Have a pair ready to breed, but...

[drudnick]

I have a triple red male and a double red female and the female is following the male around and whenever shes next to him she lays on her side. I have a gold male, which was supposed to be female when I bought it, who wont leave the triple male alone. Everywhere he goes the gold one goes. So I have him suspended at top in a net for the time being. But do I need to keep him removed if the other 2 are going to have a chance to breed? If so, I now need to find where to put him, since my 2nd tank is still cycling, with high ammonia.

 

[Apistt_ed]

. I have a gold male, which was supposed to be female when I bought it, who wont leave the triple male alone. Everywhere he goes the gold one goes..

Are you sure the gold one is a male? If "IT" follows the male around and isn't confronting but rather just following the triple male then it might be a she. Was the gold one getting beat up by the triple male? if not, then it'd be more than safe to leave him amongst the other two. If you notice that it is following the male and acts like a female, then behavioral observation would have to conclude that it may just be another female.

There are sleeper males who don't follow the male apistos around as you describe yours do but act like regular males otherwise, but in the presence of the dominant male fish, would assume the coloration of a female to avoid squabbles. These "imposter" females are known throughout the hobby just as sleepers.

best luck
john

 

[drudnick]

Well the gold one is supposedly a female according to the seller, however, I have shown pics to about 10 different people familiar with cacatuoides and they say no way its a female. Now I was watching it today, and it was sharing a cave with my other female double red. It shows no aggression towards the other females, and follows the triple male around. On occassion it will nip at him from behind.

It looked as though the double red female that turned dark yellow was laying sideways for both the triple and the gold one. I am new to these guys, so I cant tell what exactly is happening. The females colors faded some this morning, but are now back to dark yellow this afternoon

 

[Apistt_ed]

sounds like you have a sleeper male that may have spawned with the female. If the female stays in that cave and has turned into the yellow and black markings, then either they've spawned and she's guarding or she starting to get ready. Because they occupied the cave already, they've most likely spawned! now to wait a couple days to see if fry appear.

 

[drudnick]

theres definitely nothing in the cave, and she has ince faded from the yellow, although the yellow comes and goes. She has occupied the cave with both the triple male and what I believe is a gold male. Now I am focusing on a blue Ram female who seems hot to trot as well, taking on anything and everything in the tank..lol