Red Terror Cichlid repro., beh.   8/11/06
Hi,
      I have a festae Cichlid, around 6-8 inches long, in a 120 gallon long tank. My question is; is there any way to tell if it is a male or female?
<Mmm, maybe... like classic neotropical cichlids of all sorts, the unpaired fins on the males ar a bit longer, more pointed/attenuated at the tips... Hard to tell w/o a female/comparison though>
It is living (relatively peacefully with 2 juvenile cichlids, a Green Terror, and a Salvini, and 2 baby cichlids, a Firemouth, and a Convict, and has not really been overall aggressive (any more an any other average American cichlid) to any of the other fish. The fish is colorful, but not overly so, and constantly "digs" pots, as though getting ready to spawn, but has no mate, nor any other unrelated cichlid in the tank of breeding age/size. In light of the relatively peaceful temperament, and the digging, do you think I have a male or a female, also, can this arrangement work long-term? What about if I add an Oscar? Thanks in advance,
<Good question... Not able to say though... could be either from the behavior, looks described. It isn't impossible to "mate" with other cichlids... Bob Fenner>

Firemouth cichlids, sexing   8/4/06
We have two firemouth cichlids and are finding it impossible to sex them.
<Mmm, not an easy cichlid to do so, particularly when small, of not-great genetic make-up, development>
The smaller, darker one often does a vertical dance to attract the other which makes me think it might be male, while I've never seen the
other one do anything but chase the smaller, and beaten up one, around. My brother tells me that one laid eggs at one point on the side of an aquarium
decoration, but nothing hatched.
<Might be two females...>
Do only males do this little dance? Aside from unreliable things like color and fins, is there a better way to determine the sex of these cichlid?
<Mmm, the unpaired finnage, color, size, behavior, anal vent appearance... is about it>
Any help would be appreciated. We've exhausted our internet searches trying to find an answer. If we have two of the same, we'd like to get
the opposite to try and breed these beautiful fish.
Wendy
<Have you read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/firemouths.htm
and the linked files above? Bob Fenner>

Re: Laetacara Curviceps - split tail fin. Repro.   8/3/06
Hi Crew/Bob
<Tim>
Unfortunately, the male did not make it. However, I bought a replacement male, and before you know it, the newlyweds have taken over a piece of rock,
gone really dark and now chasing everyone else away!
<Wow! "Out with the old, in with the new!"... Unusual to have new matchings occur so quickly, easily>
So, my question has now changed to a completely different topic! Since this is a community tank, I want to move the fry (if the spawning is successful)
to their very own fry tank. At what point would it be safe for the fry to net out to the fry tank - at wriggler stage or free-swimming stage? Or do
you recommend a different method to achieve this separation?
Thanks
Tim
<Mmm, please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/neotropcichreprofaqs.htm
and the linked files above.
Bob Fenner>

Breeding Severums   7/6/06
Hello, I have 4 Severums in 55 gallon tank 3 golds and 1 green. It would appear that the 2 larger Severums have spawned and now I have eggs. There are 3 Catfish in this tank 1 Cory, 1 spotted Raphael and 1 Striped Raphael, also in the tank is a Pleco. I figure I have to remove the cat fish and pleco, but can I use a tank divider to separate momma Severum and eggs from the rest?? If so should I leave the male with the female and eggs or separate him to? Thanks for any info. Guy Clemency
< Leave the parents with the eggs. The pleco will be a problem but the parents should be able to keep the others away. The eggs will hatch in three days and the fry will become free swimming in three more. When they begin to swim I would recommend that you use some airline tubing and siphon out the babies and put them in a tank of their own. In another week the parents may eat the eggs themselves and get ready to spawn again. When the fry are free swimming they need to be fed baby brine shrimp and crushed flake food.-Chuck>

