Keyhole Behaviour

[Waterloo Kid]

Just wondering if anyone can explain the new game one of my Keyholes is playing.
Out of the four I have, two have formed a pretty strong pair and have made the side of the filter tower their home. One is very happy to let it's tail get sucked into the filter and then it just sits there, quite happily. It easily leaves when it wants to.

The behaviour I'm interested in though is the other one of the pair. It constantly gulps air from the surface, holds it in it's mouth and swims to the bottom of the tank to a pit in the gravel. There it spits out the air which promptly shoots back to the surface. The Keyhole chases it back to the top of the tank where it mills about for a bit before doing it all again. I can only think that it thinks the rising bubble is a fry and it's trying to put it back in the nest. Why it tries to take air to the nest in the first place though is a mystery. The pair have spawned once or twice bu the eggs got eaten as soon as they were laid.

Any thoughts


WK

 

[aloaring]

Ummm is he insane?
Tell me do your Keyholes do the head shaking thing?! I recently found a full grown female keyhole for my boys and she instantly bonded with the one called Bandit! But on a regular basis he does the head shaking thing at her

 

[Nauplii]

hey do u guys no what are the ideal tank mates for the keyhole?
im gettin a few frogs n a male betta, are these ok?

 

[aloaring]

Keyholes seem to get along with everything! Including other peaceful cichlids like rams, kribs and angels. just don't but bite sized morsels in like neons or more aggressive cichlids. They might argue with each other a bit and if they are breeding they get aggressive , i had to move my kribs because of fights! But otherwise there are no problems at all with these fish and frogs and bettas are fine.

 

[Nauplii]

cool thanks

 

[Waterloo Kid]

All my Keyholes do the shaking thing. I think it's a way of showing of/flirting. They only do it at other Keyholes.

aloaring,
My two got pretty aggro (compared to their normal scared of their shadow selves) just before their breeding attempt. Effectively took over half of a five foot tank. Apparently even that wasn't enough as they ate their eggs (the female laid a line of eggs, turned round and ate them even before the male could do his thing). Make sure you have the real estate for breeding if you want it to work.

 

[aloaring]

Thanks Waterloo Kid, i expect that i currently don't have enough tank space for them to sucessfully breed but it is an excuse to buy a new tank!! i was so pleased to find a female, my boys are full size and i didn't want to buy a bunch of babies to keep them company! and the females are gorgeous and she loves having Bandit following her around. Unfortuneately smokey had to go in spare tank as he wasn't welcome any more
They are such an under rated fish who wants big agressive cichlids when you can have these guys who are such characters. I can truly say i am a member of the keyhole fan club!!
As for keyhole games my guys love to dig in gravel and actually move stones with their mouths and the other game is follow the loach which involves following the botias around as they dig up food so they can steal it!
Hope you get your guys to successfully breed soon! Good luck

 

[Waterloo Kid]

Ta, I kind of hope they do too but I doubt it due to the over active tankmates scaring them.
My Keyholes also do the gravel rearrangement thing. quite funny to watch really as they go bonkers over moving ONE piece of gravel. I personnally think they are great. A fish can have all the colour in the world and still be boring. quirks make a fish in my book.

WK

 

[aloaring]

Wow just noticed you are a welsh person like me!! are there any good fish stores up in Cardiff Waterloo kid?

 

[lissa1794]

ok...I have never heard of a keyhole. It is a nickname? Does anyone have any pic.'s to share? I am very interested after reading about their odd behaviors.

 

[Waterloo Kid]

The best store in cardiff is Maidenhead Aquatics. There are actually 3 Maidenhead stores within 15 miles of my house and each one has different fish so I'm a bit spoilt for choice!

lissa,

Keyhole Cichlid is the common name for Cleithracara maronii. Here's a link to some info..

Keyhole Info

WK

 

[digital_run]

A keyhole...I have a pair right now and im adding another 2 next week...I love them..they have great little characters and get along great with some of my bigger faster moving fish..

 

[lissa1794]

wow--I love them! I don't think I have ever spotted them at the LFS, I will have to keep my eye out, their adorable!!!

 

[cometcattle]

Mine is such a little piggy.

 

[shrks1fan]

I've also been considering getting a couple Keyholes for my community tank, other than my Angel I have never owned a Cichlid and thought this would be perfect in my community tank since they get along so well with others. Do you suggest they have a companion, or are they ok alone (no other of it's kind)?

Linda
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