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Speciosus Hostility Towards Female

marya

Members
Hi all

Shell dweller drama. I have a pair of speciosus shellies I got from ron in early october. They are currently the only fish in a 30gal tank (big tank, teensy fish). The male grew rapidly and is now almost double the size of the female. Both are eating well and appear healthy. For the past month or so they have been going through this odd cyclical behavior that seems to be increasing in severity each time it repeats. The female darkens and tries diligently to lure the male into a shell. The male appears uninterested and swims away whenever the female enters the shell. They will do this for about 2 days, then the male will turn very aggressive toward the female. Initially he just chased her around a bit, but that progressed to pinning her down and biting her repeatedly. She usually ends up hiding behind the heater bracket near the water surface for a couple days before coming back down to repeat the whole process.
I tried removing them both and rearranging the tank before putting them back. There was no change, so I chalked it up to cichlids being cichlids and decided to let them have at it.
Last night I looked in on them and the female was floating near the surface curled up on her side. She was very dark and her fins and tail are torn up. Thinking she was dead I reached in to scoop her out and she swam away rather weakly. At this movement, the male immediately attacked her again. The female is now temporarily in an isolation tank.
Any thoughts? I am considering keeping the female out for about a month, then rearranging the tank again and reintroducing her. In that time perhaps I can get her to grow a bit so that she will be closer in size to the male.
 

marya

Members
that's an idea. any suggestions for a good tankmate for the speciosus in a 30gal? afterall, my husband is still looking for last minute fish/fish-related gifts for me for christmas. :lol:

thanks pat!
 
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