Checkerboard Cichlid breeding behaviour.

[JDub7771]

Dricrossus Maculatas is what I have. I picked up 1 male and 2 females. They are just reaching maturity( i'm guessing ) Daily the coloring is getting more pornounced.

The male follows one female in particular. He basically stalks her and ignores the other. Every once i na while i see him bump his nose/mouth into her side, but doesn't bite. I was wonderrign if this was mating ritual stuffs. I tried this with my wife and she smacked me, so i'm having doubts.

Seriously, my water is great for them (soft/acidic) Tank is heavily planted with petrified wood etc.. I've been feeding live BBS, frozen cyclops. Only concern is tankmates may bother them, but they're cichlids so they will handle them right? The tankmates are some Ottos, Pygmy Cories and Celestial Pearl Danios aka dither fish.

Does anyone have any experience with these lil guys. Advice is welcome

 

[japes]

I have five D. maculatus, but they haven't bred.

The behaviour you're describing sounds very much like the beginning of courting. My male has his work cut out for him with four girls to choose from, but he's taken notice of one in particular, and they will regularly lie on leaves beside one another and rub their bellys and shake next to eachother.

Your tankmates will be fine. Mine are currently housed with Otocinclus and Hyphessobrycon heliacus.

A very much underrated cichlid. Displaying males are amazing.

 

[JDub7771]

Wow man i checked out your tanks, I'm digging them!

What do you feed them? I was feeding them frozen bbs and cyclops, but then I started feeding them live BBS and they won't eat frozen stuff anymore. I don't blame them. lol Is there any particular color/morphing the female goes through when she's feeling sexy?

 

[japes]

Only live food mine are currently getting is Infusoria, which might even be too small for them, although they spend all day picking through the mulm and substrate.

Variety of crushed New Life Spectrum Dryfoods, and Hikari Bio-Pure frozens.