Guess what's in the box?

[duanes]

You are welcome.
The challenge will come soon, as they mature ( females 3" or smaller, males 4").
Large tank, lower temps (low 70sF), with lots of hiding places worked for me.

I still have my breeding pair, with 7 other subordinates together, in that same tank, at room temp. I posted the pics, so you can see all the sight line breaks, and holes to hide in.
At times, even with 9 beani in it, the tank appears virtually empty of fish.

When I tried putting 2 breeding color females (3"),

and a male (4") in a 50 gal tank, within 24 hours, the male was the only one left alive.
By the way, the tank I was growing the fry out in, sat in the sun, and was choked with plants and algae.

Good luck with them, hope you end up with couple breeding pairs.

 

[Blue Demp]

Duane can you sex them at those size? I was thinking of grabbing the alpha male and female and divide them and breed them through the divider. Thoughts?


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[duanes]

As you see in the pics, the females look very different at only, 2"-3" as soon as they hit sexual maturity, dark below the lateral line, and much more streamlined.
Funny when they get larger, say 7"-8" that difference blurs a bit.
I tried an adult pair in a divided 50 gal, a couple years ago, (the above mentioned pair) without success.

That doesn't mean it won't, it just didn't for me.
I think part of my success has been, the threat of all the subordinate males strengthening the pair bond of the alpha pair, and the ability of the mature females to divide up the tank into territories. The males sort of, aimlessly float around mid water, while the females stake out areas near the bottom.

 

[dogofwar]

I think you're onto something keeping these guys at lower temps, Duane.

Lower temps = less aggression... Also more conspecifics = less conspecific aggression per fish.

Matt

 

[Ctrl_Alt_Dlt]

ditto to dogofwar!