Green terrors

[Gershom]

Jexnell made a good observation about the female’s belly. She is fat, and close inspection shows a breeding tube.

 

[bkfamus]

They are probably too young? for spawning. Only about 2.5-3 inches. I don’t have much experience with the species, but they seem young.

I've had rivulatus spawn at ~3" and then again, and again and again... I had 1 male and 4 then 3 females in a 240G..

 

[neutrino]

But that doesn’t mean Deadeye is wrong—it must be stressful for a girl knowing she’s about to lose her virginity….

Dark female spawning colors are common in Andinoacara species, nothing to do with stress.

 

[Gershom]

Dark female spawning colors are common in Andinoacara species, nothing to do with stress.

That’s good to know. I read a scientific article about distinguishing H carpintis from H cyanoguttatus in non-native locations in Texas and Louisiana. It mentioned very dark belly and caudal area during spawning. My memory is failing, but I think it was in the carpintis, and was the same for both sexes.

 

[Stanzzzz7]

Definitely a pair . You can see that is a female with the darker colour a mile off. The ovipositor is clearly visible and females do tend to get darker with the onset of spawning. They are also plenty big enough to breed.

 

[RedRaven]

Agree with previous posters, this is a small pair forming. In the past I have had them spawn at very little over 2" not exactly what you want to see when trying to grow some out. I once had a small group of nine split off into three pairs and the remaining 3 I moved out into a 125 until the weekend (when I was trading them back to the store I purchased them from) only for another pair to spawn in the small aquarium within the four days. Gave up on the idea and folded rather quickly on this attempt and got a few 8" imported for the 180.

 

[Gershom]

[QUOTE="RedRaven, post: 8559471, member: 158996"
I once had a small group of nine split off into three pairs and the remaining 3 I moved out into a 125 until the weekend (when I was trading them back to the store I purchased them from) only for another pair to spawn in the small aquarium within the four days.
[/QUOTE]

Wow—sounds like they are nearly as easy to spawn as blue-eyed plecos….

 

[RedRaven]

Oh yeah identical, few drops of water and fish off we go lol. Jokes aside Most cichlids are rather fast getting to business if provided with a home meeting their needs and sometimes completely unsuitable conditions as well.

 

[danotaylor]

The darker fish looks to me to be andinocara pulcher rather than rivulatus

 

[Jexnell]

The darker fish looks to me to be andinocara pulcher rather than rivulatus

Pulcher and Rivilatus are very close cousins, striking simular in looks. Final adult size being one of the major differences.