Convict fry   6/11/06
Hi, First just want to say your website is so informative but I need to know this one question PLEASE help. We have three black convicts 2 male 1 female. Two have paired off and spawned quite a few times. Over Easter 2006 we removed quite a few babies (approx 1.5 to 2 weeks old) and put into a smaller tank we did lose quite a few as I think the new tank wasn't conditioned enough but we have managed to keep approx 20 babies. My question is this "Out of the 20 approx 4 have their stripes already and the rest are still a whitish colour the majority of all the babies are about 1cm long. Is the fact that some are stripy and the rest not an indication of whether they are male or female?
< There is a white form of convict that has been going around for at least 40 years. I suspect that your convicts are genetically linked to these and some of your fry are showing those white color characteristics. It has no bearing on which ones are male and which ones are female.-Chuck>
We also have in the babies tank 2 different lots of baby bristle nosed cat fish. The first lot transferred into the same tank a couple of days after the baby convicts and the second batch were put in there on 7th June 2006. The same parents of catfish bred both those batches. Anyway would just love an answer about the convicts with/without stripes
Thanks for reading my email Tracie Sunshine Coast Australia

Raising Flowerhorn Fry  6/3/06
Hello! My female Flowerhorn laid eggs and my male Flowerhorn got to fertilize it in time.
Now the eggs are hatched it's been a week since the eggs have been laid.
What are the factors that will aid the growth of my Flowerhorn fry? thanks
< Clean water, good food and reasonable temperatures. Ammonia will definitely impede growth. So will nitrites and nitrates but not to the same extent.  With lots of fry it is easy to overcrowd a tank. You will need very good filtration and lots of water changes. You will need a food that is high in protein. The water temp should be at least 80 F for good fast growth. Too much  higher than that really starts to impede the waters ability to hold oxygen.-Chuck> 

Convicts Breeding, Aggression, Behaviour - 05/15/2006
Hi,
I'm a newbie and I found your site and love it! I've learned a lot about the fish that my husband and I have but I haven't been able to find the answer or advice I need for this particular situation.
<Then perhaps I can help.>
We bought a pair of black (zebra) convicts and a Jack Dempsey. We had all 3 fish in a 55 gallon tank - they are all small, the female convict is about 3 inches and the male convict is about 4 and a half inches. Jack Dempsey is bigger at about 5 and a half inches.  The convicts had babies and they kept them away from the Jack. We noticed that the convict parents were getting very tired constantly protecting their babies from Jack so we put Jack in a 30 gallon tank. Right after we moved the Jack to the other tank, the male convict started being really mean to the female and wouldn't let her near the babies. It was like he was chasing her and fighting her. We took her out and put her in with the Jack for about a week. We then tried to put her back into the tank with the male and the babies and he tore after her.
<This behaviour is rally not uncommon.>
We decided to take the male convict out and put him in with the Jack and they seem to be ok with each other. There's a lot of chasing but it seems to be like they are playing.  
<Trying to establish territories in too small a space; it could get ugly.>
So now we have the female convict and the babies in the 55 gallon tank and the Jack and the male convict in the 30 gallon. The babies are about 4 weeks old now and we will be giving most of them away in about 3 weeks.  My questions: if we decide to keep some of the babies, how many would be ok to keep in the 55 gallon tank?
<They WILL grow up, and they WILL breed.  I would not try for more than three adult pairs, and that only if the tank is heavy with plants or decor for establishing territories.>
Would it be ok to keep the mother in with the babies and have that tank be just a convict tank? Or would it be ok to introduce some dither fish in too?  
<I would wait until most of the young are of a saleable size, pick the "best" to keep, sell, trade, or give the rest, add some dither fish - a friend of mine swears by rainbow fish for dithers for many of his cichlids - and reintroduce the male once the female's fully recovered.  Chances are, the next spawn, they'll be more amenable to chasing dither fish than each other.>
I'm thinking that the Jack and the male convict would be ok in the 30 gallon tank.
<The jack Dempsey may outgrow it, and the two in the tank together may spell trouble before long.>
And that the babies that we decide to keep (and the mother) would need the 55 gallon tank.  Thank you so much for your answers/advice and for all the work you all do in helping people like me - clueless but loving the fish!  -Jackie
<Glad to be of service.  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Breeding Convicts - 05/16/2006
Hey love your page, I look at it a lot. The reason I am writing you all is I just got a pair of convict cichlids. When I 1st added them to the tank they stuck close to each other, now its been 1 week and the larger of the 2 has gotten darker. The larger one doesn't do anything but chase the smaller one around. The smaller one tries to hide but The larger one looks for him/her. I know that the smaller one is a female, Because she has the pinkish red coloring on the stomach. But is it normal behavior for the larger one to get darker? Do you think the larger one is trying to breed and the smaller one is not ready yet? Also is it normal for him to search for the smaller one like that? I've found that she hides close to the surface and when he comes near she tries to back away so she isn't seen. thanks, David
< This is pretty normal for young convicts. The male is chasing the female and trying to get her to breed. She is not ready and needs a hiding spot where she can rest and build up some body fat. Try some live or frozen food to get things going. Floating plants, either plastic or real will give some cover. Zoo Med now has a floating aquarium log out that will allow picked on fish a place to hide and recover. It works great.-Chuck>

