how to create a pair from a group?

[amit]

Hello

I have been reading here alot in the past year or so, but only now I have subscribed.

6 months ago I have bought a group of ten young paros.
They were sold to me as P.dessneri, but I’m not 100% sure it is correct.
They all have the typical black/white horizontal stripes.
Males are darker, and have little blue on the fins as well.
No red coloration at all.

They feed on babies of shrimp (Neocaridina denticulata) that are found aboundently in their aquarium, and of course on artemia nauplii.
I had micro worms as well, but they just died, and I have not bought new ones yet.
bloodworms/mosquito larva/daphnia/ are offered occasionlly as well.

Recentley I have noticed one of the males has colored up, and it seems he is ready for breeding.
I have a small aquarium ready for him, with lots of oak leaves, moss, and two caves.

My question is, how do I know which female should I take with him to the breeding tank?
Will it work with any female?
The females all look the same, and I cant really distinguish between them…

Any advise would be greatly apreciated.

[helene schoubye]

Hello and welcome to the forum, Amit.
I understand your problem, – it can be difficult with young fish to determine which female is the right one, – and I would say that there is a good chance that any female will do :).
There could be also the situation that the reason you are not really seing any preferred female is that they have perhaps not quite reached the grown up mature state as the male.
I am sure you can choose any female, and after a little while the pair will breed together. It may take a little while, especially if the female is very young and perhaps only just reaching maturity.

Or you could wait a little bit, and watch the fish careful and over some days see if the male seem to be more attracted to one female than the others. The problem then is to catch this precise female, – and once scared and on the run … :unsure: its so difficult.
I can do it, but I have many years of practice, and I have the fish in small tanks. I will cheat them and move in very slowly when the one I want is swimming happily by the front glas 🙂 … but I know this is not always possible.

So if you feel its easier, dont hesitate to take any female, – eventually they will ‘bond’, they are not particular about partners, although of course sometimes you do get a harmonious couple that it is a pity to seperate.

[amit]

Well, this is exactlly what I was hoping to hear.
I have bred cichlids before, and some of them can be picky about partners (espacialy discus).
I’ll give them some more time, to see if I can spot the “special one” for him, and if not, I’ll just pick any of them.

Thank you very much.

[Bernd Bussler]

There is another possibility. With me you spawn Paros in caves when males and females in the cave to spawn pull back, you can put together both cave.

[amit]

If i catch them “in the act” of course it will be much easier, but Murphy’s laws have taught me I always miss the spawning 🙁

[Author]

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