is it love?

[crazycat]

i noticed some interesting goings on in my tank last night, and wondered if it might be mating behavior?

i have 15 drape fin barbs--oreichthys cosuatis or oreichthys umangii--depending on which source you believe. they are beautiful little fish, silvery white with a yellow and black spot in their dorsals fins. the males develop a long, flowing gold and black speckled dorsal fin. it's really beautiful when they flare them.

here's an article: http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.u...article_id=158

anyway, i noticed last night that they were swimming around in m/f pairs, and rubbing cheeks. the males were flaring their dorsal fins a lot. i would automatically assume this was mating behavior, except that i saw 2 females doing it too.

not really into breeding, so i don't have much experience...

anyone know?

[BrianNY]

It's hard to say Cat. I'm guessing that it's merely typical behavoir of a schooling species. When I had spawning barbs, the spawn always took place in the morning.

That's such a great looking fish. Do you have the room to set up a 10g breeding tank?

[Jchillin]

"Love is in the air..."

I have no doubt that the behavior is related to possible mating. I would say it now is just a matter of time.

[crazycat]

thanks you guys...

i do have a 10g setup--the one with the mean and vicious silver dollars in it. i'm probably going to bring them to the next gcas auction... unless any of you want them... althoug i could move them to an empty 29g. how do i know if the drape fins have spawned? what do i look for (and no, i haven't read your sticky yet brian)

but i really haven't been thinking about breeding. i'm still just trying to get my head around creating and maintaining a beautiful and nurturing tank for my fish and plants...

breeding might be the next level...but i wouldn't begin to know what to do...

[BrianNY]

Once the fish are in spawning condition there's very little to do. When you're ready just repost here.

[kyektulu]

I am not 100% but I would think that it is mating behaviour!
Were the male fish displaying thier dorsol fin and sticking to the female like glue? I know most of my fish of varing species do this to woo the female before breeding.


xxxkyexxx