Convicts Breeding? - 05/06/2006
Hi!  I have 2 female convicts and I am seeing a lot of aggression towards each other.  The larger Convict is hovering near a rock formation and guarding it ferociously.  Could she be laying eggs?  What will happen without a male to fertilize them?  Thanks!  Sharon
< It has been documented that a female convict will lay eggs even if there is no male available to fertilize them. Females usually have yellow-orange coloration on the belly while males tend to be larger with longer fins. Unfertilized eggs usually die after 24 hours, turn white and are soon fungused.-Chuck>

Black belt and Jack Dempsey  - 4/24/2006
<<Tom>>
Can a black belt about 9 inches long and a Jack Dempsey about 7 inches long breed together? They have been acting very lovey towards each other and I was wondering.
<<This can/does happen, particularly with Cichlids from the same general region. Interbreeding would be unlikely if there were a matched pair of one or the other in the tank, however.>>
What should I do if eggs are produced?
<<Provided the eggs are viable and hatch, the parents will likely protect the fry in the same fashion as matched-pair Cichlid parents will. If/when the fry become free-swimming, they should be moved as the parents are likely to eat the fry after a couple of weeks. In the meantime, the fry can be fed Baby Brine Shrimp and crushed/powdered flake foods. (They'll also pick up on small morsels left behind by "Mom" and "Dad".)>>
Thank you sooo much in advance,
Emily
<<You're welcome, Emily. Tom>>

Re: Black belt and Jack Dempsey    4/25/06
<<Tom>>
Thank you very much for the information. I have a couple of follow up questions if you do not mind. Is there any way to tell the difference between male and females? I'm trying to figure out which is which.
<<Is one sitting in front of the TV with a beer? Seriously, the dorsal and anal fins are long and pointed on male Jack Dempseys where these are shorter and rounded on the females. There are, also, distinct differences in coloration and markings but we don't have two of the same to compare these against. Regarding your Black Belt Cichlid, the easiest way would be to look for a pointed genital papilla indicating a male.>>   
Also, this may be a stupid question, but what kind of fish would they produce? Would there be definite black belts and definite jack Dempsey's, or would they create a new kind of fish?
<<Nothing "stupid" about this question, Emily. The fry would be hybrids meaning they would have some characteristics of both fish. The differences may be muted or distinct based on the dominance/recessiveness of the gene pools involved. Likely you would notice "combinations" of coloring and markings on the offspring but these may not display themselves for upwards of a year. All of this presupposes, of course, that your fish won't simply be "going through the motions" of trying to interbreed.>>
Thank you again - I love your website!
Emily
<<Any time, Emily, and thank you as well. Tom>>

Breeding Green Terrors  - 03/13/2006
I have a young pair of green terror cichlids. About a week ago they spawned
together and the eggs hatched. At this point they dug a hole through the
gravel to the under-gravel filter and moved the "wigglers" onto the surface
of the under-gravel filter. Obviously, the wigglers were sucked through the
filter where the immediately ceased wiggling. I have since removed the
under-gravel filter to prevent this in future spawns. I was just wondering
how soon I can expect the fish to spawn again. Also, is this problem common with and under-gravel filter?
< They will spawn again in a couple of weeks if the conditions are right, maybe sooner. Cichlid aquarists don't use undergravel filters for those exact reasons.-Chuck>
Thanks,
Dan

