Strange Apisto Behaviour

[Electric Warrior]

HI, I was wondering if anyone that has cockatoo dwarf apistos can help? I started a thread in the fish emergency section, because I was concerned with the behaviour of one of my females. Rather than write it all out again, I will link that thread here. What I was wondering is whether or not this is illness, related to mating, or new tank mates? The other female has gone under a leaf, and sporadically comes out, and is getting quite aggressive to anyone that comes near, especially the plec. It's the other female and the fins that I am worried about, as you can read in the thread. But she is acting odd because she is constantly following the male all over the tank, and turning on her side when she gets in front of him. Do you think that there will eggs underneath the leaf? I am to afraid to turn it over, that it might upset the female.

If there are eggs underneath the leaf, could the other females behaviour to be something to do with spawning?

my other thread

 

[alan3513]

HI, I was wondering if anyone that has cockatoo dwarf apistos can help? I started a thread in the fish emergency section, because I was concerned with the behaviour of one of my females. Rather than write it all out again, I will link that thread here. What I was wondering is whether or not this is illness, related to mating, or new tank mates? The other female has gone under a leaf, and sporadically comes out, and is getting quite aggressive to anyone that comes near, especially the plec. It's the other female and the fins that I am worried about, as you can read in the thread. But she is acting odd because she is constantly following the male all over the tank, and turning on her side when she gets in front of him. Do you think that there will eggs underneath the leaf? I am to afraid to turn it over, that it might upset the female.

If there are eggs underneath the leaf, could the other females behaviour to be something to do with spawning?

my other thread

 

[alan3513]

The female under the leaf will probably have eggs and has nowhere else to deposit them. The fact that she's bright yellow means she's ready to breed and the aggressive behaviour is normal if she's protecting eggs or young. Try providing a few coconut caves as they like to lay their eggs in the roof of them. If the other female is bright yellow as well she probably wants to breed. Turning on her side and tail flicking is normal courting signs. Put your coconut shells at oppisite ends of the tank giving the females their own territory. These fish are harem breeders with the males spawning with a number of females. Not kept plecs but would be concerned that it would eat any fry given the chance