Male cocktoo hiding from female

[felixsfish]

Hi recently got back into fish keeping after a 13 year break and now we can get appistos in the west of Ireland

I got a pair of cockatoo appistos for my 125l planted community tank about 6 months ago. They have since matured into beautiful fish but having some minor problems with them and unsure what to do.

They have been showing breeding behaviour for the last 3-4 months but haven't spawned (that I'm aware off). I recently had to treat for roundworm as they were very skinny so I thought that was the reason why they hadn't spawned. They're both in great shape now and get a diet of everything from live to flake food. But recently the male is hiding away from the female when he sees her. She follows him but not chases and flares her fins. She's not aggressive to him (although he has some marks on this mouth from either her biting or swimming into things) and seems on edge all the time.

I'm wondering if anyone else has had this kind of problem before as normally it would be the other way around. They are about the same size (I'll add some pictures). Could it be a sleeper male or other species ? Thanks

 

[felixsfish]

A sharp picture and short video

 

[MacZ]

You simply have two males of the same species but two different domestic colour strains.

A sharp picture and short video

Because the fish in that picture is a. much too big for a female and b. with those fin filaments I'd have a hard time believing this is a female.

Actually the filaments make me even think this might be a hybrid with another species of apistogramma.

 

[felixsfish]

You simply have two males of the same species but two different domestic colour strains.


Because the fish in that picture is a. much too big for a female and b. with those fin filaments I'd have a hard time believing this is a female.

Actually the filaments make me even think this might be a hybrid with another species of apistogramma.

Interesting didn't know that was possible. From them two features it looks like a second male but would they not have killed each other if it were 2 males or at least be more aggressive?

 

[MacZ]

I mean... mass produced fish like domestic A. cacatuoides are often treated with hormons (looking at breeders in eastern europe...) so all kinds of things can happen. I've seen a lot of strange fish among these. I never bothered keeping the species, as I find domestic A.c.s visually really repugnant.

With most wild type fish, yes, they might already have either killed each other or at least harrassed one so much it got sick. And this is probably starting to happen right now.

 

[felixsfish]

I mean... mass produced fish like domestic A. cacatuoides are often treated with hormons (looking at breeders in eastern europe...) so all kinds of things can happen. I've seen a lot of strange fish among these. I never bothered keeping the species, as I find domestic A.c.s visually really repugnant.

With most wild type fish, yes, they might already have either killed each other or at least harrassed one so much it got sick. And this is probably starting to happen right now.

Thanks very much for your answers.

Ya it seems to be getting worse alright so it could be just the begining. I'll have to bring him/her back to the shop and try and find a female somewhere else.

Like I said earlier we don't have much choice her in the west of Ireland.

 

[MacZ]

I could ask somebody in Cork and somebody in Galway if that helps?

Do you necessarily have to breed? As I see you have at least Mikrogeophagus altispinosus as well, and in a 125 liter tank this might end up in real trouble once a female Apisto gets into breeding mode.

So think about keeping just the male and call it a day.

 

[felixsfish]

I could ask somebody in Cork and somebody in Galway if that helps?

Do you necessarily have to breed? As I see you have at least Mikrogeophagus altispinosus as well, and in a 125 liter tank this might end up in real trouble once a female Apisto gets into breeding mode.

So think about keeping just the male and call it a day.

I'm in Galway so good to know there are others.

No, I won't necessarily HAVE to breed them, I like to keep them in a pair or group where possible (have also heard that keeping a single male can make them depressed?)

I'll keep them separated for now and see which road I go down.

I'm still a bit confused about the courting behavior they've shown like tail slapping. Could it have been that they didn't know themselves they were two males as they still do it?

 

[Mazan]

Also there could be trouble with the Corydoras if you have breeding Apistsogrammas, and fry are unlikely to survive with cardinal tetras in the tank. Probably best just to keep one of the males.

 

[MacZ]

I like to keep them in a pair or group where possible (have also heard that keeping a single male can make them depressed?)

No worries. I have no interest in breeding these days, single males of dwarf cichlids do work quite well. As I prefer a biotope community this has proven to be quite a relaxed way of keeping them.

I'm still a bit confused about the courting behavior they've shown like tail slapping. Could it have been that they didn't know themselves they were two males as they still do it?

It can also be part of more generalized behaviour in this case.

I'll keep them separated for now and see which road I go down.

Good.

I'm in Galway so good to know there are others.

Going to ask if they still keep dwarf cichlids. Last time we spoke they were moving towards labyrinth fish.

 

[MacZ]

Going to ask if they still keep dwarf cichlids.

Just to give a quick update, I didn't get any answers yet.

 

[felixsfish]

Just to give a quick update, I didn't get any answers yet.

Thanks for coming back to me, no problem.

I was able to return one of them and going to just keep the one male, he seems a lot happier now already.

 

[MacZ]

Allright! Good decision.