Breeding Blue Acaras Re: Incompatible TANK MATES ?  - 3/1/2006
> Thank you for the quick reply but it just became obvious why the fish were
> so aggressive towards each other. I came home today and found my blue acaras
> behaving very strangely. Then I noticed a bunch of little dots over one of
> the rocks in the tank, and then it hit they were breeding and that is why
> they were so aggressive towards the other fish. I immediately started
> calling my friends to see if they would take the parrot cichlid and I am
> currently looking for a home the peacock. And I am faced with another
> question. How should I take care of the fry ?
<After three days the eggs will hatch. In three more the fry will have absorbed the egg sac and need to be fed baby brine shrimp. After two week the fry need to be moved away from the parents or they may eat them while getting ready to spawn again.>
I was able to find some articles but none really answering my questions. I know I should purchase a larger tank for them. I should be taking care of that on Friday, Do you think a 55-75 gallon tank would be adequate for the 2 adult acaras and their fry ?
< All depends what you want to do with the fry and how long you intend to keep them. You will probably have a couple hundred fry at least. In three weeks they will spawn again and you will have a few hundred more. The newer spawn will get eaten by the older spawn so you need to keep them separate. I recommend that you check with you friend and local shop an see how marketable your blue acars are. If they only want a dozen or so then siphon out what you need to a 20 gallon and let the parents eat the rest. You could pull the entire spawn and raise them up in a 55 gallon but for how long?-Chuck>
> other suggestions for care are welcome. Thank you.

Breeding Nicaraguan Cichlids  - 02/27/06
Hi Everyone, I have 3 pairs of Nicaragua Cichlids (Hypsophrys nicaraguensis) that I am trying to breed. Each pair is in its own separate tank. One of the pair's male built a nest for his female, but she does not seem interested in mating at all. The second pair has not shown any kind of mating signs. The third pair has mated once before, but now the male keeps beating up the female and she doesn't show signs of wanting to mate (although this could be due to the presence of their juvenile offspring still in the tank). I have owned all of these cichlids for over a year now, although they have just been paired up and split up into separate tanks about a month and a half ago.  My question is: what can I do to help stimulate mating in this species of cichlid. Would any kind of hormone introduction from different breeding cichlid species work? Thank you so much for helping!!!  Sincerely, Kristen
< These are great fish that I have bred many times. First make sure that you have males and females. Males have spots in the unpaired fins while the females have no spots. Put them all together in the same tank over lots of fine sand. Raise the water temp to 82 F. Do big 50% water changes weekly. Feed lots of good food like worms and high quality pellets. In the wild the male actually uses his head like a drill and drills holes in the banks of the soft mud. The boring slopes downward. The female lays non-adhesive eggs that are fertilized by the male and slowly fall down to the end of the shaft where they are guarded by the parents. In the aquarium they will dig a pit in the sand under a ledge. Use a flower pot cut in half length wise and bury half of it in the sand. When you put them all together the males and females will be allowed to naturally pair off. A pair will take over the flower pot and chase all the other fish away. The pair will spawn and lay their eggs in the bottom of the pit under the flower pot. They will then cover the eggs up with sand. Don't worry, they will be OK. In about a week the fry will be free swimming and can be fed baby brine shrimp and crushed flake food. Remove them in a couple of weeks because the parents will be ready to spawn again very soon. In no time you will have 1,000's of fry to get rid of.-Chuck>

Breeding Gold Severums   2/10/06
I have two golden severum fish which for a while have been shifting sand and stones, cleaning a rock, and going through the motions of laying eggs but haven't as yet. They are kept in a 4 foot tank with 7 dwarf rainbow cichlids, a red tailed shark and one other algae eater. Any suggestions on what to do to get them breeding?
< Feed them washed earthworms, brine shrimp, meal worms and king worms. Raise the water temp to 82 F and do a 50% water change once a week. If they are a pair then I would think that this would get them going in less than two weeks.-Chuck>

