I have a 10" male RTM and a 6.5" female RTM in a 180 gallon. They were purchased seperately and until Friday I had the female in a 100 gallon tank. I put her in the 180 gallon on Friday and the male has chased her pretty constantly since Friday. She's getting a bit tatered but still has lots of energy. I have a couple of questions, is there an adjustment period between male and female and this is what I'm witnessing, or do I need to get her out of the 180 gallon and give up the idea of trying to pair them up. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
RTM QUESTION
- Thread starter Ghage
- Start date
if your 100g is empty then i would put them in there but divided for a week or two, and then try putting openings in the divider if she is smaller than him, if not then just try separating them for a couple hours when you are home every day and then divide them again until they seem to be getting along. since they are already large its harder to pair them up but with some patience it should work (fingers crossed) def dont want the male stressing her out though so i would try and keep them divided until they adjust better GOOD LUCK
I have a Mota pair in a 4 foot tank... most of the time, they do fine... but periodically it gets ugly-- with the male trying to descale the female.
I played around with dividers for awhile, with some success... but I hate dividers, I think they look awful.
I found something that works better... I built a lava rock pile that contained a cave for the Mrs... small enough for her to escape into... she comes out when he's well behaved.
Works great... looks attractive too.
I played around with dividers for awhile, with some success... but I hate dividers, I think they look awful.
I found something that works better... I built a lava rock pile that contained a cave for the Mrs... small enough for her to escape into... she comes out when he's well behaved.
Works great... looks attractive too.
I've used dividers before too and feel the same way. I have something I used for my Festae, a log that the female could fit in. Thanks for the idea, I'm going to move the log from my 135 gallon and put it in the 180 gallon and hope the female uses it. Where in Baketown are you, I'm from Bakersfield as well.
I have a dozen tanks up and running currently... all but the smallest tank are freshwater.
My tanks range in size from 300G to a 20L. Most of my tanks are dedicated to American Cichlids, although I do have a Tropheus colony, some Burundi Fronts and a couple of Tang tanks.
I've done Malawian and Victorian fish in the past, but they don't thrill me much and the ones I have left I use as dither fish... (a colony of Hap 44s keeps my Synspilum pair company in a 7 foot tank)
My tanks range in size from 300G to a 20L. Most of my tanks are dedicated to American Cichlids, although I do have a Tropheus colony, some Burundi Fronts and a couple of Tang tanks.
I've done Malawian and Victorian fish in the past, but they don't thrill me much and the ones I have left I use as dither fish... (a colony of Hap 44s keeps my Synspilum pair company in a 7 foot tank)
Dividers are a necessary evil or you're just tempting fate. As one poster said you can also provide the smaller fish protection with caves that fit only the small fish.
I would NEVER have a pair of aggressive cichlids that I valued isolated in a tank without a host of target fish and/or a divider.
I would NEVER have a pair of aggressive cichlids that I valued isolated in a tank without a host of target fish and/or a divider.
I agree ccchhcc, that's why I have 5 large silver dollars in the tank as well as a large Blackbelt, Zonatus and Jag. I've used dividers when necessary, don't like them but may have to use then here. I've tried the cave like structure but seems hesitant to enter it, so a divider it may be. Thanks for all the input, it's much appreciated.