Lip-Locking Sev's

[HerosCichlid]

I noticed a male and a female severum were lip-locking. I don't know if the female is testing the male's strength for possibly mating , or they are just establishing a pecking order . The sev's are still small (3") but have been in the tank for over two months. I would like to know how large the sev's get when they become sexually mature and would like to hear anyone else's opinion.

 

[GTP2002]

I just read they will be about adults before they start to mate. Also, they can lay upwards of 1000 eggs each spawning! Do you have a big enough tank for that?

 

[freddyk]

Liplocking is normal among cichlids regardless of gender. When two are evenly matched it will come down to a physical fight -liplocking. As long as no damage is being done it's ok.

How are you sure it's a male and female - it's not easy to tell at 3".

 

[leroy]

Thats a good sign if there male and female if they do that its a sign they may have paired off and are getting ready to breed!

 

[Ferris]

Lip-locking is more often a fighting ritual than a sign of breeding. As freddyk says it is normal but if persistent can cause damage to 1 or both fish.

 

[HerosCichlid]

I am sure that the lip-locking pair are a male and female because the male is slightly darker colored and has a longer pointed tail than the female who is slightly paler than the male and has a dark spot above her tail also she is rather timid.

 

[sevs]

It sounds like you have a male and female but they still are small. I wouldn't expect eggs for at least a year or so. What size aquarium do you have?

 

[HerosCichlid]

The severums are in a 55g. But I do not think the eggs would survive anyway especially if my tinfoil barbs were left in there.

 

[nc_nutcase]

Everything I've read about Sevs by 'professionals' says you cannot determine gender until they reach sexual maturity at 5+ inches....

The lil airhead at Pet Smart says you can tell by the stripes....

The same airhead treated me like a criminal because I wanted to put a Black Ghost Knife (blue tag; community fish) with 2 Sevs (red tag; cichlid). Instead she suggested I put the Sevs with Convicts (red tag; cichlids)....

Needless to say the Sevs and BGK get along great. I'd tend to stick with what the 'professionals' say as opposed to the airheads.....

Since you have 4 or 5 Sevs I'm sure you have a mix of Males and Females, so good chance you'll have a pair. But I doubt you can make a certain determination yet.

 

[sevs]

I hate when people who never kept a cichlid in their life try to tell you what to buy. Some teenage girl was trying to make me put some tiger barbs with my angels in a 10 gallon.