Heyo, Just stocked a newly (and sadly) vacated 45 gal tank with 6 1.5 inch-long keyhole cichlids and a maybe 1.8 inch Ctenopora (just very slightly bigger, but they like hanging around it so whatever.) Aside from them cutely swarming together as one, I am wondering a few things.
Firstly, how big must the keyholes be in order to start mating behaviour and pairing?
Secondly, while they move together and constantly graze, I notice sometimes 2 move off and then rejoin the group to graze. Sometimes one or two will flash black colors, come back in, move more erratically than the stop and start grazing, and then just phase back into the group so I can't tell which is which. I've also seen a bit of gill flaring, but only by two of them (only one was doing that) that were off alone for a bit before rejoining the others. I have no idea if it's the same 2 fish, but when one turns darker and moves up and down it's always when they are all together and it stops rather fast.
I think maybe there is teenage shenanigans going on with these fish, but I'd like to know when to expect the deluge of babies for the Ctenopoma to eat. Maybe 6 months?
Firstly, how big must the keyholes be in order to start mating behaviour and pairing?
Secondly, while they move together and constantly graze, I notice sometimes 2 move off and then rejoin the group to graze. Sometimes one or two will flash black colors, come back in, move more erratically than the stop and start grazing, and then just phase back into the group so I can't tell which is which. I've also seen a bit of gill flaring, but only by two of them (only one was doing that) that were off alone for a bit before rejoining the others. I have no idea if it's the same 2 fish, but when one turns darker and moves up and down it's always when they are all together and it stops rather fast.
I think maybe there is teenage shenanigans going on with these fish, but I'd like to know when to expect the deluge of babies for the Ctenopoma to eat. Maybe 6 months?
