How long for Agassizii to form a pair after replacing female?

[davidjp1982]

I recently introduced a new Agassizii female to my 10 gallon tank after losing my original female about a month ago. This new female is much more juvenile in appearance than the original female . She has been in the tank for over 2 weeks and is still very drab olive in colour and is still getting bullied by my male who attacks her on sight, except for a few occasions when he is distracted by food. She is extremely timid and is rarely seen moving from the safety of her coconut cave or almond leaves which she seeks refuge under. I have noticed that occasionally after a large water change she will appear more yellow but of course this could be the tannins being diluted with the fresh water and merely my imagination. I guess my question is - if she is a juvenile and as such not ready to spawn yet will this create a situation where the male will constantly try and chase her from his territory as an unsuitable intruder?

 

[davidjp1982]

Here are some pics of the female in question:

 

[Mike Wise]

Your male isn't trying to court her if she is too young to breed. He is trying to drive her out of his territory - the entire tank - in hopes that a receptive female will come along. Since your female is not ready to breed yet - and in a rather small aquarium - her life right now is a living Hell. I suggest that you remove the male to another tank and allow the female a month or 2 to fully mature in peace. Once she seems like she is interested in breeding (picking out a breeding cave and driving dither fish to the other side of the tank), only then put the male back in the tank.

 

[davidjp1982]

Unfortunately I don't have another tank I can move him to

 

[Mike Wise]

Sorry to hear that. Right now your best option is to either pick up another tank (always a good idea, even if only used mostly as a quarantine/hospital tank) or replace the female (or male) with another fish - and hope for the best. I feel keeping any living creature in captivity requires that the 'keeper' have the creature's best interest in mind. If one can't adequately maintain them, then maybe they should not try to kept by them.

 

[gerald]

Can you put a screen divider in the tank for a couple months until the female is settled in and looks more interested in breeding? I know it's not pretty, but it may save your female. Needlepoint screen is cheap and it works if you can find a way to secure it, with plastic report binders or other semi-rigid material.

 

[davidjp1982]

Can you put a screen divider in the tank for a couple months until the female is settled in and looks more interested in breeding? I know it's not pretty, but it may save your female. Needlepoint screen is cheap and it works if you can find a way to secure it, with plastic report binders or other semi-rigid material.

Would this still be feasible in a 10 gallon tank with a male Apisto and 5 neons? What would be the best split? 50/50 or 75/25 with the female on her own?

 

[davidjp1982]

This problem seems to have resolved itself more through luck than judgement. Since removing the Neons and adding 5 Serpae Tetras, the male Apisto has chilled out and dropped his bad boy demeanour whilst the female has come into her own, boasting nice yellow colouring and busying herself shoeing the Serpaes away from her cave. As we speak she is cohabiting nicely alongside my male.

 

[davidjp1982]

the happy couple

 

[Apistomaster]

Remove the Serpae Tetras now.
They are much like Pygocentrus nattereri(Red Breast Piranha) fry of the same size and will definitely devour any fry that may come in the future.