Barlowi's - Introducing a 2nd female to a pair - how?

[Lnb]

Had 2 Barlowi pairs, each in a separate tank. I lost one male, chased to death by an aggressive female. They are all juvies.

I would like to introduce this lone female into the tank with the existing pair. I tried it once but the established female chased her around and around. I removed her, fearing that I who lose her too. The lone female is about 20% smaller than the pair.

Is there a safe/safer method/s of how I can accomplish this?

The tank is planted, has some floating hornwort and I've added more plants so it's not lacking in coverage. It's a 15g tank with CPD's and Aspidoras pauciradiatus as dither fish.


The options I have toyed with are:

1. Add the female at night. Keeping the tank dark for 24hrs.

2. Taking the larger female out temporarily while adding the smaller female.

3. Taking the pair out for a couple of days leaving the lone female in the new tank and then reintroducing the pair.

4. Add the female and hope for the best?

5. Keep the females separate and introduce the male to the other female as needed. Hoping one day I'll be lucky enough to have them spawn.

6. Don't even try it!


All opinions appreciated.

 

[Lnb]

Bump .......................

 

[Mud Pie Mama]

When I want to add a new fish into a tank which houses cichlids with established territories, I take out the old fish first. Then re-arrange the tank decor. Once the tank has been re-scaped then I add all the fish back in at the same time. This puts them all on an even playing field.

 

[electric eel]

i'm thinking that a 15 gallon tank is too small for a pair of barlowi much less a trio.uwe romer told me last year at the aca that i would be better off to put mine in a 55gallon tank then the 20long they were in.

 

[Lnb]

i'm thinking that a 15 gallon tank is too small for a pair of barlowi much less a trio.uwe romer told me last year at the aca that i would be better off to put mine in a 55gallon tank then the 20long they were in.

Did you? What happened?

Unfortunately, my 55g is presently housing a pair and a trio of Borelli's. The only other option is to move the pair into the 20long and the lone female into the 15g or sell the lone female.

 

[electric eel]

i had too much going on.i had discus spawning and other softwater fish that had my ability to provide soft water taxed to the maximum.he did'nt specify a 55 but rather asked what my options were.i think a 40 breeder would prob. be even better.the actual exchange we had was about how to stimulate pairs to form and spawn(i asked him)he recomended that i put both pairs in the same bigger tank and he also suggested that i add some severums or something to put some pressure on them to form pairs.an alliance of sorts i guess.i ended up selling both pairs.my wife had 3 major surgeries in one year and ended up with rsd(a chronic crippling disease)so i have struggled to keep up with taking care of my fish(with a five year old and ten year old also)