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Dominant Female Mbuna(?)

zackcrack00

Members
So over the past few weeks I have noticed a shifting of "normal patterns" for the hierarchy in my mbuna tank. I have a small group/colony of Metriaclima zebra Mdoka sp. "Long Pelvic", a semi-aggressive species of mbuna. About three weeks ago I noticed my dominant male huddled in a corner with some very drab brown/yellow colors, not the yellow and electric blue I'm used to. All of the sudden, a slightly smaller fish (same species) came over and bit him and chased him away from the rock crevice. I wanted to see if she may be aggressive because she is holding so I fed some NLS to the tank. When all of the fish came up to eat, she was right up their with them, eating ferociously. I figured she was just an aggressive female or an ugly male because she didn't have any yellow to her like the males of the species.
I come back the next day and the dominant male is back being dominant and the dominant fish of unknown sex from the day before is no where to be found. I feed the tank (because, as many of you know mbuna are all over it when there is food in the tank) and see her in a rock crevice with a mouthful of eggs showing the usual coloring a female of the species should have. SO I went ahead and stripped her. Now, two or three weeks later. she's doing it again! Why is a female the dominant fish of my mbuna tank?!
 

Localzoo

Board of Directors
So over the past few weeks I have noticed a shifting of "normal patterns" for the hierarchy in my mbuna tank. I have a small group/colony of Metriaclima zebra Mdoka sp. "Long Pelvic", a semi-aggressive species of mbuna. About three weeks ago I noticed my dominant male huddled in a corner with some very drab brown/yellow colors, not the yellow and electric blue I'm used to. All of the sudden, a slightly smaller fish (same species) came over and bit him and chased him away from the rock crevice. I wanted to see if she may be aggressive because she is holding so I fed some NLS to the tank. When all of the fish came up to eat, she was right up their with them, eating ferociously. I figured she was just an aggressive female or an ugly male because she didn't have any yellow to her like the males of the species.
I come back the next day and the dominant male is back being dominant and the dominant fish of unknown sex from the day before is no where to be found. I feed the tank (because, as many of you know mbuna are all over it when there is food in the tank) and see her in a rock crevice with a mouthful of eggs showing the usual coloring a female of the species should have. SO I went ahead and stripped her. Now, two or three weeks later. she's doing it again! Why is a female the dominant fish of my mbuna tank?!

From my understanding in captivity he's all she can get.
In the wild she would hold out and reproduce with a stronger male...(might bully him enough that he fights back and becomes the dominant personality in the tank)
Anywho she is making sure the father of her offspring is strong and capable.


She's testing him, basically.


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zackcrack00

Members
From my understanding in captivity he's all she can get.
In the wild she would hold out and reproduce with a stronger male...(might bully him enough that he fights back and becomes the dominant personality in the tank)
Anywho she is making sure the father of her offspring is strong and capable.


She's testing him, basically.


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

Just like angelfish, that's really cool! Thanks!


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chriscoli

Administrator
Congrats! That's awesome! I've noticed that some of my female Mbuna can get quite aggressive when they want to. I just looked your fish up on Google.....absolutely gorgeous!
 

zackcrack00

Members
Congrats! That's awesome! I've noticed that some of my female Mbuna can get quite aggressive when they want to. I just looked your fish up on Google.....absolutely gorgeous!

Thanks, I will post pictures of them when I can get some half-decent ones! :p the male almost got a second spawn out of the first female, but the Hara interrupted them lol!


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