Are My Blue Acaras Breeding?!

[JohnRossDele]

HI all, about an hour ago my acaras starting making a pit in the sand under the rock!!

the one that guards the place has got a paleish colour and the other has very dark shaded stripes, are they breeding?

this is the one that does most of the digging!!

this is the one that guards the place!!

and this is the pit & rock

 

[Acara Man]

I would guess top pic = male. 2nd pic = female. Definately breeding behaviour.

 

[JohnRossDele]

I would guess top pic = male. 2nd pic = female. Definately breeding behaviour.

the male has changed back into a pale colour does this still mean they are breeding & if they ever do have fry will they last (check the 240L in my sig) ill take more pics to show you what its like now

 

[indigoj]

I think it is doubtful fry would survive in there but I'd also be concerned that the acaras will defend them to the death against other fish.

 

[JohnRossDele]

there back at it again

 

[JohnRossDele]

heres the female

heres the male

heres the spawning site NOTE: the rock is covered in sand; is that breeding behaviour

 

[england]

This is normal cichlid behaviour, have you witnessed lip locking/ head to tail quivering, best way to tell is by wether or not any breeding tubes have appeared, Have you got any side on shot's of the fishe's...you have three acara? post an individual shot of each please

 

[JohnRossDele]

This is normal cichlid behaviour, have you witnessed lip locking/ head to tail quivering, best way to tell is by wether or not any breeding tubes have appeared, Have you got any side on shot's of the fishe's...you have three acara? post an individual shot of each please

lip locking once, LOTSA head to tail quivering & yes, breeding tubes are down on both fish yeah, i have 3 acaras the other one just minds his own business most of the time.

Ill add individual pics now, just need to take em and put em on photobucket.

heres the one the who minds its own business

male

female

 

[snowflake311]

My pair just spawned Friday . For a while they were shopping for a site. They would hang out by the log clean the sand off then they moved to another rockcave. The male would shimmy right up to the female she would watch. He also would fight plants to show off for her. Then one day the female was digging a spot and really cleaning off a rock. Her breeding tube was large I thought something was wrong. The male came over and helped a little. He was on guard duty mostly. Then the female and male started to dace and shake. Sure enough a bit later eggs were there. They are guarding them still. Funny they are the only fish in the 55 gal well the Medusa pleco is there but only comes out at night. I don't think my fish are a happy in love coplue they will sometimes forget the other is the mate and chase how ever is not on egg watch away from the site. Then I see them happily switch egg care duties. Crazy fish.

During courtship they got into a few little tiffs for the most part the male just fought the plants. I had 3 in the same tank and well My pair almost killed the lone male so he had to move out. The breeding tubes were both always out but when the female was ready it was very obvious something was going to happen.

So it sounds like they are still shopping for a good nest. If it was really the spawning site it would be clean of all sand. If you see the females egg tube get big then you know they are about to get it on.


Looks like you are calling your male a female and your female a male. I would say by the head shape the one you say is female is the male. I watched mine spawn and saw the one with the more sloping head shape was the female and the one with the almost squared off head was the male. They look like a pair but I think you have mixing up who is who.