My P.Nagyi!

Hello Chris.

I have some experience with nagyi, – and I think what happens is that all of the fish are just maturing.
When the male is getting mature, and ready to find a female, – it is natural for him to turn more dark and ‘dress up’ as you call it. It is also natural for him to chase the female, sometimes it may appear ‘agressive’ but in this way it will help the female to also mature and become ready to produce eggs. With nagyi I find this proces very fasinating and not too hard, – the males are often very eager to inspire the female, but doesnt get really ‘rough’. And the proces is natural, I am sure the female prefers the stronger male, but of course she will try to run away a little.

The less mature male, – is likely to remain less dominant as long as there another stronger male present. If the tank is big enough its not a problem, – in smaller tanks it also happens sometimes, and you can find a less dominant male that spends his whole life in the back of tank and you think he must have died, – but he is still there, he just hides very good. The dominant male of course will also show his ‘aggression’, – you would then notice a more dark/greyish colour. But I would not worry about any of the fish being hurt, paros are not agressive like that, (even they look like it :)) ..
If you were to take one of the males out, I would definitely take the less mature male. I think it may be that the female is not yet mature enough to produce eggs, – so she avoids it. But being ‘pushed’ a little will make her mature quicker.

🙂 .. well, well … long story, hope you understand my fish-logic

The temperature is fine, – theres no need to do more about that.
Regarding feeding, in my understanding two times is far too much.
Paros are really fish that are very hardy when it comes to food. In their natural habitat food can be very little in periods, so they can survive (and does often in nature) with very low supply of food.
I feed mine once a day, – but many I think feed every second day. In some ways this could even be more healthy.
Unless of course there are fry in the tank, these needs more food.

Paros are not used to so much food, and it may be even unhealthy to over-feed with two times a day. Certainly is not their natural way of eating.

The explanation given by Helene is the most probable one: The fish are still too young and the female is not ready for laying eggs. If they do not display and the male has no interest in the female by not showing his courtship dance, they are not adult.

The factors you mention – tank, water, food – are quite OK. The new tank is not too wide or too high. Perhaps you will get some mosquito larvae in time, best food for getting the females ripe. I guess that in your old tank you used the same water, so I shall not bother with other parameters which you did not control.

But why did you change the tank at all? There was no necessity for doing so. Helene did not suggest that you should do that. She said rightly “if you were to take one male out”: but there was no reason for doing this. The tank was big enough for a surplus male to hide if necessary. But you did not write of courtship, only of interest of the female for the less dominant male. So I should replace the pair to its former situation and see if the dominant male shows the darker colours again. If it does, this may be induced by the second male more than by the female.
Then you have to wait. Before one of the males selects a cave and tries to get the female in, your fish are too young. Before there is any serious courtship, even spawning in a cave and the male guarding eggs and larvae, there is no need to split the trio. Even then ther maybe no need to do so, because the sub-male has enough room to hide.

Sometimes it’s really difficult to get the female ripe for egg-laying. Therefore be patient and wait. And let the animals choose their partners themselves.