male to female hostility

[Price839]

i have one male convict and one female and i was watching my fish and the male was swimming after the female, i thought nothing of it until the female turned broadside and the male nipped at her side all the way down and than nipped at her tale a couple of times

is this normal?

 

[Menagerie]

Yep. Cichlids are not the easiest fish to keep, as you are finding out. They get territorial; they can get nasty when breeding and they can be mean when stressed. Best to put in lots of hiding places, or separate them if possible, since they are in a smaller tank.

 

[goalorientation]

I've noticed that cichlids do best in groups of varied species. They seem to be more interested in impressing each other than actually doing damage. What's your tank size and other tankmates?

 

[Voodoo Chilli]

Males are ALWAYS in the mood to breed; females aren't. This can lead to serious injury- and even death- for female cichlids when overzealous males can't take the hint.

With convicts, you'll want to make sure there are plenty of places for a female to escape the unwanted advances of a male. Sometimes even that isn't enough and the two will have to be separated until the female is also in the mood for love.

 

[Price839]

alright thanks everybody