Crossing Cichlids   1/10/06
I have a female parrot cichlid that I am trying to breed with a male black convict. (I know this is unnatural and frowned upon among the crew, but I liken it to dog breeding, and I am just curious) I was wondering what a cross such as this would produce, if anything at all.
< Probably mutts.>
I was also wondering if you could give me any advice on getting my fish in the mood to breed. I have a 55 gallon with a clown knife (he's moving soon), 2 parrots, a male convict, 2, 5" tricolored sharks, and a pleco. My female use to drop eggs every month or so but has ceased in the past few months. The knife has always been present and the only new additions have been the sharks, who I think should pose no threat, and the convict. Too many fish? Can the amount of light affect breeding? About the same time she stopped laying eggs I installed a grow light, which made the tank dimmer, in the past weeks I have changed this out. Any other suggestions would be great. Keep up the great site, Tom
< Warm clean water with lots of good food often works. Try a couple 50% water changes over a few days. If they are ready to go then these other factors shouldn't affect their breeding.-Chuck>

Re: How long does it take eggs to hatch?
Hi,
<Hello>
I just found your site and I'm hoping you can help me.  I have a Female Pink Convict and Male Black Convict and last night she laid eggs and he did his thing to them.  Anyway they are in a 55 gallon tank with other Cichlids, what can I do to insure the hatching of the babies and how long will it be before they hatch?  Any help would be greatly appreciated!! Shannon
<The best thing you can do is leave them alone as much as possible. The eggs will generally hatch in 48-72 hours. Take a look at http://www.geocities.com/dick_pahimulin/articles/a01.htm there’s some good info there. You're welcome! Ronni>

Jack and Oscar, or maybe Jack and Jill?
Hi,
This is probably gonna sound nuts. but here goes. I have roughly a 9 inch Oscar in a 55 gallon tank. and 3 weeks ago introduced a 6 inch Jack Dempsey.
<Yup, nuts, you will need a larger tank in the near future.>
They hit it off the very first night. and seem to be fast friends.
<Interesting.>
However. now they are starting to act as though they want to mate. The Oscar has dug a huge pit in one side of the tank. and yes. I know they love to dig and this is normal. but.. the Jack is right there with him. rubbing against the Oscar. quivering..etc. The Oscar seems to try to keep the Jacks interest. I don't know if I should stop this. some have told me that they WILL breed. but may have infertile eggs. or may actually produce live eggs.
What is your opinion on this?
<It is not unusual for these cichlids (Neotropical) to try to cross like this, chances are they will not be fertile.  I would not worry about stopping them, but I would make sure you keep your water as clean as possible with these large messy fish.  Best Regards, Gage>
Thanks for a great site!
Styler

Jack Dempsey breeding
Dear Crew,
I have a pair of breeding jack's. They bred once, but because of other fish they ate they're young. I removed the other fish. Nothing has changed as far as the water quality or temp.
I would like to know how often they lay eggs?
< Jack Dempsey's are actually named after a famous fighter from the 1920's. They come from Mexico and can get up to 10 inches plus in size. They are not to picky on water quality and are very easy to breed. Keep the pair warm (80degrees), and feed them well with some live food and they could be breeding every 2 to 3 weeks. If they are left to take care of the eggs and fry they may delay breeding again until the fry and or eggs are gone. Typically at 80 degrees the eggs will hatch in around three days. You will see a batch of small wrigglers in the bottom of a shallow pit dug by the parents. At the end of three days the fry will develop tails and absorb their egg sack and begin to swim around. At this stag they can be fed baby brine shrimp. If left with the parents they may soon be eaten. Young parents are often inexperienced and will eat their eggs soon after laying. Don't worry too much. I am sure they will be breeding again before you know it.-Chuck>
Thanks.
Deb

