Apistogramma Agassizii Tefe Pearl Blue

[Josh333]

I just got a pair of the tefe pearl blue and it seems the female is a little larger than the male and they are still juvenile. I do have problem with the female picking at the male alot and notice his tail was tearing a bit. I sperated them for now. Should I wait till they mature to attempt breeding? 

[nabokovfan87]

@tolstoy21 help us out!

[anewbie]

The female picks the male and if the female is larger the chance she will accept him as a mate is much lower. Also being harem breeders they will pick on each other when they are not breeding regardless so it is important to have them in a large enough aquarium with ample hard scape where they can hide from each other.

 

Of course if they are juvi they will not be breeding; hostilities will likely be lower but still you should have them in a large enough aquarium with proper scaping so they can hide from each other.

Edited February 8, 2023 by anewbie

[tolstoy21]

I think @anewbie hit the nail on the head with that one.

I have a female agassizii that does the same. Separating the fish will obviously solve the issue, but is not the long-term solution you're probably looking for.

Having ways the fish can take refuge from one another helps a lot, but that only decreases the nipping and does not stop it entirely. 

[Josh333]

On 2/8/2023 at 1:18 AM, anewbie said:

The female picks the male and if the female is larger the chance she will accept him as a mate is much lower. Also being harem breeders they will pick on each other when they are not breeding regardless so it is important to have them in a large enough aquarium with ample hard scape where they can hide from each other.

 

Of course if they are juvi they will not be breeding; hostilities will likely be lower but still you should have them in a large enough aquarium with proper scaping so they can hide from each other.

Thanks for the info. I have breeded cacatuoides before with none of those issues never had to separate them even with babies

[tolstoy21]

On 2/8/2023 at 10:58 AM, Josh333 said:

Thanks for the info. I have breeded cacatuoides before with none of those issues never had to separate them even with babies

Yeah, I think it's a "you're mileage may vary" kind of thing.   I've had Cacatuoides that were great parents too, and I've also had them kill one another. I also have a pair of Agassizii that are great parents, don't eat the kids, and don't have domestic disputes. 

[Josh333]

On 2/8/2023 at 9:08 AM, tolstoy21 said:

Yeah, I think it's a "you're mileage may vary" kind of thing.   I've had Cacatuoides that were great parents too, and I've also had them kill one another. I also have a pair of Agassizii that are great parents, don't eat the kids, and don't have domestic disputes. 

Yeah probably, I've had a few different cacatuoides and no issues but I guess it was my luck lol

[anewbie]

On 2/8/2023 at 9:58 AM, Josh333 said:

Thanks for the info. I have breeded cacatuoides before with none of those issues never had to separate them even with babies

You got lucky. A lot depends on how the tank is scaped and size. Males don't help with taking care of frys and they generally don't eat frys - but they guard the territory and the female will tend to snap at him - as to how much damage she does depends on individual fishes. Where things get messy is when the female is not ready to breed - he will generally drive her out of his territory till she is ready and the aggression level can be quite high. It really is a your mileage vary but it also depends on tank size and layout.