Pearlies: mating or vying for dominance?

[howmanyds]

Lamprologus Meleagris (pearlie occelatus) - YouTube

Not sure if I have three males vying for dominance or if there's a female in the mix. The smaller one (I'll call him #3) is actually younger from a different store so size can't be a determination.

The one that swims to the top of the tank (#2) in the video has been living up there for at least a month. No shell. Not sure why he was down at the big shell. The smallest one also usually hangs out at the very top level of rock. Not sure why he was down here either, but earlier he was hiding in the sand around the big shell. The seemingly more dominant one (#1) usually lives at the bottom, but not over here by the big shell. Not sure what he's doing over here either.

Color differences:
#1: Always pale with black pectoral fins; 1.25"
#2: Usually black checkered/striped with more pearls; blue eyelids; light pectoral fins; sometimes changes to pale coloring all over; 1.25"
#3: Always black checkered/striped; light pectoral fins; 1"

 

[TheCommunityCichlid]

I am by no means a Shellie expert but my knowledge of cichlids says that looks like territorial dispute.

 

[howmanyds]

I agree that's what it looks like. It's just strange that it would start happening today, weeks and weeks after they've each become settled in their own section of the tank: #1 down below amongst some shells, though never actually in them, and #s2 and 3 on their different tiers of rock near the surface.

 

[TheCommunityCichlid]

Not uncommon for them to decide randomly they want something else. Isn't that how war starts lol

 

[Freakgecko91]

I'd say you have 3 males based on that behavior. My multie colony consists of 2 males and 6 females (originally 1 male: 3 female, they others are 2nd generation) and the son of my male is not allowed near any of the shells, he stays by my holey rock and ventures out into the colony for food basically.

Obviously this is based on my experience and is not a definite or guarantee

 

[howmanyds]

Nuts. Want to share some of your females?