Why wont my GBR's breed??? Help

[phishfriend]

Lol, tank is fine. When you said it only had one plant. I pictured a barren tank with a fish royal rumble some where in the middle.

 

[jhawk__]

Lol, tank is fine. When you said it only had one plant. I pictured a barren tank with a fish royal rumble some where in the middle.

Lol oh my!!! That would be some brawl! Would you still recommend I switch all my plastic plants to real and make the fake wood real driftwood? I like the flower pot in the middle cause it makes a good cave.

I'm also considering going to my lfs and just buying multiple males and females and help they pair up like yours did!

I read your whole thread(took forever lol)

If I bought a bunch of rams and let them pair up, u would be way overstocked tho. So what should I do?

 

[phishfriend]

Tank decor is up to you. Plastic or real I don't think matters to the rams. I also lil the flower pot and I'm sure rams do also.

Tell the LFS what you want to do. Being in water a water sample so they can check it. Per determine how many you want to have (1pair) so pick 4 rams and offer up the two you have that arn't working. The electric and non bonded female.

 

[jhawk__]

Tank decor is up to you. Plastic or real I don't think matters to the rams. I also lil the flower pot and I'm sure rams do also.

Tell the LFS what you want to do. Being in water a water sample so they can check it. Per determine how many you want to have (1pair) so pick 4 rams and offer up the two you have that arn't working. The electric and non bonded female.

My lfs is Petco. They use strips to check water and my API test kit is a little more accurate I'd say. I'm gonna stop by today or tomorrow and pick up one more male and female so then I'd had 2 or each and hopefully Atleast one pairs up.

I'm going to leave the EBR in the 10 gallon for now because he seems happy and is just to pretty to give up

 

[phishfriend]

I should have asked where you got them! Knowing they came from petco may answers a few riddles.

I guessing your other ram is probably about the same size and age of the EB ram? Because your EB is young and hasn't reached breeding age yet. which would explain a lot.

Petco in my area uses a supplier called Segrest Farms. They tend to supply(from the fish I have seen in the stores) rams that are young, still juveniles. There isn't anything really wrong with practice. Most suppliers ship fish as soon as possible to make tank room for grow outs. I'm sure the death rate increases from stress. Anyway, my point is that it may be as simple as your ram male not being mating age. Just a possibility.

Here is the website of the suppliers pet store locator. you can put your zip code in to search if they supply stores in your area.
Aquatic Plants Wholesale - Segrest Farms

 

[jhawk__]

I should have asked where you got them! Knowing they came from petco may answers a few riddles.

I guessing your other ram is probably about the same size and age of the EB ram? Because your EB is young and hasn't reached breeding age yet. which would explain a lot.

Petco in my area uses a supplier called Segrest Farms. They tend to supply(from the fish I have seen in the stores) rams that are young, still juveniles. There isn't anything really wrong with practice. Most suppliers ship fish as soon as possible to make tank room for grow outs. I'm sure the death rate increases from stress. Anyway, my point is that it may be as simple as your ram male not being mating age. Just a possibility.

Here is the website of the suppliers pet store locator. you can put your zip code in to search if they supply stores in your area.
Aquatic Plants Wholesale - Segrest Farms

All 3 are about an inch long, and the male is very colorful, the female GBR is a little bigger than the male, and the EBR is about the same as the female. Now that I think of it, I bet they are young! Could you estimate how old they were if the were 1-1.5 in? At the store, most of the females had very pink stomachs though, and isn't that a sign of maturity?

I checked the site you linked and the only pet shop the carried their fish was "Eastern Pet Supplies" and I've never been there before. I'd like to check them out now lol.

I'm not sure where Petco gets their fish, but they have about 3 employees in the fish section that are actually knowledgable and helpful ! I might stop by tonight and see what they have to say. I also might checkout another lfs, they are a mom and pop shop. Very nice shop

 

[jhawk__]

Okay, so tonight I stopped by Petco to pickup 2 more rams. I felt so lucky, because there was a male and a female hanging out in the corner defending territory. I bought them both, acclimated them, then put em in the tank . Hopefully things work out !!!!

Btw I had to put my other male in a breeder net for the moment because he wouldn't stop chasing the new male !

 

[phishfriend]

Yeah, that's can happen, rearranging the tank usually takes care of it.

 

[jhawk__]

Okay so here's a new update.


The old female and the new male have been hanging out and rubbing bodies. Is that a sign that they might pair up? I no longer think the two new ones are a pair because the new female is kinda on her own. The male approaches her but she just swims away.

The old male is currently still in the breeder net and might stay overnight. He's just to aggressive and I will more than likely be returning him and the lone female once a pair develops. ( hopefully soon!!).

 

[phishfriend]

SA Ciclids body rubb'in is a good sign. You should dim the lights and put some Barry white on. Lol

 

[jhawk__]

SA Ciclids body rubb'in is a good sign. You should dim the lights and put some Barry white on. Lol

LOL!! That's hilarious. Hopefully they spawn by the morning. Or maybe I'm just wishfully thinking considering I just added the male tonight ? Lol

 

[jhawk__]

I don't think my male can decide on which female lol! Because he'll "flirt with the old one" and run bodies and stuff like that but he still occasionally Hangs out with the new one . Should I remove one female ??

 

[phishfriend]

Try removing the female he's not rubbing on. That should seal it. If you put her in the 10g you should remove all others except the EB male.

 

[jhawk__]

Try removing the female he's not rubbing on. That should seal it. If you put her in the 10g you should remove all others except the EB male.

Ill put her in the 10. I'd have to keep a few in the 10 but ill move some over to my 26.

Here's some pics of what I think is the EB male. I'm not 100% positive he's a male, because i don't know how to sex them. I can only sex the Germans.

If you know how to, what do you think he looks like?

 

[jhawk__]

My new male and old female look like they're fighting almost. They'll rub bodies and circle each other and head butt a few times. Is this normal??!

 

[phishfriend]

My new male and old female look like they're fighting almost. They'll rub bodies and circle each other and head butt a few times. Is this normal??!

Lol yeah, if you think that's rough you should see the larger SA cichlids that's crazy cus of their size. Mating can kill in their world.

 

[jhawk__]

Lol yeah, if you think that's rough you should see the larger SA cichlids that's crazy cus of their size. Mating can kill in their world.

So this is perfectly normal? Does this mean they're a pair since their doing this? They also look much more colored, and I heard their colors are enhanced when spawning.

I really hope they pair up!! I didn't want to remove the new female just yet cause they were hanging out together in a corner at the store.

 

[jhawk__]

Here's a pic of the male. He's a beauty

 

[jhawk__]

I moved the female over to the 10 gal, as I noticed she looked discolored and stressed. Hopefully she calms down.

My "soon to be pair" is kinda following each other around now, and they still rub bodies. They also are still staring each other down and it's almost like their kissing cause their heads touch. Are these signs or courtship? Or maybe pre spawning behavior? Could they have paired up yet? I don't think they've claimed a territory yet.

The old male is still in the breeder net, I'm hoping I can let him out tomorrow after a water change. If his aggression doesn't stop though, ill have to return him.

Ill re arrange some decor when I do the Change and ill see if that helps!

 

[Sillyfishies]

I'm going to see if my LFS will do this for me (let me buy a bunch and bring back the extras). Definitely following along. I want a pair so bad