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forming pairs

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  • #6838
    Pavel Chaloupka
    Keymaster

    Hello,

    I have another question to Günter Kopic article. He says: Ideally, you should buy six to eight half-grown juveniles and let them mature together.
    Assuming both sexes are present, loose pairs will
    form at the onset of sexual maturity.I have a group of 9 paros growing together in 50×35 cm base tank. I have one exceptionally beautiful male and one quite big and nice female within the group. Even though they are probably not fully mature yet (the females do not seem to produce eggs yet), I was thinking about separating these two animals and forcing them to form a pair as from my +2 decades of ornamental fish breeding experience these look like the ones I should go with to produce bigger clutches and the most beautiful further generations. I also would like to separate the male as he seems to be bossing other males at least to the extend that they are much paler when he shows around and its seems like there is very little chance they would try to breed as long as the dominant male is in the tank. Does anyone have experience with housing a group of adults in such a tank? From my observation so far it seems like there is very little hierarchy within the group below these two specimens. Everyone is just keeping a little space for himself and if they meet each other even the females are able to chase away other smaller animals no matter what gender they are. So should I just wait untill (or if) they start spawning and separate formed pairs, or separate the most promising couple and let develop another dominant male in the group tank and go on? Thanks for the answers.

    #6839
    Bernd Bussler
    Participant

    Hello,

    I have another question to Günter Kopic article. He says: Ideally, you should buy six to eight half-grown juveniles and let them mature together.
    Assuming both sexes are present, loose pairs will
    form at the onset of sexual maturity.I have a group of 9 paros growing together in 50×35 cm base tank. I have one exceptionally beautiful male and one quite big and nice female within the group. Even though they are probably not fully mature yet (the females do not seem to produce eggs yet), I was thinking about separating these two animals and forcing them to form a pair as from my +2 decades of ornamental fish breeding experience these look like the ones I should go with to produce bigger clutches and the most beautiful further generations. I also would like to separate the male as he seems to be bossing other males at least to the extend that they are much paler when he shows around and its seems like there is very little chance they would try to breed as long as the dominant male is in the tank. Does anyone have experience with housing a group of adults in such a tank? From my observation so far it seems like there is very little hierarchy within the group below these two specimens. Everyone is just keeping a little space for himself and if they meet each other even the females are able to chase away other smaller animals no matter what gender they are. So should I just wait untill (or if) they start spawning and separate formed pairs, or separate the most promising couple and let develop another dominant male in the group tank and go on? Thanks for the answers. https://www.parosphromenus-project.org/media/kunena/emoticons/cheerful.png

    #6842
    Pavel Chaloupka
    Keymaster

    Sorry Bernd but is your answer just the emoticon? 😀

    #6843
    helene schoubye
    Keymaster

    I am sure Bernd wanted to say more than just the smiley, so we will wait for it 🙂 …
    but in my own experience, I would say, that yes, you can see them form pairs, – and if you can see a clearly preferred pairing up, its worth while to keep those two fish together.
    However, I would also say, that if you have a mature male and a mature female, and you ‘bring’ them together, I have never seen it not work.
    And I also often see that keeping more fish together – (though not always), bot sometimes it suppresses the natural tendency to breed.
    Once you seperate a male and female and most importantly add a good cave, – spawning behaviour will most likely follow really quick.
    I would try it if I were you.

    #6844
    Pavel Chaloupka
    Keymaster

    Thanks very much Helene. I will give it a try then. May be Bernd was smiling as the answer to my question seems obvious even to me 🙂 but the article does not say pick two random fish so I was wondering if natural pairing has the same advantages as it has for most Bettas for example. It prolly has and I would assume if the male and female fit each other well they would not fight and stress each other so overall care about the eggs and fry should go smoother but as paros do not seem to be particulary agressive it may work when they do not have other possible partners. I think I have almost 50/50 sex ratio, so I can always try to give them a chance to pick other partners later if needed.

    #6850
    Bernd Bussler
    Participant

    It’s best to do 2 or 3 girls and a man that always works.
    However, has the disadvantage that you sometimes eggs and larvae in a nest have, ie you can not recover the larvae without the eggs to destroy. Sometimes it is enough also one of the two partners to tzauschen, preferably the man who is bein brut business most stressed and can even tolerate a break.

    #6851
    Pavel Chaloupka
    Keymaster

    Hello Bernd, thanks for options 🙂 This harem setup seems also very interesting. I just wonder if I should start building small tanks for leftover males. Seems like paros live pretty long and I could be housing some males for just in case reasons. Luckily I have a plan for a new fishroom so I will probably think about creating some storage department and retirement home in there 😀

    #6852
    Bernd Bussler
    Participant

    For me this is so, only the breeding pairs have their own aquariums. Also caves only get the breeding pairs. So I can pretend, who with whom, and especially when. This should already have a little system, otherwise you bogged down in 14 different types of Paro.

    #6863
    Pavel Chaloupka
    Keymaster

    Thanks again, this seems to work. I have used one male and two females and right now it seems like they are spawning. Sadly I have used a dark glass phial as a cave and the water is very dark too, so taking any pictures is probably impossible.

    #6864
    Ted L. Dutcher
    Participant

    You are doing just fine. If your cave is facing you, on occasion shine a light into the cave to see eggs or fry. Even in dark water they should show….don’t do it too often as to not panic the male guardian… of course pictures would be great but not as important as successful spawns.

    #6865
    Pavel Chaloupka
    Keymaster

    I was really happy about that but now there seems to be a problem as the female that spawned is parsuing the other female quite hard. Even though the tank is almost full of plants and leaves, she is very well able to find and hunt her and she goes after her all the time. I am quite worried that I will have to isolate her from the pair as I would not like to loose a female. I am already building tanks so I could set up more breeding tanks. I have 5 females and 4 males, so will prolly choose two of the equaly sized females and try to make a set up where the parsued one could hide better when this occures. I just hate to interrupt the pair but it really seems like I will have to.

    #6866
    Pavel Chaloupka
    Keymaster

    Or I should probably stop the panic and think first, then I would come up with the idea of adding some more plants and leaves so that the female could hide and I dont have to threat the clutch. Just need a better flashlight.

    #6867
    Ted L. Dutcher
    Participant

    Yes, stop the panic, gently add a few plants for the female better to hide in. This is their first spawning, they need peace from outside of the tank too. The male will protect the nest.

    Later get the other female out and keep that pair in the tank. If this spawning fails, don’t worry they will spawn again soon.

    #6868
    Pavel Chaloupka
    Keymaster

    Will do 🙂 I dont know how I do this. I have bred so many species but I am still excited as when I was 7 years old when I get new fish to spawn 😀 Thanks for the support.

    #6876
    helene schoubye
    Keymaster

    I have the experience that its not always best with a ‘second’ female, or maybe it depends on the size of the tank as well, – but one thing is that I think females can be quite bossy to each other, and the other thing is that small fry is more in danger with two females than with one.

    And 😉 just have to say hi to Ted, so nice to see you here, – its been a long time.

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