Cichlids Playing Tag?

qwertmonkey · 01-21-2008, 10:38 AM

Hi,
I have two adult Jack Dempsey Cichlids acting strange. The male likes to chase the female around the tank. He's not nipping her fins. Her fins are flawless. She'll swim around the corner and he'll be right on her tail. (No pun intended.) What are they doing? It is just a harmless game or is he harassing her? Its not constant either. They will take a break for a while but then he starts again. Buy the way, they have spawned before and theres about 10 of their fry in the tank. (All about 3'' long)

Thanks,
William

Gourami Swami · 01-21-2008, 11:34 AM

No, they are not playing tag. He is chasing her out of agression.

Nice looking male BTW, but the female looks stressed.

Fish Taco · 01-24-2008, 12:54 AM

Mine did that, i put a terracotta pot in side ways and guess what??!!! they laid eggs!!!!

Gump · 01-24-2008, 05:51 PM

Your female looks like a male to me. Have you seen eggs? And i agree with GS the little one looks very stressed.

Gourami Swami · 01-24-2008, 08:37 PM

yeah, the female may be a male. Can you get a good shot of the gill plate?

oliesminis · 01-25-2008, 01:38 PM

nice looking fish on the right i agree the left one does look very stressed

sorry i dont no very much about cichlids

qwertmonkey · 02-12-2008, 10:19 AM

I'm positive the smaller on is female. The previous owner said they have laid eggs. Right now, they are really sticking together. If the male strays away from the corner, the female swims up and rubs around him and nibbles on his body with her mouth. Also, the female's color is much darker now that it was when I took that picture. Why is that? The male has dug out a corner for her already, so I'm afraid he won't like it if I put a small flower pot in there. What do you all think?

Buggy · 02-12-2008, 11:57 AM

It's hard to tell from the pic but what size tank is that?

qwertmonkey · 02-12-2008, 12:04 PM

Unfortunately, It's only a 29. I don't need any bashing from people telling me it's too small. I know that. I rescued these fish from someone who could not take care of them. They were barely holding on to their life. They are as happy as they can possibly be in a 29 gallon tank. I have a filter for a 55 gallon hooked up and the water stays clean.

Gourami Swami · 02-12-2008, 09:04 PM

Well theres the problem. Not to flame or anything but in a 29 theres a good chance he WILL kill her.

Gump · 02-13-2008, 05:08 PM

People will also say "they are a pair, and have breed before" to make a quick sale to someone looking to make fry.

Also if one is in a corner and the other one comes and "nibbles" on the other when it moves around thats not happy behavior. Good luck.

01-21-2008, 10:38 AM	#1
qwertmonkey Fishy Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 11	Cichlids Playing Tag? Hi, I have two adult Jack Dempsey Cichlids acting strange. The male likes to chase the female around the tank. He's not nipping her fins. Her fins are flawless. She'll swim around the corner and he'll be right on her tail. (No pun intended.) What are they doing? It is just a harmless game or is he harassing her? Its not constant either. They will take a break for a while but then he starts again. Buy the way, they have spawned before and theres about 10 of their fry in the tank. (All about 3'' long) Thanks, William

01-21-2008, 11:34 AM	#2
Gourami Swami Supreme Dictator For Life Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Somewhere out Yonder... Posts: 1,102	No, they are not playing tag. He is chasing her out of agression. Nice looking male BTW, but the female looks stressed. __________________

01-24-2008, 08:37 PM	#5
Gourami Swami Supreme Dictator For Life Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Somewhere out Yonder... Posts: 1,102	yeah, the female may be a male. Can you get a good shot of the gill plate? __________________

01-25-2008, 01:38 PM	#6
oliesminis FISH ARE FREINDS NOT FOOD Join Date: May 2007 Location: England, Milton Keynes Age: 15 Posts: 496	nice looking fish on the right i agree the left one does look very stressed sorry i dont no very much about cichlids __________________ OllieCoxPhotography

02-12-2008, 11:57 AM	#8
Buggy Room Mother Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Oklahoma Age: 42 Posts: 698	It's hard to tell from the pic but what size tank is that? __________________ Fish are people too! My animal family Dixie - Boxer/Lab Peanut -Chihuahua Cali - American Short-hair Cat B.B. - Parakeet Flower - Western Ornate Box Turtle Newly Aquired Cosmo - Rescue kitten Loki - White Ferret Odin - Brown Ferret Aquariums 55 gal tropical Fresh Water -14 various fish 29 gal tropical Fresh Water - 4 various cichlids 20 gal tropical Fresh Water - 5 skirt tetras, 8 zebra danios, 2 cherry barbs, 1 glass catfish, 1 rosey minnow, 1 corydora, 1 ghost shrimp.

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01-24-2008, 12:54 AM	#3
Fish Taco Fishy Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 12	Mine did that, i put a terracotta pot in side ways and guess what??!!! they laid eggs!!!!

01-24-2008, 05:51 PM	#4
Gump Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Age: 24 Posts: 447	Your female looks like a male to me. Have you seen eggs? And i agree with GS the little one looks very stressed.

02-12-2008, 10:19 AM	#7
qwertmonkey Fishy Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 11	I'm positive the smaller on is female. The previous owner said they have laid eggs. Right now, they are really sticking together. If the male strays away from the corner, the female swims up and rubs around him and nibbles on his body with her mouth. Also, the female's color is much darker now that it was when I took that picture. Why is that? The male has dug out a corner for her already, so I'm afraid he won't like it if I put a small flower pot in there. What do you all think?

02-12-2008, 12:04 PM	#9
qwertmonkey Fishy Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 11	Unfortunately, It's only a 29. I don't need any bashing from people telling me it's too small. I know that. I rescued these fish from someone who could not take care of them. They were barely holding on to their life. They are as happy as they can possibly be in a 29 gallon tank. I have a filter for a 55 gallon hooked up and the water stays clean.

02-12-2008, 09:04 PM	#10
Gourami Swami Supreme Dictator For Life Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Somewhere out Yonder... Posts: 1,102	Well theres the problem. Not to flame or anything but in a 29 theres a good chance he WILL kill her. __________________

02-13-2008, 05:08 PM	#11
Gump Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Age: 24 Posts: 447	People will also say "they are a pair, and have breed before" to make a quick sale to someone looking to make fry. Also if one is in a corner and the other one comes and "nibbles" on the other when it moves around thats not happy behavior. Good luck.

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