unknown, unexpected cichlid young in the tank

Question
ok, this is really odd. We've had this cichlid tank (45 gallon hex front tank) for roughly a year? Roughly?   There is only one breeding pair in the tank (i.e. male and female of the same species), two yellow labs.  I personally don't think there are any other females in the tank but my husband isn't quite so sure.  Regardless, we happened to notice 3 small fry in the tank 2 days ago, which may be consumed at any moment, as I'm sure you know.  :o)  

Question 1: Do cichlids cross-breed?
Question 2: Do they bear live young or did we just miss an egg sac somehow?
Question 3: How long will it be before we can tell what these little guys are?
Question 4: Should we try to remove them from the tank?  We have a ten gallon tank setup in the basement that we have used as a hospital/isolation tank in the past.

I don't know if this is too much information but we have:
a Haplochromis Obliquidens Zebra
  Sunshine Peacock
  Cobalt Zebra
  Red Zebra
  Electric Blue Johanni
  Kenni Eye (sp??)
  Redsided Trewavasae
  Red peacock
  male and female yellow Labs
  Pseudotropheus Zebra (OB Zebra) but I'm not really sure about this as thought it was sold as one it doesn't really match the picture in Cichlids, The Pictorial Guide (First Edition). Personally, the fish in our tank looks more like the picture of the female Red Top Ice Blue on page 164.

Anyway, probably more information than you wanted, right?  Thanks for any help you can throw my direction.  

Cheers from Maryland!

Lori and Dale

Answer
Hi Lori and Dale,
 Let's see...
1. Yes they can cross-breed, quite readily in fact, which is why many people don't put more than one similar species in a tank.

2. The species you mention are all female mouthbrooders.  The odds of actually seeing them spawn are low as it only takes a minute or two.  

3. This one is impossible to say because you will never really know for sure what they are in that they may be  hybrids of several of those species.

4. This one is up to you.  I find that if I try to remove tiny fish from a busy tank, all I end up doing is causing a huge commotion.  Probably the best thing you can do is make sure that there are plenty of little hiding places in the tank (piles of rock, etc) and let nature take its course.  The really strong, fast ones will survive.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
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