SuperDave9x19
07-07-2004, 09:30 AM
Hello.
I have had a nice pair of Nicaraguan Cichlids for about 2 months now. During the first week or 2, the female seemed dominant, male seemed submissive. I put this off to "moving in jitters"
Once the fish became "established", the male took the aggressor (I hesitate to say this, as she has no wounds) role and now the female hides in upper corner of tank or stuffs herself behind the filter outlet "waterfall/current". She feeds, but not as vigourously as before. She has somewhat lost her "fullness" but she seems healthy, if not happy.
I notice that during the night, the pair courts, displays and jaw tugs with remarkable regularity. Sometimes she initiates, sometimes he does. They are, at night, the picture of wedded bliss.
So I turned off the lights during day and they were more active and "together" during daytimes from incoming sunlight (occasionally coverred by blinds if it aggravates) mixed with room lights (occasionally going on and off as human life proceeds around the tank) with both aquarium lights off.
I have 1 Healthy hearty Amazon sword and 2 less healthy (slowly being trashed by the cichlids) ones with Java Moss and Java Fern Scatterred about.
I have tried both hood lamps on, or either right on or left on but if the lamps are on, the female gets picked on and doesn't eat as well during lit up days.
I have, during the day, switched lights on and off with no apparent distress to these or other fish. I dunno how that affects season simulation and breeding patterns, nor am I concernned about breeding. But I don't want them becomming Psycho due to odd lighting intervals.
Do you recommend...
1. Surface plants
2. Lights off and eliminate plants, since the fish will eat/shred/uproot them anyway.
3. Turning lights on and off based of degree of hardship in the females.]
Any Comments appreciated.
Thanx in advance.
I have had a nice pair of Nicaraguan Cichlids for about 2 months now. During the first week or 2, the female seemed dominant, male seemed submissive. I put this off to "moving in jitters"
Once the fish became "established", the male took the aggressor (I hesitate to say this, as she has no wounds) role and now the female hides in upper corner of tank or stuffs herself behind the filter outlet "waterfall/current". She feeds, but not as vigourously as before. She has somewhat lost her "fullness" but she seems healthy, if not happy.
I notice that during the night, the pair courts, displays and jaw tugs with remarkable regularity. Sometimes she initiates, sometimes he does. They are, at night, the picture of wedded bliss.
So I turned off the lights during day and they were more active and "together" during daytimes from incoming sunlight (occasionally coverred by blinds if it aggravates) mixed with room lights (occasionally going on and off as human life proceeds around the tank) with both aquarium lights off.
I have 1 Healthy hearty Amazon sword and 2 less healthy (slowly being trashed by the cichlids) ones with Java Moss and Java Fern Scatterred about.
I have tried both hood lamps on, or either right on or left on but if the lamps are on, the female gets picked on and doesn't eat as well during lit up days.
I have, during the day, switched lights on and off with no apparent distress to these or other fish. I dunno how that affects season simulation and breeding patterns, nor am I concernned about breeding. But I don't want them becomming Psycho due to odd lighting intervals.
Do you recommend...
1. Surface plants
2. Lights off and eliminate plants, since the fish will eat/shred/uproot them anyway.
3. Turning lights on and off based of degree of hardship in the females.]
Any Comments appreciated.
Thanx in advance.