Tank full of brooding color females

[yukondog]

Was at my LFS and they have about dozen female agassizii with no males or fry, all of them were canary yellow and still are a week later anybody else ever see this?

 

[MacZ]

Many stores have tank shelf units with connected filtration, is it possible that there are males of any Apisto species in another tank in that unit? If so, maybe their hormones/pheromones in the water get the females in breeding mode.
I got my A. hongsloi from a mixed-sexes tank with predominantly females in breeding dress. That might be the closest to this I've seen.

 

[anewbie]

I can't answer but i have a female cockatoo who was yellow (breeding colour) for about 7 months. She spawned a few times and raised some frys but was always yellow. I then added a slightly larger female that was a 'spare' in another tank and suddenly she was no longer yellow....

 

[yukondog]

Good thought MacZ, there was about 5 male Borellii in with them and did not think to mention it being a different species, but hormones/pheromones does sound plausible.

 

[HookedOnFish_MI]

Good thought MacZ, there was about 5 male Borellii in with them and did not think to mention it being a different species, but hormones/pheromones does sound plausible.

I have a female a. Agassizii that is only accompanied by a yellow panchax and a few ottos and is almost always a pretty yellow. Is this natural, or could she be calling out?

 

[Bowluvr]

Was at my LFS and they have about dozen female agassizii with no males or fry, all of them were canary yellow and still are a week later anybody else ever see this?

If the females are in a condition that is good enough to be ready to breed, they will often color up. Males or no males. They are fat and eggy and ready, and letting everyone else know it. They don't understand that no male will be swimming into their territory. They're just ready and waiting regardless. I've had all-female tanks where most-to-all were colored up and good to go many times. That the fish in that shop are all still yellow indicates that they being given good care and excellent conditions more than anything else. Whoever purchases them will be lucky indeed.

 

[yukondog]

I got a couple of the males [fire red and double red], the double was pretty bad when I got him and nursed him back to health only to have him jump out of the tank while I was doing a cleaning, so now down to a fire red and female whatever type. On the good side I have two Borellii pairs starting to go through the motions of pairing up.