# Breeding Firemouths (need help)



## Josh (Aug 8, 2005)

Well I currently have a 30 gallong tank that i intend putting my male firemouth into. I have had him for almost 2 years and he sure has grown since i got him, i feed him small pellets and some flake food, although i did try bloodworms once just because i wanted to make him healthy and i thought it might do him good but....that just gorssed me out. Anyways I do have aother firemouth but its quite smaller then Buddy (thats my male firemouths name) I'm not sure if this smaller firemouth is right for breeding with Buddy, its fins are 'semi' extended and its bottom is 'semi' red so im just not sure on gender, what ever this smaller firemouth is, Buddy often will beat on him/her.
Buddy and 'it' are in a 10g tank, ONLY FOR THE MOMENT I plan on putting him into a 30 gallon by Tuesday (the 30g is going through cycling at the moment) So basically i want to breed him but i have so many questions because i've only had sucess with 3 fish breeding's 
1.Betta
2.Guppies (doesnt really count lol)
3. Platy's (still doesnt count lol)

OK so I dont want to keep rambling on buuuut....here are my questions the main ones at least

1. is 30 gallon large enough for 2 firemouths to breed in?
2.Buddy is only about 2 1/2 inches long (quite fat though lol) is he large enough to breed?
3.I realize that they can be territorial when breeding, so should i just keep it with one female, and Buddy?
4.This whole thing about them breeding on 'rocks' does it actually have to be a rock like a natural one? or just a flat surface?
5.Is it to hard to breed them? becasue i only have so much patience and if its gonna take more then a month just for them to lay eggs then i probably cant do this...
6.Do i need any additional equipment?
7.If someone could please find a website that lays out the answers to these things in plain english then please tell me the name or leave a link.

Thanks a lot to anyone who answers these :grin: 

I know its a lot to read :shock:


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## Josh (Aug 8, 2005)

just realized this is probably supposed to be in the breeding section heh lol...
but owell a mod will move it lol. =)


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

1- Yes, 30 is fine
2- maybe, just barely, if he's stunted. 3.5 -4.5 is more like it.
3- That would help, and even better, leave one end open with the breeding rock and the other end cluttered with hiding places. That'll give them the room they need to breed and then keep away from each other.
4- A flat rock or curved flowerpot will work fine. 
5- Patience is one of the requirements of fishkeeping.
6- No extra equipment
7- 

Cichlids present their own challenges in breeding, due to their habits and individualism. They aren't mindless automatons like some fish, and if the two fish don't like each other, they won't spawn even with no other choice of mates.


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## Josh (Aug 8, 2005)

Thanks i appreciate that I got at least an idea what im dealing with here.
So Firemouths are usually in the middle when it comes to breeding diffuclty?
Do a lot of people fail is what im trying to see...I know that it depends on the induvidual fish but i would like to know if its kinda common to breed them or not...
Thanks TheOldSalt for answering my questions =)


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