Firemouth Breeding Pair Fighting.

[Westwood]

Hi all, i call on your wisdoms again!
I have a breeding pair of firemouth cichlids, and the pair are quite young. The problem is the male keeps bullying the female, as she is slow at producing the eggs(i think due to her small size and young age) so the male starts nipping. so i am wondering what to do, should i remove the female? Or will this break the bond between them?

Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks

Westwood

 

[star4]

If he is causing a lot of damage it would be best to try a tank divider, then they can still see each other and when she is ready to spawn again just remove the divider.

 

[Westwood]

I was looking into these, but if i did use one it would section the tank so each fish had about 15 gallons of water is this ok?

 

[star4]

As it would be only temporary I would say it should be ok, are they the only fish in the tank?

 

[Verminator89]

On a temporary basis this is fine. I did it with my jacks in a 39G, which is on the small side for one jack, yet alone a breeding pair.

Moving paired/breeding fish is always risking breaking their partnership. Although in saying that i've moved my jacks from tank to tank countless times and they've bred again sooner or later. Only time they havnt has been this time, they havn't spawned since i moved them into their purpose built "breeding" tank.

They are young fish as you said, so they won't get it right first time, not unless they are wild caught and this makes them hard to breed in captivity. Its all a fun cycle

 

[Westwood]

Sadly there in a community tank, it couldn't get much worse. Tank mates are 2 young Gold Severums 6 cardinals 6 black widows and 2 breeding Bristle nose plecos.
If i did split the tank how should i split the fish?

 

[Verminator89]

I wouldnt worry about the others. Perhaps try and get a decent 50:50 ratio on each side if possible. I was lucky when i divided mine. This is what i used, and it enabled me to divide up my two Jacks so the female couldnt batter my male (yes, that way round). It allowed my Boesemani's to swim between both sides, also my angels somehow. Their finnage folded down allowing them to squeeze through just. Also my plecs and at the time clown loach could swim between the two sides.

Don't know if something similar could be adapted for you, but it worked for me. I bought that from a LFS for a fiver i think. Its a filter media plate/tray/level (whatever) for an industrial sized pond filter Worked a treat pal. Food for thought anyway

 

[Westwood]

Yh it is good, I may try this, i have just had a quick search on google and found some people use the cross stitch pattern, so i might go and ask mom hopefully ill cut a hole so all the other fish can get through but him.
I wish it was my female biting the male, as he is a nasty fish! I will give it a go.

Thank you both for the help!
And happy new year!

 

[Verminator89]

If you do something similar to what i did make sure whatever gaps you cut (as i did in the pic) make sure they are filed down. I didnt initially, and my boesemani's got nasty abbrations down their sides, especially when they rammed themselves into the small holes to get through. Sometimes worked, other times they got stuck and bitten by an over zelous Jack


Happy New Year to you too Westwood