I will try another female, just maybe not right away. I think I want to concentrate on power feeding this male to get him growing. Once he reaches 6" (he's 4 1/2" now), I'll feel a lot better. That shouldn't take long. Then I'll be looking for another female. I'll either use 6" as the minimum size or get a smaller female and grow her out in a seperate tank until she hits 6" or so.
I feel like 6" is the magic spot where a fish is pretty much safe in my tank. I've added smaller fishes in the past. And while all have survived except the female dovii, they would sometimes get harrassed when they were smaller. This harrassment would stop when they'd get around 6". Or if I added a fish that was already 6" or more, they wouldn't get harrassed at all.
At least with this, I've relearned a lesson. Always trust my instincts.
