Agressive macmasteri female

[Aviam]

Good afternoon. I have a problem with a macmasteri female.

Five months ago, I put a pair of macmasteri in my 26gal/100l aquarium and the male died. Since I read apistos are poligammic, I decided to introduce new male and female but they are not as friendly as I wished. The "old" female is bullying on both male and female although she is on yellow dress. On the other side, the male is trying to seduce the oldest one and also bullying the new female, wich is not in yellow dress.

One day, it seemed the female was accepting the male court but only for few seconds. She is being territorial for an area of the aquarium but I'm really sure she is not breeding. She doesn't guard any cave or hole, I can see all the holes are empty and this situation is lasting for more than two weeks, enough time to have breeded many eggs...

Any suggestion? Thank you!

 

[Mike Wise]

This is a cichlid and like most cichlids is territorial. Once the original mac female had the tank to herself (without other cichlids), she considered the entire tank to be her territory. Adding new cichlids to the tank meant adding fish to her territory. Keep an eye on the fish just to be sure no one is being damaged. In a few weeks new territories should be established (although I don't envy the new female).

 

[Aviam]

Ha ha! This is the kind of answer that you say "why didn't I think of this by myself??"

Thank you very much! Maybe I try to move rocks and branches in the aquarium to undefine the territories.

Only one more question: do you think 26gal/100l are too poor to get a new couple/trio of dwarf cichlids? I'd like to add agasizii and, on the net, I've found both positive and negative answers.

 

[Mike Wise]

Your tank is too small for more than a trio of 1 species. I would not add another. Of course it really depends on how densely aqua-scaped the tank is.

 

[Aviam]

This is the aquarium (ther are caves under the rocks). What do you think if I put a lot of more grown plants? Still not recomended?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
Definitely add more plants and cover, but I'm not sure any Apistogramma would be happy in a tank with a Red-tailed Black Shark (Epalzeorhynchos bicolor) long term. They become big and very aggressive to other bottom orientated fish.

cheers Darrel

 

[Aviam]

Haha! Our labeo bicolor is the most surprising fish we'he had in this aquarium. He is completely paceful and ignores all fishes. In fact, in the history of our aquarium, we've had to donate other fish (like Gyrinocheilus aymonieri) because he was the persued and bulled victim. He hasn't attacked or pursued any other fish. Never. And it's the oldest fish in the aquarium. Every time we've explained this to fish sellers, they say that it's the proof that fish profiles are only this: profiles, and that "every fish is a world".

However, thank you for your help!

 

[Fikret Celik]

Nice tank, congratulations. But labeo, cause problems against apistogramma reproductive period need to pay attention. Good luck...

 

[Aviam]

It seems that my macmasteri female is not agressive anymore... She is on her favourite cave, she doesn't leave it to eat anything and it seems that she is very interessed in something on the cave's roof And she has also stopped to bully the male so he is around the cave, like protecting "something"

 

[SmudgeR]

It sounds like you've got it sorted now but for future ref. I've heard if you remove the dominant/territorial fish, rearrange the tank and then reintroduce the dominant fish it will "think" it's a new place and will back to square one and have to find a new territory. Congrats on possible egg laying? Any photos/updates? I can't wait to get my new 69uk gal extra long and I can get some trifasciata *grin*
Happy fish keeping

 

[Aviam]

Hi,

A lot of things have happened since my last message. My old macmasteri's eggs disappeared suddenly and I deduced it had been eaten by my labeo bicolor. I moved all objects, put a lot of plants and one week after, the new macmasteri had eggs, too. In order to preserve it, I bought an internal breeding box and I put both cave and female in. It was very easy because the female didn't want to go out the cave, but in 12 hours, the female had eaten all eggs. I read that female apisto, when they are stressed, eat their one eggs, so I decided to put thin caves to avoid the bicolor entrance and, nevermore(!), do anything on breeding female until I see living fry. In fact, in my boyfriend aquarium of african cichlid (that I don't care so much and he doesn't, neither), a couple has bred twice in one month.

It seems breeding period is gone for now in my aquarium, and, after being planted, I've introduced two beautiful agassizi one month ago. For now, they are all fine. Let's see.

Good luck with your next aquarium!

 

[SmudgeR]

Don't know anything about the bicolor but I do know until the apisto gets used to being a parent they can eat their own fry and eggs for no reason at all.
Carry on the good work

 

[Aviam]

Thank you, it's nice to know I'm not ruining apisto breedings