P. managuense Question

[erythrinus]

I’ve was watching a pair of jaguar cichlids at my LFS. They’re about 3.5” and there stuck together. I’d expect they would hate each other and be at opposite end of the tank. I decided I’d get them, and they’re still acting like they’re a pair, though I’ve not typically had cichlids pair this way.
Is this a characteristic of the species?

 

[tlindsey]

acting like they’re a pair

That's probably just temporary.

 

[erythrinus]

I'm thinking the same. I'll probably wake up one day and find only one guapote left.

 

[newworld]

If acting like a pair they could be….that species spawns at around that size

 

[erythrinus]

I wonder. They're still in a 20g quarantine tank. Just fed them and both are feeding together, though one tends to hide in a "cave" it discovered in betwee sponge filters, and the other is out in the open in the middle of the tank. No bickering while feeding even when they are snout to snout... I wanted a managuense when i found them, but decided to get both precisely due to this weird behavior in a fish store of all environments. I'm set up to raise them individually if they decide to kill each other, but hope they don't. How stable are managuense pairs? i haven't bred central american cichlids before..

 

[EricTheRed]

Your Jags are still very young and probably will not tolerate each other once they pass the 7 to 8 inch mark unless you have them in a 300G or larger tank. Of course as individuals, it’s possible they will get along in perpetuity but I think the likelihood of that is about as likely as the Jets winning next year’s Superbowl

 

[erythrinus]

I expect the same though I do think it is a pair. I'm going to plit them up soon so one so the male doesn't kill the female. Beautiful fish though; I'd say that it's a shame they're so aggressive, but I guess that' part of their appeal.

 

[EricTheRed]

Since you already bought the pair and have another tank ready to go, you can keep them together for now and enjoy this friendly relationship while it lasts. Just watch out for signs of building aggression towards one another and make the swap at that point. As a fellow aquarist, I am genuinely curious how long it will last . Good luck and enjoy the adventure!

 

[erythrinus]

I’ll let you know. I can already see the more dominant one getting uppety; the other one also has stress bars and is out less… time will tell

 

[Hybridfish7]

Jags spawn very small. I've seen 3" jags spawning in a 15 at a lfs. If you want them to breed and stay a pair ish, put a divider up.