Is My Dovii Breeding?

[pelleeklund]

I just came downstairs and noticed my Doviis colors were unnaturally dark. As I got closer to the tank I saw that it was hovering over my driftwood and there was egg looking spots all over it. I took a couple of phone shots of it and im loading them up here hoping someone can confirm that this dovii is actually laying eggs. If this is the case I wonder who the stud is. Ive got 2 very small jags in there one large male dempsey and a green sunfish. I just recently put the green sunny in so that's really the only change the tank has seen in a long time. The dempsey seems to be the closest to the dovii and eggs so I guess he would be the most likely to fertilize them, if in fact this isn't just the dovii doing this with no suitor in mind. Can anybody clue me in on this? Besides convicts I have never had any cichlids even go through the motions of reproduction. I also was planning on cleaning the tank tomorrow, is that a bad idea? Thanks in advance for any help, im lost on this one, excited though.

 

[Chaitika]

Those are eggs. She may have laid them without any male at least making a half hearted attmept at fertilizing, although that's kind of unusual. If the eggs turn white, and I see white ones already, they weren't fertilized.

 

[pelleeklund]

Is it okay for me to do a water change tomorrow? Or maybe at least clean the glass?

 

[pelleeklund]

Just to be clear this is a female dovii right? It keeps floating over the eggs so Im wondering if its laying them, fertilizing them or fanning them. Im going for a cautious water change tomorrow.

 

[Freshwaterpredators]

Yeah that's a female. Hmm. Keep an eye out to see If anyone hangs out with her and to see if they fungus or not

 

[D-Train]

water change wont hurt it. I would suck those eggs up too so they dont rot and make your water bad

 

[jaws19]

Any other fish in the tank hovering around the spawning site? It's unusual but can happen I wouldn't be surprised if one of the jags did it.

 

[pelleeklund]

The Jags don't seem to come out too often so I wouldnt think they were involved. They are small too, both of them are about 2in now. The Dempsey is floating around the area without any trouble from the dovii but he's not really paying any attention to the eggs. The green sunfish is far off the site and I haven't seen him come anywhere near the eggs. Either way if one is planning on a coupling with the dovii I cant go wrong. They all would make some interesting hybrids. The green sunfish would make a monster, it's got a bass sized mouth on it. Put some teeth in there and boom, evil. Thanks everybody, it's probably nothing but its fun to have some hope about it.

 

[jaws19]

Very well could just a female who laid eggs by her self about how many are white percentage wise?

 

[pelleeklund]

Id say about 20% of what looks like 200 or so. The dempsey is the only fish near the scene of the crime, every other fish seems to be getting pushed off to the far reaches of the tank. This may be because he's so much larger than the rest of them. He's 4+ years old and full grown so the dovii at around 5-6in doesnt scare him as much. Im just getting ready for the cleaning. Thanks again.