What to do about male Agassizii chasing female?

[Aquaticloch]

Hello everyone I have been lurking on this website for almost a year now. I have gotten some Apistogramma agassizii “fire gold var.” I bought a pair for my 20h, it’s a community aquarium with a few tetra. I could move most of my fish to a bolivian ram aquarium if need be. The aquarium is heavily planted with a bunch of driftwood and slate. The male Apisto is always chasing the female around, then stops after a few second, then that repeats. The female can hide in many spots the male cannot get to. Should I get another female do disperse aggression, the male has not harmed or nipped the female. I can move most almost every fish out of the aquarium if I were to get another fish. Do you think I should get another or just wait? Thanks for all the help, (sorry if this is a little confusing)

 

[Mike Wise]

A. agassizii is a polygamous species. Males are always looking for a breeding partner. If a female in his territory (your entire aquarium) is not ready to breed he will try to drive her away in hopes that another, more receptive female, will enter his territory. Right now you need to decide what you want - a breeding aquarium or a community tank. If you want your apisto to successfully breed, then remove the other fish, particularly your bottom-dwelling corys and fry predatory cardinals. Then get another female of the same size, remove your original apistos from the aquarium, make some minor tank decor changes and then re-introduce all 3 of the apistos together. If you want a community tank, then remove the female permanently. Breeding apistos can create problems in a community tank.

 

[Aquaticloch]

Thanks for the reply, how long should the pair be out of the aquarium before I reintroduce them, also my community aquarium with Bolivan rams has different parameters, so could i use a 15 gallon rubermaid temporarily? i will move the tetras and corydoras

 

[Aquaticloch]

oh I also wanted to ask, will the female ever become receptive to the male, or will never become that way? thanks

 

[MacZ]

Thanks for the reply, how long should the pair be out of the aquarium before I reintroduce them, also my community aquarium with Bolivan rams has different parameters, so could i use a 15 gallon rubermaid temporarily? i will move the tetras and corydoras

30 minutes? It would just be for the time you need to rearrange the hardscape, then add all three to the tank together.

oh I also wanted to ask, will the female ever become receptive to the male, or will never become that way? thanks

Nobody can tell, with optimal conditions, water parameters and temperature you can just nudge her in the right direction.

 

[Mike Wise]

Give them a day or so, but it really depends on how extreme you change the decor. As for the female, when she is ready to breed she most likely will accept the male - at least for as long as it takes them to spawn.