Too Many Cichlids
Thanks for the response; the eggs were eaten.<bummer>  The funny thing about this though was that there was only one Texas cichlid (about 7"). <Not too weird, it happens.>  The other fish in the tank were an 8" red devil (or Midas, I'm not sure exactly-it's very orange with a big bump on it's head), a 6" red terror, a 6" jack Dempsey, a 6" black belt cichlid, a 7" Managuense, and about a 2" convict (I don't know how he's survived??).
<Oh my!  That is way too many fish in a 55.  I have heard that the Red Devil is always the last fish in the tank, but I do not know if they ever brought a Managuense into the equation.  I strongly recommend finding homes for some of these fish, keeping your favorites, and getting a larger tank.  Check out fishbase.org for the full grown size of these monsters.  If they were all to grow you would have no room left for water.>
Is it possible for any of these cichlids to be the mate of the Texas cichlid? <It is possible that one of these fish would have tried to fertilize the Texas Cichlids eggs.>  How do these type of cichlids "mate"?  Do they lay eggs and then fertilize?  The Texas seemed like he was dragging something on top of the eggs.  <Probably one of the others eggs, he was trying to fertilize.>  South American cichlids don't mouth breed, do they?  Any information will be greatly appreciated.  <Get a larger tank, and in the mean time, lots of water changes. -Gage>  Thanks so much, Jeff

Oscar + Dempsey
My father recently bought me an Oscar which I already had 1 Dempsey, 1 pacu and 1 gourami in my tank for the past 6 months. As soon as I put the Oscar in, the Dempsey laid eggs. Is crossbreeding possible or will they live if I follow the directions that I have already read about separating the fry and adding the blue stuff? I am very new at this.... I love fish but never had to deal with this. please help. They were laid yesterday and today is Monday. How long do I have?
< Your Jack Dempsey is from Mexico and the Oscar is from South America. They never see each other in the wild so natural crosses are not possible. In the aquarium all bets are off. If the eggs are viable then they will hatch in three days or so at 80 degrees. The fry will need to be fed baby brine shrimp and crushed flake food three days after hatching. If they are not any good then they will turn white and fungus or the female will eat them.-Chuck>
thanks, Natalie

Oscar and BP cross
Hi guys - just a quickie - I've looked everywhere and can't find this info
- so it's over to you.
55 gal tank - one 8 inch tiger Oscar and one 8inch peach coloured Blood
Parrot.
And one nest with lots of eggs (the BP is the female)
Is this going to work - and has it been done before ?
(All of the above was quite accidental, and I have no intention of passing
any fry on).
< Hybridizing cichlids is actually quite easy and happens all the time. Since you parrot cichlid is already a hybrid between three different cichlids it doesn't surprise me that she would spawn with an Oscar. I am sure it has been done before. I am not sure what you mean when you ask is this going to work? Do you mean are the fry going to be viable? So far no one has published any such spawn so It is hard to say?-Chuck>
Thanks
Colin Ahern

