Will They? Wont They?

[stevek2232]

hi all im new at keepig chiclids but i have a question:

i got 4 yellow labs about 3" long well a couple days ago one of the labs im guessing the male cause got egg spot and very black line in fins? started hollowing out the substrate around a rock,

well since then he been hovering over this hollow and chasing all other fish away apart from this one other lab guessing the female as she lot paler no egg spot and only slight line in fins,

now she not showing any interest in hollow but she not swimming away from the hollow either just kinda hovering 6" above?

today i noticed the male? has got dark spot under chin between gills covers and he been flaring his fins and shaking at this other fish now she hasnt responded but she hasn't moved off either

so wat i wanted to know was do u think im soon gonna have a breeding pair or is it something else?

any advice or ideas welcome

 

[fatheadminnow]

The thing with Cichlids is, they LOVE to dig! They will constantly dig all over the aquarium! Mine dig all the time in random spots. One of my Cichlids I have just loves to dig under this one pile of wood I have, he has been doing so for that last 6 months!

-FHM

 

[dthoffsett]

The thing with Cichlids is, they LOVE to dig! They will constantly dig all over the aquarium! Mine dig all the time in random spots. One of my Cichlids I have just loves to dig under this one pile of wood I have, he has been doing so for that last 6 months!

-FHM

Very true.

Unfortunately labidochromis caeruleus is extremely difficult to sex as both males and females can have egg spots. In fact, the only reliable ways to sex them are to observe spawning or vent them (accuracy depends on the person venting). That said, behavior wise it certainly sounds like you have at least one male and one female. Mbuna are not pairing fish, they are harem breeders where a single male will mate with as many females as possible.

If you haven't already done so, I highly suggest reading the following:

[URL="http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=299333"]http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=299333[/URL]
[URL="http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=27706"]http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=27706[/URL]
[URL="http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/breeding_list.php"]http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/breeding_list.php[/URL]

 

[stryper]

Hi there!! I'd say from what you say you've got a male on your hands. Has the fish that he is showing off to got its breeding tube showing at all? Or more rounded as if she is full of eggs? Of course a male will always want to breed whether the female is ready or not. And even when or if they do still want too lol

Hope this helps