Breeding Quality Cichlids

This a modification of a thread I posted on ACE Forums. So for readers both please excuse the repetition (albeit expanded).

In my many years on the forums and as member of the NSWCS I’ve heard a lot of complaining in Australia about how our fish are inbred and quality declines after export from the lake. This is further highlighted by the fact that keepers seem to “prize” wild caught (or newly descended from) lines of cichlids. It’s noteworthy that some shop owners have been shown to label fish in a misleading fashion - so buyer beware when shopping for “wildcaught” or fish labelled as “F1″ etc. But that’s a story for later.

The idea being exposed is that, as Australian cichlid keepers have limited access to genetically varied stock (due to import restrictions), the quality decline observed in many highly coloured species is due to inbreeding and an inability to obtain “fresh” blood for out crossing.

I’d like to propose that the “decline in quality” of cichlids (for almost, but not all cichlids) is not caused by the limited stock we have in Australia - but rather a problem with the way fish are bred in Australia by hobbyists.

Let me give an example:

Most breeders of African rift lake cichlids follow this rough plan to breed cichlids (particularly mouth brooders).

• 1. Buy 6-20 fish

• 2. Grow them up to adult size

• 3. remove excess males

• 4. breed

The problem with such a breeding regime is that in the lake “quality” as defined by colourful fish, is maintained by sexual selection of coloured males by females (this is not always true, but is for most of the highly coloured cichlids).

The trouble with the “rough plan” above is simple: The fastest growing, biggest and most aggressive male breeds with the girls.

What’s wrong with that? Well, the biggest, fastest and most aggressive male is not always the best coloured. In a single tank this seems silly (there’s one coloured male and all the subdominants - but the problem lies in the fact that the subdominant males aren't expressing their colour as they are being dominated by the dominant, more coloured (at that moment in time) male.

In my opinion, we are selectively breeding our coloured cichlids for size, aggression and rate of growth - but not for colour. Most tanks aren't big enough to allow multiple fully coloured males to compete for females (via display).

My work around to the plan is as follows:

• 1. Buy 6-20 fish

• 2. Grow them up to adult size

• 3. remove each male as he colours up and place in individual tanks

• 4. pick the “best” male based on colour, shape

• 5. return the “best” male

• 6. breed.

Clubs and other organisations need to promote responsible breeding practices.