Why Is My Jd Laying Eggs?

[Batmanjay28]

I have a female 4.5 inch JD in a 55G tank with a 6 inch oscar. The jd is laying eggs all over one of my rocks and I have no idea why. She also has gotten much blacker and more colorful since laying the eggs. I don't understand why the jd would lay eggs for nothing because the male oscar can't fertlize them.....or can he? Why would she be doing this? Thanks

 

[Tolak]

Female cichlids will spawn when there is no male present. I know two female angels will form a pair & spawn with no male, I don't know how common this is with other cichlids though.

 

[ox5477]

Like most fish, and most animals that is, if they get in the mood, they get in the mood. They don't understand the boundaries of a tank so think, maybe one day a male is gonna come along and then he can fertilize my eggs. When the water stats are just right, it's like they can't help themselves, even if they are alone. Just like when male beta's make bubble nests with no female around, it's just in their nature to do it when they feel optimum tank conditions and just hope that a member of the opposite sex comes by.

And the reason she is turning black with her colors showing is because she is in guard mode. She has eggs laid and doesn't want the big oscar to come by and eat her eggs on her. Again, she thinks that they might be fertilized so just like in nature, she defend her eggs very aggresively. You might have even noticed the oscar being attacked if he gets too close, she is just trying to set a boundary so if the fry did hatch (which obv they won't, but she doesn't know that), they would have plenty of "space" for the parent to protect them and for them to grow w/o getting eaten. All cichlids will do this, thats why if you have a pair, then the tank requirements greatly increase if there are other tank occupants.

I posted a topic back a while talking about how aggressive cichlids can be...http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=162650