Michigan Cichlid Association
General Category => Old World => Topic started by: TrailerParkFishTanks on May 31, 2013, 11:45:43 AM
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I have 8 rubescens peacocks that I got last November. Since then only one has colored up and all the rest are female. They are all about 3.5 inches. I would like to encourage some breeding but can you have too many females for the male? What's an average peacock ratio?
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I have 8 rubescens peacocks that I got last November. Since then only one has colored up and all the rest are female. They are all about 3.5 inches. I would like to encourage some breeding but can you have too many females for the male?
IMO you can't have too many, but at a point you probably don't "need" anymore (which would depend on conditions - tank size, fish purpose, tankmates, etc).
I've noticed when some of the larger breeders/distributors move out breeding groups it's typically 1-2 males and 8-12+ females.
Another observation, from a breeder perspective the females are worth more than the males, while to a hobbyist, a colored-up male carries the higher price tag.
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Could it be beneficial to add a male? Could that in turn promote a dominant and sub-dominant male and maybe get some spawning action?
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Could it be beneficial to add a male? Could that in turn promote a dominant and sub-dominant male and maybe get some spawning action?
That's exactly what I did.
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Are you positive the rest are all females?
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I'm no expert by any means but he's the only one with longer fin shape while all the fins on the others are shorter and more rounded.
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Just because they're not colored up doesn't mean they're females. If you remove the male, another one should step up to take his place...if he's there.
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will there fin shape change as well as color if they become dominant? they male has fins that are a bit longer and more pointed at the tip rather than a bit more rounded. im going to post some pictures when i get a chance to see if that helps
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Subdominant males will attempt to remain in female coloration/fin shape as long as possible to avoid excess aggression from the dominant male, at some point they won't be able to hide it completely. Try removing the male and see if someone else colors up.
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will there fin shape change as well as color if they become dominant? they male has fins that are a bit longer and more pointed at the tip rather than a bit more rounded. im going to post some pictures when i get a chance to see if that helps
I'm not an expert so can't definitively say about the fin shape, but if you remove the male you should have your answer in a day or two. :D
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i always thought it was just color that dulled, i had no idea fin shape could change as well. i was looking at them today and there are two others that may be suspected as undercover males. they have a very slight bit of color behind their gills and are a little larger than all the other females. i havent taken any pictures yet cuz ive been busy and my tank is due for a cleaning.
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Try removing the male and see if someone else colors up.
+1 this is the way I like to coax them out of hiding
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I've never heard of fin shape changing.
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I don't think they are saying the fins change, they just don't fully develop while the dominant male is around. If you remove the dominant male then another male should color up and his fins will fully grow out...
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I don't think they are saying the fins change, they just don't fully develop while the dominant male is around. If you remove the dominant male then another male should color up and his fins will fully grow out...
well that makes more sense than me thinking fins change. i learn something new almost every time i get on here.
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I haven't heard of that either.
I thought only color.
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I have found that too many females and breeding slows way down. I like to keep about a 1 male to 5 female ratio with most of mine to promote breeding.
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This is all good info. I will pull the dominant male when I set up another tank. I can't put him in the other tank with the maleri peacocks. If the dominant male loses his status will his fin lose length? Or just color?
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Sorry to be the pessimist... but, I just dont see the fin length changing as the fish is the dominant male or not.
Usually the more dominant male is also the one that has the longer fins... brighter colors, etc. The color changes... but I dont see the body shape changing.
Meaning... you take a tank of females and toss in a very submissive male and all of sudden his fins will change, etc. It will get more color... but, not necessarily TONS of color.
A submissive fish will always (of course there are exceptions) be a "lesser" of a male. But, will look best when other males are not around.
Am I making sense?
And also... please correct me if I am wrong here.
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That makes sense.
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A submissive fish will always (of course there are exceptions) be a "lesser" of a male. But, will look best when other males are not around.
I agree that IMO the fins won't change shape. But I disagree with the statement above. I don't think there is a "lesser" male in terms of appearance. If you remove the dominant male, the next one to step up could be just as good or better than the prior tank boss. It just depends on the fish.
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Actually... you completely agreed with what I was trying to say. ;D
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The fins do not change once they grow out, it is just as the fish are growing out the fins stay more female like until the fish gets big enough to start becoming a dominant fish, then his fins will finish growing out and become more pointed. I've seen it occur in my tanks, I have an Ngara Flametail who was a dominant fish in one tank, his colors glowing and his fins were always flaring out. Then he became sick and was being picked on heavily by some of the other fish. So I moved him to another peacock tank. I thought he was going to die, he looked like he got bloat and he did get ICK. So I treated with metro and he survived, but he is now a sub-dominant fish in that tank. The fins remained the same however his color completely vanished...I am working him back to dominant status though as he is eating very well now but the coloring is still on the faded side.
I also had a dominant Ruby Red that I placed in a tank with another larger dominant Ruby Red. After several weeks his color completely faded out as well and I now have him in the same tank as the Ngara Flametail. It seems that I have an aggressive tank and a lesser aggressive tank of peacocks... But the lesser aggressive tanks fish are smaller than the aggressive tank maybe by 1" or so. So I imagine that this tank too will turn into an aggressive tank once the fish mature more...