Breeding / Mouthbrooders

Mouthbrooders · Easy

Breeding the trewavas' mbuna

A maternal mouthbrooder, best spawned as a harem of one male and at least 3 females; the female carries the brood for up to 3-4 weeks before releasing free-swimming fry.

Full species page

Step by step

Pairing

Keep one male with 3-5 females; a lone female is harassed to exhaustion and two males will fight.

Breeding tank

150-250 L rockwork tank with many caves, hard alkaline water (pH 7.8-8.6) and strong filtration. Keep a bare 60 L tank handy to move a holding female.

What starts it

Stable warm water (26-28 C), regular water changes and a good male-to-female ratio; the male displays and leads a female to a flat rock or cave.

Eggs and young

10-40 eggs per brood, carried for up to 3-4 weeks.

Raising the fry

The female releases free-swimming fry after 3-4 weeks. Feed finely crushed flake, spirulina powder and newly hatched brine shrimp from day one; do small daily water changes. Remove the female after release so she can recover.

Common mistakes

Too few females so the male harasses them
Mixing similar-looking mbuna that hybridise
Soft or acidic water

Setup blueprint

Home setup

One breeding tank for the trewavas' mbuna, drawn to scale from the breeding guide.

Breeding tank: 150 L · about 80 × 40 × 50 cm, 150–250 L from the breeding guide
Sponge filter and air pump · gentle and safe for eggs and fry
Heater, 24–28 °C · this species' normal range
Cave · named in the guide

Water: 24–28 °C · pH 7.8–8.6 · hard water · bare bottom

A plan from the breeding guide and an adult size of 11.7 cm. Tank shape is a standard 2 : 1 : 1.2 box, at least 6 adult lengths long. Check each step in the guide above.

Setup blueprint

Business setup

A 120 cm rack for breeding the trewavas' mbuna in numbers.

1 breeding tank, 150 L · about 80 × 40 × 50 cm, set up like the home tank
2 grow-out tanks, 300 L each · about 100 × 50 × 60 cm; twice the breeding tank, never smaller than this species' smallest tank
Shared air pump and air line · one line along each shelf feeds a sponge filter in every tank
Heat the room or each tank · 24–28 °C

In total: 3 tanks, about 750 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.

Male or female

Males have clearly defined egg spots on the anal fin; in females these are much fainter or absent. Colour differs by locality form, and some females are orange-blotched.

Can I breed it in my tank?

Your tank (litres of water)

Good for a first breeding project.

Day-by-day plan

Typical for mouthbrooders

Spawning date

21 days beforeGroup and condition
Usually one male with several females. Feed high-quality food.
Day 0Spawning
The female takes the eggs into her mouth and stops eating.
Day 21Release
After about 3 weeks the female releases fully formed fry. Many breeders move her to a quiet tank first.
Day 21First food
Fry eat crushed flake and baby brine shrimp straight away.
Day 90Grow-out
Fry are a few centimetres long after about 3 months.

A general guide for this breeding type. Days change with temperature and species.

Simulator: guided

Stage 1 of 5Group and condition

Usually one male with several females. Feed high-quality food.

Simulator: try it yourself

Set up a virtual breeding tank and see what would likely happen.

Temperature: 26 °C

Condition with live or frozen foodBig, cool water changePlants, mops or a breeding boxRemove the parents after spawning

No spawning

Without live or frozen food the parents aren't in breeding condition.

An educational estimate from the breeding rules, not a promise.