Dilemma

[Pauly]

Hi all
As I said in an earlier post ....I purchased four Macmasteri three weeks ago ...two destined for a 40 gal community tank and two for a 20 gal. species tank with the hope of breeding ..( 20 gal to be picked up this week ) . Four fish now in a 15 gal quarantine planted tank. Buying the Macmasteri was a bit premature but they are available so rarely in our area that I jumped at the chance of buying them. Looked like I had two females and two males and they looked young/small so I thought that I would get away with them all together for a month etc.. Anyway the chemistry changed in the quarantine tank overnight...I had one dominant male who ruled and the next morning I had one very yellow colored female who was the boss..... never straying too far from a coconut cave...only to occasionally bully the other fish including the once dominant male. What to do....should I try to remove all the other fish...leave the dominant male ..remove the dominant male also...it's a planted tank....so not easy without disrupting everything ....and would that cause the female to eat/destroy eggs ( if that's what's happening ) .Should I just leave everything to see what happens. Any ideas ?

 

[MickeM]

Hi Pauly + all....

The area of the tank+ structure and amount of decorations are the keyfactors ..
Many caves/hiding-places can give some "safe-spots" for the rest of your fishes... But...., with only 15 gal/60 liter I guess you will probably
end up with some severe beating on the 2 xtra fishes ... and maybe even the dominant male will not be safe in there..
Apisto-females are famous for their aggressions/motherly instincts during periods with eggs/fry!!!
...and they "test" if the male is co-operative or not !!

My experiences are.. that you often will need a length of 2-3 feet/60-80cm as a minimum+ some added sight-barriers for the male(+other fishes).. to have/get some spaces where they can avoid the female protective behaviours.. (which is a direct necessity in nature) !!!
If the female isn`t the bullying one in your case.., probably the male will be instead..
(Normal gender roles: Female priority is to protect+stay close to the eggs/fry, male priority is to protect his+ his female/s territory+offspring.. !!
This create some sort of internal + external defense-zones..!)

In your situation, I would remove the 2 xtra Apistos if possible..and keep an xtra eye on how the couple co-act/-exist together ..
After all ..this is probably their 1st spawn I guess!!??
Experienced Apisto-pairs often seem to be more used to the task/situation I think...

Females rarely eat their own eggs/fry.. even if they get a little interupted/disturbed for a short while...(too big investment has already been done by them in this situation.. they mostly "fight until the end" !!)
..so I would try to net the others out of the tank..
You may succeed as it is.. if you keep your tank loaded with leaves+plants+caves+roots... , but I really doubt it !

Good Luck !

/Micke