Male Midas not in the "mood"?

[cichlidnick7]

So I have a forming pair of Midas (they aren't a pair yet, but making progress) , in my 55g until Incan get my 90g set up. Anyway the female seems very interested in my male as she will swim up to him and gill flare, and attempt to swim with him, but when she tries to swim with himthe male will turn around and shade her back to her cave. The male will sometimes go up to her and fan out and gill flare, she will attempt to swim with him, but he will chase her away. She has been digging out a pit, and the male has made to pits, but he won't let anymore the 5 inches away from her tank, without chasing her and beating up on her. Her tube was all the way out today , and her belly a fairly swollen with eggs, and he will court her for a little while and then suddenly chase her away. I know Midas can get pretty rough during breeding, but this is frustrating me because it seems she wants to bond/pair with him, but he won't have anything to do with it, yet he courts her sometimes. Is there anything I can do to help this situation? Once I get the 90g up I think I'm gonna add some target fish like silver dollars or tinfoil barbs to help with the aggression, in the hope that he will be rough with the target fish, and giveny female a break. Will that help?

Also, the male was in the 55g alone for 4 months before I introduced the female about a month ago. Could him chasing her be due to the fact that he doesn't want to share his tank and use to being alone?

Any comments/suggestions would be very appreciated.
Thanks

 

[cichlids209]

So I have a forming pair of Midas (they aren't a pair yet, but making progress) , in my 55g until Incan get my 90g set up. Anyway the female seems very interested in my male as she will swim up to him and gill flare, and attempt to swim with him, but when she tries to swim with himthe male will turn around and shade her back to her cave. The male will sometimes go up to her and fan out and gill flare, she will attempt to swim with him, but he will chase her away. She has been digging out a pit, and the male has made to pits, but he won't let anymore the 5 inches away from her tank, without chasing her and beating up on her. Her tube was all the way out today , and her belly a fairly swollen with eggs, and he will court her for a little while and then suddenly chase her away. I know Midas can get pretty rough during breeding, but this is frustrating me because it seems she wants to bond/pair with him, but he won't have anything to do with it, yet he courts her sometimes. Is there anything I can do to help this situation? Once I get the 90g up I think I'm gonna add some target fish like silver dollars or tinfoil barbs to help with the aggression, in the hope that he will be rough with the target fish, and giveny female a break. Will that help?

Also, the male was in the 55g alone for 4 months before I introduced the female about a month ago. Could him chasing her be due to the fact that he doesn't want to share his tank and use to being alone?

Any comments/suggestions would be very appreciated.
Thanks

it could be that he feels that tank is his and his alone . if they have alot of hiding spots and if they feel comfortable they will spawn . he prob just doesn't feel comfortable in the tank with her in his territory if you get the 90 it will be better but its still 4 foot tank for a pair of psychos lol mine claimed the whole 135 and even the male before i had the female in their it was his tank the whole thing . best of luck though hope they spawn for you .

 

[cichlidnick7]

Thanks crush209. U have been a big help givin me advice on my pair now and in the past. Im going to keep in mind wat u said about plenty of hiding places and his dominance of the tank. While planning the set up for the 90g gonna make sure I have plenty if places for her to hide, and probablly gonna introduce her in the tank first, wait a few days then introduce him. I think I gotta give em more time too. They've only been together for a month. Thanks again man


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