Female Borelli not happy?

[Sportster]

Hi to all. New member here. Long time fish keeper. Have bred discus and rams. Now trying apistogramma borelli Opal. Bought 3 and had asked for 2 females and a male. Ended up with 2 males and one female. The female bonded with one male and they were going to kill the other male so I gave him away. The pair get along well and never fight. He displays for her and tries to get her into the coconut shell cave but she gives him little love bites and he backs away. I’m feeding live black worms. Frozen brine, frozen blood worms and bug bites, he’s got gorgeous colours but she’s only slightly yellow. 32 gallon fluval. 5 Otos and 2 neon gobies in with them. All get along well. Thanks for any help,

 

[Bramgroet]

He displays for her and tries to get her into the coconut shell cave but she gives him little love bites and he backs away.

Then the female is not really interested maybe she is later. But can you explain the love bites?

Frozen brine, frozen blood worms and bug bites, he’s got gorgeous colours but she’s only slightly yellow.

That’s how a non breeding female should look. I am not sure but I believe that blood worms can cause problems by the fish.

 

[MacZ]

But can you explain the love bites?

Not heard of that in connection to Apistogramma. I presume a misinterpretation of the behaviour.

I am not sure but I believe that blood worms can cause problems by the fish.

Known to cause problems in Apistogramma, often fatal ones. The number of people reporting problems outnumbers the people reporting none. Often linked to quality. And as red mosquito larvae are among the easiest and cheapest to produce en masse, the quality of most is abysmal. Would scratch them from the menu.

2 neon gobies

I'd remove those. Also a community tank is not a breeding tank. Decide.

 

[Sportster]

Not heard of that in connection to Apistogramma. I presume a misinterpretation of the behaviour.

Known to cause problems in Apistogramma, often fatal ones. The number of people reporting problems outnumbers the people reporting none. Often linked to quality. And as red mosquito larvae are among the easiest and cheapest to produce en masse, the quality of most is abysmal. Would scratch them from the menu.

I'd remove those. Also a community tank is not a breeding tank. Decide.

 

[Sportster]

Thanks for all the answers. I was wondering about the gobies. I’ll stop the blood worms. By love bites I mean he’ll display close to her and she’ll push at him with her mouth like a small bite with no damage. Then he’ll stop. Maybe I need a new female?

 

[MacZ]

By love bites I mean he’ll display close to her and she’ll push at him with her mouth like a small bite with no damage. Then he’ll stop. Maybe I need a new female?

Those are actual bites and it's because she refuses him. The females do the choosing. Rather get a new male. Or scratch the breeding.

 

[Sportster]

Those are actual bites and it's because she refuses him. The females do the choosing. Rather get a new male. Or scratch the breeding.

Thanks I’ll have to consider that.

 

[anewbie]

Hi to all. New member here. Long time fish keeper. Have bred discus and rams. Now trying apistogramma borelli Opal. Bought 3 and had asked for 2 females and a male. Ended up with 2 males and one female. The female bonded with one male and they were going to kill the other male so I gave him away. The pair get along well and never fight. He displays for her and tries to get her into the coconut shell cave but she gives him little love bites and he backs away. I’m feeding live black worms. Frozen brine, frozen blood worms and bug bites, he’s got gorgeous colours but she’s only slightly yellow. 32 gallon fluval. 5 Otos and 2 neon gobies in with them. All get along well. Thanks for any help,

Just a note; unlike rams for example m/f borelli do not bond. They are hostile towards each other until they are read to breed and once the female has eggs she will chase the male away and have nothing more to do with him. He will not be welcomed anywhere near her nor her frys.

 

[Sportster]

Just a note; unlike rams for example m/f borelli do not bond. They are hostile towards each other until they are read to breed and once the female has eggs she will chase the male away and have nothing more to do with him. He will not be welcomed anywhere near her nor her frys.

 

[Sportster]

I appreciate that info. He never seems hostile. Just follows her around and she never bothers him unless he displays. My dealer has some. Should I put another pair in there?

 

[MacZ]

Do you really want to breed? It seems you have plenty of the fish available in your area, you might not be able to get rid of the fry.

He never seems hostile. Just follows her around and she never bothers him unless he displays.

That's their kind of hostility. You're lucky to have A. borellii. Any other species of Apistogramma would be at each other's throats already.

 

[Sportster]

I’m beginning to see your point. No use having a bunch I can’t sell or trade. Thank you everyone for your help.

 

[anewbie]

I appreciate that info. He never seems hostile. Just follows her around and she never bothers him unless he displays. My dealer has some. Should I put another pair in there?

Borelli; unlike some other species - the male will show minimal aggression towards a female that is not ready to breed (in some other species the male will chase her away with great force); so in this sense the species is more passive. However when she is ready to breed she will pick the male she wants to breed with. Once she breeds she will want nothing to do with him and will not want him near her (or her eggs/frys) and will use force to ensure he is not near.
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I believe it is this more passive behavior of male towards non-breeding female which makes them suitable for a colony as well as make it easier to keep the species than (for example) trifasciata where the male can be brutal towards a female that is not ready to breed.