cichlid species have the potential to cross-breed. As you are new to breeding the only 100% certain way to ensure it does not happen is by keeping one species per tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckmeister Posted August 15, 2015 Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 Never keep more than 2 species in a tank. I normally pick a rock dwelling species (mbuna) with an open water fish (hap). You dont get 2 competing zones. I normally try to pick fish with different coloration and especially different patterning. Dont put circle markings with circle marking, stripes with stripes etc Also grow your fry to a reasonable size before sale and look at every fish that has spawned. None is right though, being new you are better off with one colony (per tank). Breed them a few times, look at what the fry look and are supposed to look like and then weigh up your options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdj5 Posted August 15, 2015 Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 but there r some that u can have in with each other eg e/blue and white nights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny@ageofaquariums Posted August 15, 2015 Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 but there r some that u can have in with each other eg e/blue and white nights Still tho.... its like keeping normal and albino catfish together. If you are willing to.... ahem... finish off mistakes.... then as long as every combo produces obvious hybrids then you should be fine. Prob is fish like electric yellows that often produce pretty legit looking fry.... and because of demand breeders can be tempted to sell as pure. Dont mix species if the thought of killing 1 month old fish is disturbing to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckmeister Posted August 15, 2015 Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 Curious why you would keep electric blues and white knights together. All that you are going to do is line breed the hybrid back to a closer looking but still hybrid electric blue. This is always a danger for the hobby in readily accepting hybrids. It dilutes available bloodlines for future hobbyists. Usually cichlid societies and groups actively discourage such behavior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny@ageofaquariums Posted August 15, 2015 Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 But its not a hybrid..... accepted as a colour morph yea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckmeister Posted August 15, 2015 Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 This is only my personal take, Donny. There was obviously a debate on whether these were hybrid or not. For me anything that cant, with 100 percent certainty be confirmed, i treat as a hybrid at worst or at least the same as a fish with a different locality for example peacocks. Its not commonly recommended to mix peacocks in a breeding situation and I'd treat these white knights in a similar fashion. The fish are established in the hobby. I'm not trying to be negative against them, more suggesting that breeding them together may not be the best thing for the electric blue species in the longer term. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pony-tail Posted August 15, 2015 Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 I do not believe in mixing species of even remotely similar genera in the same breeding tank . I might put a scavenger in the bottom but If breeding cichlids only only one cichlid species in the tank . That is why I have 40 small tanks not 10 large ones - Most of my tanks are only 3ft with 4 x 18 as my largest . I do not like it when someone tries to sell me a cross breed - and I have no wish to do it to somebody else . Responsible breeding of good quality stock is the ONLY way the hobby is going to survive against ever increasing pressures of increased import restrictions , various animal rights whackos , and the most recent one , that keeping fish is a waste of carbon and that I should only use energy for essential purposes . What these enviro mental cases do not realize is that keeping fish keeps me calm so I don't go around getting ( very , very ) nasty and prehistoric on them - (edit ) / Psychotic , homicidal rant . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
none Posted August 15, 2015 Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 according to sources overseas (fish farms) white knights were tangerine peacock x electric blue line bred many generations... I've always treated them as a hybrid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFishkeeper Posted August 15, 2015 Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 Crossbreeding can also be accidental in a mixed tank, the current can carry the milt from one breeding pair to another if they are spawning at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny@ageofaquariums Posted August 15, 2015 Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 according to sources overseas (fish farms) white knights were tangerine peacock x electric blue line bred many generations... I've always treated them as a hybrid. Easily checked by looking at dentition. My sources were that it was a mutation on a fishfarm that was stabilized. Agree we dont know 100% but they dont seem hybrid..... and yes i know how n00b that sounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckmeister Posted August 15, 2015 Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 (edited) Donny, you have answered the question in this one comment. If its not a natural occuring species or locality then its a hybrid. [edit - or line bred] A farm bred fish is likely to be exactly that..something that has been mutated in a farm. I disagree that its a cross with a tangerine but thats only me. edit - I'd also like to add that alot of this stuff happens in asian fish farms. I've had discusssions on another forum about this. but at the end of the day fish need a name and locality to be legit imo. Edited August 15, 2015 by Chuckmeister Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdj5 Posted August 15, 2015 Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 today pets most have been cross at some stage eg for size or colour , shape Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny@ageofaquariums Posted August 15, 2015 Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 A mutant isnt a hybrid tho Believe it was first encountered on an American fish farm. Speaking of mutants..... any pied convicts getting around? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
konnyaz Posted August 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2015 Thanks all for the info I will keep the colonys that i have all seperate for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
