gbr q's

[justrelax]

I've noticed the male is all over the place, but the female chills at the top of the tank tucked in next to the spraybar. Is she waiting for him to find a home for them?
The gbr's seem to breathe much faster than all the other fish, is this normal?
Does the female show a breeding tube when ready to lay eggs?

 

[bs6749]

The female may be stressed. I know you just got them and they should be acclimated by now. I can't realy tell you for certain what is wrong with her. You said they are a mated pair so I doubt that the male is harassing her. The male is probabaly finding a spot for her to lay the eggs. My GBR's seem to have faster breathing than other fish. What are your tank parameters?
Yes, the female will show an ovipositor when she is ready to lay eggs. I think I remember saying that she would lay soon. : )

 

[Voodoo Chilli]

Even if you do have a mated pair, it's very likely the male is harassing her; males are always in the mood to spawn, while females aren't. Assuming the fish are well aclimated and healthy, all you can do (short of separating the two) is to provide enough hiding places for the female to escape the male's attention.

It's pretty easy to spot a female that's ready to spawn: they'll color up beautifully and you should be able to see her extended tube.

 

[justrelax]

ammonia:0 nitrite:0 nitrate:<10 pH:7.6
Pwc was done before putting the gbr's in, so they had pristine parms right off the bat. There are three slate caves, as well as lots of artificial plants and a considerable amount of driftwood to hide in/under/around.
The male doesn't seem to be doing anything but wandering around having a good time. He's not harrassing her, not "digging" for the eggs, but will occassionally go over to her and just hang out by her for a couple minutes before returning to his unidentified task.
The female, while showing the extended tubes, does not have good color. She has not (that I've seen) flashed her fins for a couple days either, even when provoked.
Could this be due to being moved while she was carrying? At what point will she just dump the eggs and get settled in to her new home?

Nevermind, she's dead.
Going to contact the breeder this afternoon and see if he has a couple females to sell. Will the male take a new mate? Or, should I trade him in on a group?

 

[Voodoo Chilli]

Sounds like she was either ill to begin with, or simply didn't acclimate well to your tank (this is very common with rams, so don't be discouraged).

Depending on the size of your tank, I'd get a couple of females and see which one "hits it off" with your male. You could then either move the odd female to another tank, trade it in, or possibly leave it in the tank (again, depending on the size of it).

 

[bs6749]

If I were you I would try to acquire some young GBR's and try to pair THEM. Pairs are best formed when they are juveniles. You may want to trade the male in or keep him. I hate to say it, but don't be surprised if he doesn't last that long. I have heard that they don't do well when one of the "pair" dies. I really doubt that he will take a new mate as they usualy pair for life but it couldn't hurt to try.

 

[justrelax]

Right on, thanx for the help and encouragement. I'll keep y'all "posted"...