Lake Tanganyika Species • Kapampa best breeding ratios?

[punman]

I have 4 wild caught adults. 1M, 3F that I have had for a year in a 135 gallon tank with no signs of breeding. Fish range from 8 - 12 inches in length. A month ago the male came down with float. I hear that is hard to fix - so let's assume we are starting over with three adult females.
I have a store that has wild caughts and still would like a chance for breeding.
Do I just pick up another male? Or a male and a female? Or two males? (assuming my present male is out of the picture)
Keep in mind the size of the tank - no other fish in there.
Why no spawning in a year? A dud male? I can't believe all the females were the problem.

[fmueller]

They can easily take a year and more to get accustomed to a new environment. Burundi breed very easily for most people, but a lot of the other varieties not so much. Which is also a reason why they are not that cheap

If your male hadn't developed a problem, my advice would have been to simply give them time, top quality water, and a good, high-protein diet, but not to overfeed. From what you write - 1m, 3f, 135G, no other fish - the setup sounds pretty much ideal.

Regarding the ideal m/f ratio, different people have different opinions on this based on their experiences. If you have super aggressive males, you might be able to keep only one per tank, but breeding might still proceed smoothly. With mellower males, some people have observed increased breeding activity with a second males present, that keeps the alpha male a bit challenged and in a competitive situation. The only way to find out is by trial and error.

My personal experience is limited to Burundi, of which I bought 50 juveniles and narrowed the colony down to 1m, 7f in a 240G with lots of other Tanganyikans. Breedings was never my main goal, and they only started breeding in earnest when I was down to one male. Despite being in an 8' tank, I think the other fish made the Fronts too uncomfortable to breed until I was down to the current colony size. Frontosa definetely breed best when kept without tank mates. So you are doing that one right

Best of luck

[reflections]

Young girls seem to provide better fertility

[Charles]

I always like to put at least 2m with a group of females at least 4 females or more. The passive male will keep the more aggressive male in check to keep breeding.