odd couple

[Charley0400]

First, I would like to state that I had absolutely no intentions of breeding any of my cichlids.... I have a 215 gallon tank with 2 Oscars, a green terror, a flowerhorn, a Texas cichlid, a channel catfish (which I know will outgrow the tank but we have a friend with a pond), and a flowerhorn/parrot hybrid....

They all seem to get along fine and are all very similar in size.... But the strangest thing happened.... The hybrid and the Texas paired up! They have a nice little crater (and by little, I mean the entire back right corner of this tank) dug up.

What I have researched tells me that, in hybrids, females are fertile and males are sterile (general speaking). I believe the hybrid I the male because it is the one doing most of the digging and is slightly larger than the Texas.... Do I just let them do their thing since the hybrid is probably sterile? I have no intentions of putting a hodgepodge fish into circulation on the market regardless of the outcome

HELP PLEASE!

 

[jhook]

From what I understand (and have had happen in a few of my tanks) the fry, if any will most likely get eaten by the other members of the tank. That catfish may even eat any eggs for a late night snack. Unless the pair are beating up the other fish, I wouldn't worry about it. Maybe some other more experienced members here have better advice though.

 

[BMac91]

Like jhook said, let them do their thing. I had a Blood parrot (female) try to pair with an oscar. The BP would lay eggs every few weeks, she would guard them for a day or two, if they didn't eat them, the other fish would. Not much you could do to change it, unless you start taking fish out.

Chances are, nothing will come of it, but if it does most if not all will get eaten with that many predators in the tank.

If you get sick of the behavior, the only way I know how to handle is take one of them out.