New World Cichlid Questions 7/18/05
Hello, and thank you for providing this forum. All of the fish I mention below are healthy, active, and eating a variety of foods, including live (mostly worms/insects), frozen, and dry. I would like to think that water quality and tank conditions are well maintained.
I have a 125G tank, and it contains:
(1) 4" Jaguar
(1) 3" Green Terror
(1) 3.5" Texas Bluespot
(2)  3" Jack Dempseys (pair)
(All these fish have been raised together since they were    
   approx. 1" in length)  
(2)  1.5" Corys
(1)  5" Pleco
Recently, the GT laid her first eggs, They went unfertilized, and she correctly removed them herself. Within two weeks, she has begun showing behavior similar to that from before her first laying, and she and the TBS have started paying more attention to each other. (tail-slapping, rubbing, swimming together, etc)  This hadn't happened originally.
Q: How often will the GT lay eggs?
< Every two weeks when properly conditioned.>
Q: What are the odds that these two will produce a hybrid, do I even WANT them to,  and what would I call the kids?
< New world cichlids cross all the time when not kept as pairs. The fry are usually no big deal if they survive.>
My next question(s) concern two Oscars.
One is an 8" Tiger, and one is a 7" Red. They have been together in a 100G tank since they were 2" long, (the Tiger was first in the tank, the Red a week later) and have NEVER fought, or even stayed apart for more than a few minutes. I have yet to see behavior that would convince me of an attempted mating, except for a brief period where they fanned an area, moved a few small rocks, and generally "flirted with each other"..
After a few days, the behavior ceased,  they have remained inseparable and totally peaceful with one another, but have never acted this way again. When I attempted to add a smaller Albino Tiger, however, they waited roughly a day before they started harassing and chasing him at every opportunity. Both got really aggressive towards the newcomer.
The vents suggest (to an unsure me) that the Tiger is female, and the Red is male...but ONLY after a close inspection shows what appears to be a small white appendage located completely inside and rearward of the vent. Their fins are very similar, with the Tiger having the longer and slightly more pronounced extensions.
What should I believe is most logical:
* I have two males that "just get along".
* I have two females "that just get along".
* I have a male/female pair that is celibate.
* Something in the set-up is not conducive
    to breeding (Ph, e.g. )
*  None of the above
*  If I can't figure it out I shouldn't raise fish.
The two Oscars share the 100G tank only with a 6" pleco, the temperature is constant @ 79 degrees, the water is cleaned and changed regularly, the tank has structure (rocks, a false log, a few plants) as well as flat, open areas, one end of the tank is mildly turbulent, while the other has very little movement, etc etc bla-bla-bla.
Surely, if it were two males, they would have faced-off at least once, since the size(s) are virtually the same....so my personal thought is that they are both female, the absence of a male dictates their peaceful behavior, and they have realized that there is no reason to lay eggs, since there is no male present. Otherwise, they would have produced a brood by now. Do fish rationalize this way, or would Mother Nature take over ? Thank you for any input.
<Sexing Oscars by venting them is not as easy as you would think. Oscars need to be around two years old before they are ready to breed. Feed them a lot of high protein food like worms for a few days and change 50% of the water. Turn the water temp up to 82 F. If they are going to be a pair then this should do it. You could overfeed your Oscars to make their genitalia pop out. If they both are the same then it doesn't matter what sex they are. If conditions were favorable I would think that a female would be close to laying eggs by now. I am inclined to think you have a couple of males.-Chuck>
                                     TMc.

Cichlid Crosses  10/3/05
I want to get into breeding hybrids. I have a green Severum and I was  
wondering what is the best fish to pair it with.
< Try central or south American cichlids of a similar size, like red devils.-Chuck>

Convicts and Genetics - 10/30/2005
I have 3 breeding pairs of black convict cichlids, two of which have babies at the moment. My smallest pair have their babies right in the front of the tank (babies are 3-4 weeks old) and I've noticed that maybe 10 of the babies seem to be pink. The other couple has all black babies and most of the pair in fronts babies have the beginnings of black lines too. This is their first brood so I don't have any past experience to draw on. I'm wondering; is it possible to get naturally occurring pinks?
<Mm, by "naturally occurring" if you mean an original natural mutation, not highly likely.>
I was told in order to get pinks I'd need one parent to be pink and that the brood would hatch equal parts each color. 
<Mm, actually, I believe this "pink" trait is recessive.... Basically, your pair that has some pink offspring are both heterozygous for this trait - they carry the gene for the color, but do not exhibit it. Thus, roughly 25% of their offspring will exhibit that trait. 25% of them will be homozygous for the black trait and not carry the pink trait. 50% of them will carry the trait but not show it. A pair consisting of one pink fish and one heterozygous black fish would have 50% heterozygous fry that carry the trait but do not exhibit it, and 50% pink fry. A pair consisting of one pink fish and one fish homozygous for the black gene would have all fry heterozygous for the trait - they'd all carry the pink gene, but none would show it.>
I have found TONS of info on convict breeding, but nothing on natural albinos or how the gene begins. I'd love to hear your thoughts and I'd be happy to send pictures once they get a little bigger. -Anna
<Sounds like you're having great success with them. Wishing you well, -Sabrina>