Is a Double Spawn Possible? Advice Needed. (Video...Hopefully.)

pelleeklund

Peacock Bass
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May 23, 2009
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[YT]http://youtu.be/_nVMJhUnVeY/[YT]

I was curious if it is possible that my male Jag could be setting up to spawn with my female Trimac and my suspected female Red Devil at the same time. I've been having a lot of tank scraps recently and it seems like it's escalating towards something. I'd like to get it figured out before somebody gets dead.

Both the Trimac and the Devil are setting up what looks like spawning areas on opposing sides of the 220, digging pits to the glass and patrolling very specific sites above slate slabs, but the Jag doesn't seem like he is preferring one site to the other. He moves back and forth, chasing both fish around temporarily but never too long or too violently. On the other hand the Devil and the Trimac fight all day, one encroaches on the others side and they scrap for a bit, sometimes broken up by the Jag pushing them both away.

The Jag is more aggressive with the Devil than the Trimac. I was actually beginning to believe the Devil may have been male (and it still may be) before it started digging pits. I guess there is a possibility that the devil is male and trying to set up a site for the Trimac to spawn but the Jag isn't letting it. Or on the other hand the Trimac and the Devil are both female and vying for position to spawn with the Jag. The amphilophus are equally sized and matched to a fault.

I included a video that I hope can help an expert examine the behavior, and give me some insights. If anyone has any ideas what is going on please let me know. I would be fine with allowing any pair of them to breed but I would like to remove the 3rd wheel before It gets annihilated.

By the way I previously was asking about the sex of this Devil and have tried again to vent it. I still can't make out anything while venting, but there has been nights where a long whitish tube was visible, which I assumed was it's ovipositor. On the contrary, it's head looks like it's growing, so I don't know anything.
 

the animal guy

Arapaima
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Aug 23, 2009
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[video=youtube;_nVMJhUnVeY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nVMJhUnVeY[/video]


Ask Cyberman. He had a Festae Trio that was all 3 getting along and in breeding dress. Never knew what happened after and cant find the threa for you sorry.

Sounds interesting. it's stuff like this that makes it fun..

I think one female gonna eventually take the throne and the other one will be whooped off breeding mood. Just a guess.

I got $5 on the longer female(whichever one) to dominate
 

pelleeklund

Peacock Bass
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May 23, 2009
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Animal Guy, your the man, thanks for embedding the video. I'm cleaning the tank now hoping the surge of new water sparks some breeding action and gives me a better idea. Any thoughts on the Devil? I feel like if I could figure out that fishes sex for sure this would be a lot easier to resolve. At least 90 % of people that weighed in previously felt female, and I'd say I'm about 70/30 in agreement.

Believe me I already got kind of ahead of myself thinking about two sets of fry in one tank. I figured at least a couple fry would accidentally get mixed in with the opposite fish and get reared by the wrong mother. How cool would that be? Probably won't amount to that but it's neat either way. Thanks again buddy.
 

pelleeklund

Peacock Bass
MFK Member
May 23, 2009
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That's funny, this Jag used to breed with a female con all the time until she recently died. She was tiny, he's around 12 and she was about 2-3 in, but she was tough enough to make it work. Most of the fry were eaten over time, more of a community tank then, and for the past month I've been wondering if he would take a different mate. There was definitely a morning period of sorts (or at least what I inferred) but it looks like he's playing the field again, interesting fish psychology. It also probably helps I narrowed my stock with what looks like, just two robust females.
 

pelleeklund

Peacock Bass
MFK Member
May 23, 2009
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Alright I've been watching closely and I'd be suprised if a double spawn happens based off of a few things I've noticed. I believe the red devil is definitely female, it's showing it's ovipositor and it's pointed and flesh toned as I've read they are supposed to be, but it doesn't seem to be responding to the Jag, who I'm assuming is chasing her around all the time to get her to mate. I also think this is why the Jag isn't really bothering with the Trimac now, she doesn't seem to be displaying anything that shows she's ready to breed. So I'm guessing that the Red Devil is either unable to deal with the size difference to physically breed with the Jag, or it is somehow subordinate to the Trimac. I'll probably know better when the Trimac starts showing signs.
 
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