How do I tell the difference. I have 2 Bifa's in a tank together, they're lip locking and circling each other. They're both about 6 inches. How do I tell if this is spawning type behavior or if I need to separate them?
Spawning or Fighting?
- Thread starter ragin_cajun
- Start date
It's a lot of this kinda behavior. It got a bit more intense, more lip locking for about 20-30 minutes, then they got tired and both went to different ends of the tank. I THINK they might be different sex because they look just a LITTLE bit different, but neither has any obvious male characteristics--longer fins, hump on the head. But, they DO have slightly different body shape.
Around 25-27 it looks like the chunkier one is doing the head shake, although I know nothing about CA cichlids. My guess would be spawning.
Could be the beginning of spawning, before the tubes drop, and the serious testing begins. Did one of the 2 dig the pit?
Also does one have blue eyes and one not? I tried to see but couldn't tell, one of those, need to be there to tell.
Also does one have blue eyes and one not? I tried to see but couldn't tell, one of those, need to be there to tell.
They've quit lip locking. Now the bigger chases the smaller one around the tank, the bigger one's acting a little different from normal. I have 2 stumps, he goes from one to the other, and then chases the little one around. Both fish have brown eyes. I don't see any digging going on yet.
I'm gonna give it a few more days before I separate them. Or put them back in the big tank.
They were both together in a much larger tank, and I just put em in this 125 because of a crazy Zonatus. They did some flaring in the big tank occassionally, but there was so much traffic in there that other fish would get between them when they started circling or flaring.
They quit circling each other in the 125, too--when they quit fighting...yesterday.
I'm gonna give it a few more days before I separate them. Or put them back in the big tank.
They were both together in a much larger tank, and I just put em in this 125 because of a crazy Zonatus. They did some flaring in the big tank occassionally, but there was so much traffic in there that other fish would get between them when they started circling or flaring.
They quit circling each other in the 125, too--when they quit fighting...yesterday.
Do you see the tubes Down?
Initially, I thought just fighting but at 27 seconDs, that looks a little like breeDing behavior.
It kinD of looks like 2 females but if their tubes are Down, its Defenitely spawning.
BTW, sorry for the capital Ds, computer problem
Initially, I thought just fighting but at 27 seconDs, that looks a little like breeDing behavior.
It kinD of looks like 2 females but if their tubes are Down, its Defenitely spawning.
BTW, sorry for the capital Ds, computer problem
Very difficult to distinguish males from females with these guys. You'll know which is the female when her tube is out...it'll be thick & more rounded than the male's as seen in the second pic...almost like a hernia. My pair bred constantly and on occasion, they would beat each other up pretty badly...afterwards, they'd go on with their spawn. They didn't always fight but here's how bad it got one time along with the fry. Sorry for the double pics...don't know what happened.
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