[staples2485]

what is the best approach to breeding red devils? what size tank? substrate? rocks or no rocks? also is the divider method good or not?

 

[Nathan43]

A divider is key if your breeding large RDs because they can be pretty brutal. If I could do it all over again, I would get 4-5 small rd's and wait until they pair off and get rid of the others. Tank size should be a minimum of 90 gallon, preferably a 125 gallon if at all possible. Substrate, I recommend a pebble of some sort, as cool as sand is, the big fish usually knock the sand about which gets caught in the filter intakes. (A quick way to ruin your filters.) Then I would use a large flowerpot or thin flat rock for the female to lay her eggs. I tried to find a mate for my female and it took about 7 fish before I found one she didn't completely destroy, and even him (fins missing and all) is seperated by an eggcrate divider.
Good luck :thumb:

 

[staples2485]

how do they breed with a divider in the tank? or do u remove it sometimes?

 

[Nathan43]

They can fertilize eggs from a surprising distance. I put the flowerpot right next to divider so it was as close as possible. This is where a flat slate rock would work the best so its on both sides of the divider.

 

[staples2485]

wow thats crazy thanks im new to this thing. *** kept and i breed all kinds of africans but never large central americans.

 

[Marc280106]

A 90g is insufficient for a breeding pair. Otherwise good advice.

As stated, the male will be able to fertilise the eggs if they have been layed next to the divider. Another tecnique commonly used is to cut holes in the divider, for the smaller of the two to escape when/if needed. You can rmove the divider as the female is preparing to lay the eggs, but when doing so be sure to supervise as they can inflict a great deal of damage in a short period of time.

 

[gage]

A 90g is insufficient for a breeding pair. Otherwise good advice.

As stated, the male will be able to fertilise the eggs if they have been layed next to the divider. Another tecnique commonly used is to cut holes in the divider, for the smaller of the two to escape when/if needed. You can rmove the divider as the female is preparing to lay the eggs, but when doing so be sure to supervise as they can inflict a great deal of damage in a short period of time.

if you have a very compatible pair, it can work in a 90, a bit cramped, and it wouldnt be in the fishes favour (is any tank to a fishes favor?) but it can work just fine.

 

[zoyvig]

I have kept Red Devil (labiatus) for over 40 years and Midas (citrenellum) for over thirty years and I can't tell you how many I have lost after keeping them together for months, having them spawn together, only to have one kill the other.

There are too many variables within these species to put them all under the same description. Some are agressive, while some are extremely docile. I recently lost a 13" wild male lab that Jeff Rapp described as his "Biggest and Baddest"/ HE sure was! He started out in a 75 gal aquarium and after 6 months I moved him into a 90 gal. He didn't like it! After a few days of destroying everything in the 90, I put him back into to 75 where he happily lived out the last 18 months of his life. I another wild male who hides and only comes out maybe once a week. Another wild female??? that never comes out. The only time I see it is when I clean the tank or after dark moving around. I haven't seen her eat in two years.

I've spawned them in everything from a 10 gal tank to 300 gal ponds.

I prefer 75/90 gal aquariums, but I keep smaller ones in 40L.

Definitely at least put a divider between a pair.