Female Dovii just spawned at UNDER 5"

[caribexr2]

My female just spawned and she is 4.5" MAX

The eggs are not fertile IMO as she is hounding the male when he comes near them.

I know that its not always the case, she just seems FAR too young to spawn.

A "reliable" cough cough said that they can only spawn after 12"

Is it just me or is that bulls**t?

She does not seem too interested in guarding them as she hides when I go in the room and leaves them. I think she is too young as she is still in that very timid phase.

What you think?

 

[LordDracula]

My female spawned around 4.5" and the eggs were fertile, my tank is full of fry now hehe.

 

[caribexr2]

Thanks matey.

Glad to know that this over confident prat is incorrect yet again

 

[LordDracula]

In my case, the larger male provided the necessary protection but the female do take care of the fry by bringing back fry that venture to far.

 

[caribexr2]

Yeah had that with Mana, but the male is being chased away by the female which makes me think that he has not fertilised.

This guy on another forum said that they CANT breed until after 12"

 

[LordDracula]

This guy on another forum said that they CANT breed until after 12"

Wrong they can start breeding around 4-5 inch. Again personal experience, the first time she spawned it was a failure, the male or the female ate all the eggs, but the second time it was a success.

 

[KLee79]

My female spawned at about 4.5". The first batch was a failure...hoping they get it right here in the next 2 weeks

 

[caribexr2]

Wrong they can start breeding around 4-5 inch. Again personal experience, the first time she spawned it was a failure, the male or the female ate all the eggs, but the second time it was a success.

Thats what I said but was properly torn apart by the guy, quoting multiple sources of better cichlid keepers than me.

The fact that I posted pics still didnt seem enough

 

[aclockworkorange]

I'd like to see a link to this thread you're referring to on another forum.

 

[NightStorm]

My male dovii is around 6" and my female around 5.5". They spawned a few days ago and the fry got up to wiggler stage but I lost them when I did too big of a water change. Both male and female exhibited very good guarding behavior.

I bought this pair from Ira (Wish List) around a month ago and they spawned for him when he had them. The fry from that spawn are actually with Ira right now and they are around the 1" mark. The pair were definitely smaller in size at that time too.