# African cichlid breeding behavior???



## MoneyMitch (Aug 3, 2009)

ok so i just got some new fish yesterday x2 yellow labidochromis (about 2 and a half inches long) and x2 electric blue johannis (about three inches long). one of the blues is noticbly way more aggressive than the other. his fins are pretty much always always spread and full of color. but for the other johanni it doesnt spread its fins as much as the other one. but heres what im curious about. when they are together the darker one does a vibrating type thing i guess but its only when the other joihanni is near. is this a territorial thing or a display for breeding?? i did read that those guys are sexually mature at about this size, not even sure if i got a pair and i wont vent them. any advice would be cool~

Tank is 55
sand bottom
planted tank

P.S ill try to get a picture of the two fish for you guys but they dont really stand still Money


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## MoneyMitch (Aug 3, 2009)

bump


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## mollies (Mar 27, 2009)

You answered it your self. lol breeding and showing whos boss


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## MoneyMitch (Aug 3, 2009)

if i knew the answer why would i post? don't just say pointless things to up your post count unless you have something useful to say dont speak. theirs no way they are breeding i just put them in the tank last night and im concerned about the chasing and "vibrating" is this a sighn that the aggresiveness will become more and more violent? 

P.S mollies read your post before you actually post it 

Money


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## mollies (Mar 27, 2009)

*you answered it your self by saying are they displaying for breeding or teritorial.* so i just answered what you answered. lol dint get lipy lay off


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## mollies (Mar 27, 2009)

and no they wont get more violent. and you ask i told. have you heard that saying They breed in the bag on the way hom from the pet store> *I was just trying to help sory*


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## MoneyMitch (Aug 3, 2009)

helkp is fine but sarcastic answers get me nowhere


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## mollies (Mar 27, 2009)

I wasnt trying to be sarcastic. *sory* I have quite a few cichlids. Thats what mine do. When breeding and saying im boss.


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## willow (Sep 9, 2006)

i've got "a whole lot of shaking going on" in my tank too.:-D
have they dug any holes in the sand yet ?
i've got huge excavations in my tank,and thankfully the Very large slate was placed on
rocks on the bottom of the tank,otherwise i dread to think what could have happened,
the plants are pretty much untouched,but they have never been ones for
javer fern or vallis anyway thankfully.
yu may find that one goes off it's food,so appears to reluctantly feed,and that will be when
they're holding fry,as the time goes along,as the fish opens its mouth,you'll see
tiny dots in it's mouth,that will be the fry,make plenty of rocky places for the fry to find hiding places,
as the other fish will eat the fry if they see them.


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## MoneyMitch (Aug 3, 2009)

thats crazy, they do have a few "pits" already and they both feed, i only see one of them come out at a time though dunno what that means. ill try to get some pics of the pits for yall, but they are in the absolute back corner of the tank surrounded by rocks. Money


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## willieturnip (Aug 30, 2009)

Aye, you have to be careful about falling rocks in cichlid tanks. They are a bit silly when it comes to that.

I lost a lovely krib because of an avalanche. The top of a cave fell right square on him .


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## MoneyMitch (Aug 3, 2009)

the rocks are on the very bottom of the tank with sand around them not under them, still trying to get a good shot just a little hard because of the angle. but ill give yall what i got let me give it one last shot and ill post what i have. Money


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## MoneyMitch (Aug 3, 2009)

here they are sorry for the shots some were around the back of the tank which is agianst a wall.


this is where the lesser aggressive johnanni stays most of the time. sry the pic is upside down, keep in mind the sand was completely level before these guys were put in.

when i took this shot the fish didnt notice but when i took the next it saw and darted away.









here is the closest shot i can get










here is how much they have "dug" out the substrate now keep in mind it was all LEVEL before they came.










heres a pic showing the front obviously, but anyways let me know if you guys still think its breeding behavior or a growing problem?














Thanks guys,Money


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## mollies (Mar 27, 2009)

Ok, i personly dont think its growing. But you said that the less agres one is hiding in the back? So from the amont of time i have had cichlids. You have 2 males is what it sound like to me and the larger more colorfull one is stating to the smaller one that it is his tank. Trying to be the bully you could find a female and put in the tank. Unless it is a female then she is just trying to stay away cause shes not ready to breed. Good luck Hope that helps PS very nice tank you got


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## MoneyMitch (Aug 3, 2009)

thasnks for the help guys


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## willow (Sep 9, 2006)

nice tank 
do they all come out at feeding time ?






willieturnip said:


> Aye, you have to be careful about falling rocks in cichlid tanks. They are a bit silly when it comes to that.
> 
> I lost a lovely krib because of an avalanche. The top of a cave fell right square on him .


sorry to hear that,what a shame


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## MoneyMitch (Aug 3, 2009)

yep its fun to watch they are all so fast!!!


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## willow (Sep 9, 2006)

whats the chance of a feeding picture  ?


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## MoneyMitch (Aug 3, 2009)

hahaha good idea, ill get one for yall sometime tomm night before i do a water change. willow thanks for the advice now i can add some pics to myaquariums page now.


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## mollies (Mar 27, 2009)

MOney check out the forum under cichlids bout the ornates i post your breed of fish and why they change colors. and a web sight that might explane better.


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## willow (Sep 9, 2006)

no worries. :-D


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