Questions about Cichlid Females CA/SA

[troublesum]

I have read that female cichlids grow faster and are healthier and live longer if they don't breed or lay eggs. But in the same sentence I've read that they can become egg bound and have problems.
The reason i ask is i have a 8-9in F1 Female Festae with a infertile male Midas the female runs the tank but lately I've noticed her starting to display breeding behavior trying to lip lock with the male, tail slapping but the Midas could care less he just wants to dig and glass bang.
I would prefer to have her as a solo fish so she wont lay eggs or is she going to lay eggs regardless if there's a male present or not?

My female lives in the bottom of the tank only coming to the surface to eat, If i ditch the Midas could i add like 15-20 Columbia tetras for movement at the top TUIC has them for 3 bucks each or would they become snacks for her. OR are there recommendations for a small schooling fish for the top?

Thanks

 

[Conchonius]

Not a cichlid expert by any means, but my understanding is that becoming eggbound is a rare pathological issue. This is to say that eggs normally get resorbed if the fish is not stimulated into releasing them, and a healthy female fish does not suffer damage of any sort (except some frustration, perhaps?) if she does not mate. She simply resorbs old eggs and produces new ones to remain in breeding condition. In some cases this process is prevented and the animal becomes eggbound, but this is less "the fish died from not being able to lay eggs" and more "the fish died from the aquatic equivalent of ovarian cancer".

Mating and laying eggs, by contrast, is a stressful, energy-intensive business, so I wouldn't be surprised if non-breeding females live longer. For what it's worth, count my vote towards the "solo female with small agile school of dithers" idea. Unfortunately I can't give any pointers for dithers as I keep smaller fish in general, my preferred dithers (mosquito rasboras) would definitely be a snack for something the size of a festae.

 

[Jexnell]

I had a female Andinoacara Rivilatus that would lay eggs without the presence of a male. She would lay a string of eggs and turn right around and eat them.

 

[Hybridfish7]

Egg binding to my knowledge (at least in reptiles) is usually tied to obesity. If you're sticking to a good diet that will genuinely make your fish live longer anyway, then it shouldn't be a problem. A lot of my female cryptoheros/amatitlania without males will lay eggs when they need to. They grow better than the females with males too. I think it's less the egg production itself more the frequency, as when paired they're essentially producing (and probably laying) eggs every two weeks.

 

[Sinister-Kisses]

Egg bound females are an extremely rare possibility. In 32 years I have NEVER had that issue, including when I was breeding bettas for 3 years - bettas in particular are "known" for that issue and I had hundreds. Not impossible, it can/does happen, but it's a massively overblown issue.

Females will often lay eggs even if they are kept alone, but it depends on the female. I've had some that do, and some that don't.

I've never kept festae specifically, but that's because female supposedly only keep up that stunning colouration when a male is present because it's breeding dress. So she may get rather drab if you keep her solo. But again, that's not personal experience, just what I've always been told - which is why I've never kept one lol.

 

[RD.]

I’ve had one egg bound female cichlid over the years, an older, but fertile female mbuna that refused to mate with the F1 male that I introduced to the tank. She wasn’t obese, not even close. She died. I’ve had other female cichlids that either reabsorbed eggs, or layed eggs that were later picked off by tank mates. It shouldn’t be an issue for you, but never say never….

 

[troublesum]

Thanks guys for the responses i feel relieved now that i can keep my female solo and not have to worry about laying eggs.

I know Festae females look drab when solo which I'm "Kinda of ok with" i was hopping with some school of smaller fish on the top level that maybe she might feel more comfortable and color up.

Now any ideas on if i could keep some sort of tetras or giant danios to school top level??

 

[tiger15]

I have at least 5 species of female cichlid laid eggs without male, and each time they guarded the eggs for couple days until they fungus our or eaten by tankmates : Flowerhorn, Green Terror, Vieja Bifa, Electric Blue Acara, and Angel.

I had a female betta that laid eggs on her own without male.

I have never had female egg brooder laid eggs on her own, but it has been reported.

My Vieja Bifa had a small hump and was so colorful that for 8 years I thought it was a male until I sold her. The buyer told me she laid hundreds of eggs on her own.

Cichlid that breed regularly grow slower than celibate fish as energy is consumed to make gametes. This happened to both mouthbrooders and egg layers.

Currently, I have two EBA female egg bound and attempted to pair up. Each laid eggs on her own with no participation from the other in egg guarding.

Female Festae is more colorful, aggressive, and dominant than male. Many female Festae killed male, equivalent to hyena of the cichlid world.

 

[troublesum]

Well yesterday while doing a WC my female Festae decided to lay eggs I moved her pot took it out the water seen maybe about 50-75 eggs my wife freaked out "put her babies back i explained to her the male cant fertilize them" Finished the WC her colors turned real drab about a hour later turned on the light and she had maybe 200-300 eggs.
The male has paid her no mind don't even go to her side they don't fight or even bicker. But during that time she looked really weak and helpless
Its funny because her and the male barely interact so i don't know what got her hormones going. Maybe its just that time of the month

 

[FINWIN]

My own experience has been cichlid females that don't breed get big because their energy doesn't go to egg production and fry care. Also energy spent with the male. Every time I see someone with a hulking male bred to a juvie female I think "jail bait." Then they overbreed the female and she stays small/stunted. People are often surprised at the size some females get because of this. But when the females get more larger sized there's a different dynamic.

I've had some females get large even after breeding but maybe that's a species/age thing. With my hrps 90% of the males have gotten large. Size with the females is more variable but generally the oldest females are thicker and bulkier, especially the striped ones. The exception seems to be my giant hrp Brutus (pink marble) who has two adult daughters that are quite large (as large or slightly bigger than the males they're paired with) Sharky and Tigger. If anything they've gotten larger since breeding. Both have had 2 batches of babies. But I suspect Brutus has a giant gene he's passed along.