growing out cichlids -- how far and how long?

[dougb]

I've got a question for the cichlid experts in the group...

I am now the happy owner of 18 mature (or near-so) malawi cichlids along with a bunch of fry (in a separate tank).  The question: how big do the fry have to be before I can put them in with the mature fish, and how long will this take?

Thanks.

[328iGuy]

All depends on many different circumstances for growth, such as feeding increments, what you are feeding, increments of water changes and how much and many others.

How big are they right now?  How big are the fry?  How big are the large guys?

[dannypd]

All depends on many different circumstances for growth, such as feeding increments, what you are feeding, increments of water changes and how much and many others.

How big are they right now?  How big are the fry?  How big are the large guys?

General rule is how big the fry are to the adults mouth.  and the second rule with cichlids are how agressive they are.  18?  Thats plenty to "spread" around.

[dougb]

The fry are currently 1/2-3/4 inch.  They are in a 15 gallon tank that will be getting 150% water change per day once it's integrated into my overflow system (that will take a couple more weeks).  They're being fed a mix of veggie flake, regular flake and hikari micro pellets.

The adults are in a 165g tank, so 18 adults is nowhere close to filling it.  The adults are Ps. socolofi, Ps. zebra, L. caeruleus, O.lithobates, A.stuartgranti -- so no real aggressive piscovores in the mix.

[dannypd]

The fry are currently 1/2-3/4 inch.  They are in a 15 gallon tank that will be getting 150% water change per day once it's integrated into my overflow system (that will take a couple more weeks).  They're being fed a mix of veggie flake, regular flake and hikari micro pellets.

The adults are in a 165g tank, so 18 adults is nowhere close to filling it.  The adults are Ps. socolofi, Ps. zebra, L. caeruleus, O.lithobates, A.stuartgranti -- so no real aggressive piscovores in the mix.

Wow!! they are still pretty small, but *personally*, I'd stick them in there now

i have a fry tank (20 gallon) with one hungry female parent.  the fry that do not survive are not worthy enough.  There's a LOT of hiding places, caves, etc.

[Shannon]

I never take fry out of my tanks. They just hide in the rocks even in the gravel I can see them swimming when they first come out of the mothers mouth. I have tons of fry, not sure what to do with them.

[dougb]

Thanks for the info, folks.  I don't think I'll release the fry into the tank -- I will let them grow for at least a few months before I introduce them.

[ambushman2j]

I never take fry out of my tanks. They just hide in the rocks even in the gravel I can see them swimming when they first come out of the mothers mouth. I have tons of fry, not sure what to do with them.

If you never took them out that's ok, chances are you lost some, if they are in the tank to begin with they know where to hide..if you were to add fry after a couple months of them growing out there's a good chance they would be eaten within the first 5 minutes because they would be shocked going into the new enviorment from the move, and then not knowing the territory

[ambushman2j]

imo I think your lithobates and aulonacara would eat the fry that are that size... I would wait till they are about 1" to 1 1/2" in size before trying to move them in

[gvv]

Thanks for the info, folks.  I don't think I'll release the fry into the tank -- I will let them grow for at least a few months before I introduce them.

The idea is not to release them into the tank, but not to get them out of it (As I understood Shannon do and I do myself) :lol:

Regards

[gvv]

If you never took them out that's ok, chances are you lost some, if they are in the tank to begin with they know where to hide..if you were to add fry after a couple months of them growing out there's a good chance they would be eaten within the first 5 minutes because they would be shocked going into the new enviorment from the move, and then not knowing the territory

Definitely agree with this!

[ambushman2j]

leaving them in the tank doesn't work for me personally I have tried it before, some really craft fry made it for a few weeks..but all eventually would be taken out , which is a shame as they do generally grow quicker in the origional tank..but I have never had a fry survive in the main tank and I do have a fair amount of rocks, they are just larger rocks..I think if you have alot of small rocks like lava rocks they have a better chance of surviving.. generally the only way to save 100% of the fry is to take them out and grow them out to a certain size in a fry growout tank

[dougb]

Again, thanks for the responses...

I didn't take these out of the main tank -- I purchased them from Art.  

In fact, I don't understand how you can capture a holding female to get fry out of the tank -- at least not when it's a large, decorated tank.

So I will wait until they are 1.5" or so long before I introduce them.  That should work well enough (25 1.5" fish in a 15 gallon tank is a little much, but not too bad if the 15 gallon gets a lot of water change).