Whether it is a common fish like guppies or convict cichlids or even harder to breed species like discus or Sturisoma, breeding & raising fish is something that any aquarist can acheive. Any fish species can be bred if their requirements for breeding are met. First you must figure out what these requirements are. A lot of this is based on mimicking a fishes' natural environment. Items to consider when breeding any fish species include:

Available food, what type is required, live, frozen or prepared (flakes & pellets)?

Available mates, both sexes, do they pair for life or just for each spawning?

Predators in case a specific species is kept with another species

Age of the species, are they too young or too old?

What are the water parameters for the species you are trying to breed? Do they need soft acidic water or hard and alkaline

How does the fish species spawns? For example, is it a egg scatterer, cave spawner, is their parental care, if so, how much and for how long?

Tank and Tank Setup

The very first step in getting any species to spawn is setting the tank up. The tank needs to be large enough to accommodate the species when it is full grown. For example, Apistogramma species usually grow to a managable size of 2-4" and can be bred in tank sizes of 10-20 gallons (20-30" long) while large species like Uaru species grow to be 12" and will need a tank size of at least 50 gallons for a pair with a 6' 125 gallon tank being even more ideal. You really can't give your fish enough space. When in doubt, go larger then you think is necessary.

The next step is deciding how the tank will be setup. Things to consider in this care are:

What type of environment does the fish live in in the wild? How can I recreate this?

Does the species need a lot of current or little current.

Does the species need very clean water requiring heavy filtration?

Does the species require blackwater conditions (pH 6 or less, hardness of 40ppm or less) or perhaps just whitewater (pH 6.5-8, hardness above 80ppm)?

If current is required or commonly if you have larger fish, heavy filtration should be considered in the form of power & canister filtration. Both are very effective in keeping the tank clear as well as providing current. For some smaller species like Apistogramma where current typically is not as important, sponge filtration works very well.

Decorations for the tank may include rock (be careful not to use rock that will buffer the water for softwater species), driftwood, plants & gravel or sand as substrate. Lighting for most species of South American fish is secondary. Dimmer lighting would be better then bright unless live plants are being grown in the tank.

Acquiring Fish

Now that you've setup your tank for your new fish, you must obtain a group of the fish you intend to breed. When I purchase fish I want to work with, I always get as many as I can afford. This usually means a minimum of 4 fish but more often 6 or more.

I find it is easier to pair off dwarf cichlids, as most males will accept any female that is ready & willing to spawn (an acception to this is the Apistogramma Nijsseni group complex, A. baenschi, A. panduro, A. nijsseni et al. that pair bond much like their larger cousins). Some of the larger South American cichlids pair bond while others like Geophagus will spawn with any willing female. Either way acquiring a group insures both sexes will be present.

How do you find the species you are looking for?

Try to see if your local store will order in the species if it is available. Check your local fish club to see if anyone else is keeping the species. There are also national organizations like the American Cichlid Association where many hobbyists keep and breed many different species of cichlids. You may also be able to find the species you are looking for online. Check the Fish Links area for some of these organizations.

Community or Species Tank?

When trying to breed any species of fish you want the group of fish you are working with to feel comfortable in the tank. Sometimes when working with a species, they can be rather shy. For example, Cleithlori marooni also known as the Keyhole Cichlid, can be a shy species, placing some schooling fish like tetras in the same tank usually makes them feel more at home in the tank they are in.

Vice versa, if a species is being kept with another species that does not allow them to settle in, then breeding them will be next to impossible. Recently, I was keeping Uaru amphiacanthoides in my 150 gallon tank along side my breeding group of Geophagus altifrons "Manaus". The Uaru were 3" when first placed in the tank but a year and a half later they were now almost 8" and constainly chasing the Geos around. The Geos had stopped spawning while the Uaru started to pair off. I decided to move the Uaru out and a few weeks after I did, the Geophagus started spawning once again. In this situation, more of a species tank turned out to be the better option.

Give It Time

All fish take at least 3-6 months to mature enough to start spawning and many take upwards of 2-3 years. As an aquarist, you must provide the right foods & water conditions, regular water changes every week or two, regular filter maintenance and overall the best care you can provide for your fish. If you follow these requirements, it is just a matter of time before you see spawning behavior out of your fish. Good luck!