Cave spawner: the eggs are fixed to the roof of a cave and the female cares for the eggs and larvae, keeping the male away from the fry.
Keep one male with 2-4 females; each female claims a cave, pot or coconut shell.
A 40 L tank with a sponge or gentle filter, fine sand, many small caves, terracotta pots and leaf litter, with soft, slightly acidic water.
Soft, slightly acidic water, warmer temperatures, frequent water changes and live or frozen foods.
One documented spawn gave about 75 fry, free-swimming about six days after spawning; fry are very small and need microworms at first.
The female guards the wrigglers and then the free-swimming fry; feed microworms and newly hatched brine shrimp from day 4-5.
One breeding tank for the diplotaenia dwarf cichlid, drawn to scale from the breeding guide.
Water: 24–28 °C · pH 5–6.5 · soft water · sand bottom
A plan from the breeding guide and an adult size of 3 cm. Tank shape is a standard 2 : 1 : 1.2 box, at least 6 adult lengths long. Check each step in the guide above.
A 120 cm rack for breeding the diplotaenia dwarf cichlid in numbers.
In total: 4 tanks, about 240 L of water. A litre of water weighs about 1 kg, so check that the floor and rack can take the weight.
Sizes are worked out from the breeding tank in the guide. Tanks fit a standard 120 cm rack when they can; bigger tanks go on their own stands.
Males are larger and more colourful, with blue, yellow or red mainly in the fins on a white-silver body, a separated front dorsal and a dorsal filament. Both sexes have the double stripe. Females are smaller and turn bright yellow when guarding.
Typical for cave spawners
Give one cave per pair or female, plus a varied diet.
Eggs are laid inside the cave and guarded, usually by the male.
Eggs hatch in 3–7 days depending on the species and temperature.
Feed baby brine shrimp and crushed food. Plecos need wood and vegetables.
Fry grow on in their own tank.
A general guide for this breeding type. Days change with temperature and species.
Give one cave per pair or female, plus a varied diet.
Set up a virtual breeding tank and see what would likely happen.
An educational estimate from the breeding rules, not a promise.