# Female chasing a male?



## shealee44 (Dec 11, 2019)

I currently have a wonderfully built aquarium . All my levels are beautiful. I've got 1 male electric blue hap, 5 male yellow labs, five male yellow albino labs. One that I'm not sure of, and then I've got I think a female giraffe. She has no blue on her and is probably about 2 1/2 inches. I bought an OB peacock today. Visibly a male. But my giraffe is the only one bothering him. Isn't aggressive by biting but is just chasing him. And then she was the one who did the mating dance several times with him. He wasn't having it since he's new. I've never seen this in my tank when a female is more of the aggressor towards mating. Is that possible? She is bigger than him as well. But I've never had my fish act this way towards a new fish and I've never had any of them do the "dance" until now.


----------



## shealee44 (Dec 11, 2019)

I also wanted to point out that I've had my water tested at my local fish store and they said we've got a quote on quote "beautiful amount of levels" so I'm not sure of any level numbers. I know they're good.and then to also add to this my giraffe completely lost her spots as soon as I put the new peacock in. I'm confused and just feel like it's all backwards. I understand fish need time to adjust but after so many new fish, and this being the only time this happened it makes me question. I know fish are fish and do their own thing but this time is just a little different for me and I need some help.


----------



## ken31cay (Oct 9, 2018)

By 'levels' I assume your lfs was referring to ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels in your tank water. What size aquarium are your fish in?

Never kept Venustus myself but I've read that the blue coloring on the males doesn't come in until later on, so if what I read was correct then 2.5" may be still be on the small side to determine sex. What color did your Venustus turn when they lost their spots once you added the OB peacock?


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Sounds like you are going for an all-male hap and peacock tank. The mating dance is also the aggression dance, and yes, females can be aggressive to males.

If you think the "venustus" is female you probably want to remove her.


----------



## shealee44 (Dec 11, 2019)

Thanks for the responses!! I have a 75 gallon. Apparently I can't measure by eye so I got a tape measure and she's actually 4 inches. When she lost her spots she turned a really light tan. When she's away from the peacock she gains her spots back but when he comes around she loses them. I know sexing some cichlids is really hard so I could be wrong. I had just found this behavior really odd. I'm going to monitor the Venustus today to see how she acts.


----------



## shealee44 (Dec 11, 2019)




----------



## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Hi and Welcome to C-F!!

You've been given some good advice so far but it would be great to hear some additional details on your tank.

What are the dimensions of the tank and how is it decorated?

I also highly recommend purchasing the API Master Test kit which has most of the test solutions you need so you can test your tank at home. You may also want to consider buying the GH and KH test kits separately so you will know the hardness and alkalinity of your tap (source) water.


----------



## shealee44 (Dec 11, 2019)

I will be getting a water testing kit. I know it's basically a must have with cichlids since they're so sensitive to their water conditions. I said wrong when I said it was a 75 gallon. I actually really measured it and it's a 72 gallon bow front tank. 48 x 18 x 22. I have several different rock formations for them, so they have more than enough hiding spaces. They've all established their own area. I also have some fake plants.


----------



## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Actually cichlids aren't any more sensitive than other fish IMO, it's just handy to not have to depend on a fish store employee to test your parameters and give unhelpful answers. :wink:

A 75G bow front tank doesn't have as large a footprint area as a regular 75G tank so that will change any stocking recommendations, I'm sure DJ will give some great suggestions.


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Aw Deeda I was waiting to see your stock ideas, LOL.

So stock a 72G bowfront like a 55G because it is 48" long and 12" on the sides...just like a 55G.

Venustus needs a 72" long tank, so rehome the venustus.

It is fairly hard to do an all-male tank in the 48x12 footprint...are you SURE that is what you want?

Ideally you would get one of each species with no fish that look alike...and maybe 10 fish in a tank this size.

You have 5 yellow lab males and 5 albino yellow lab males (never heard of this), so right there you have fish that look alike.

The electric blue (fryeri) and the OB peacock could work in an all-male 48x12 tank.

Do you to stick with all-male or consider an easier tank with males and females?

Either way, which fish is your must have species? We can recommend others that would be compatible.


----------



## shealee44 (Dec 11, 2019)

Ideally I would honestly like electric blues and peacocks. Not an all male tank. I do want females and I have another tank that is 125 gallon that I would like to start eventually after I get this tank proper. I don't know if it's just the state I'm in which is Indiana but no breeder around here is willing to give up any females and I constantly browse stores and they can't sex fish. And buying fish online seems kind of sketchy. So that's why I came to this forum was for help. I know this is definitely a learning experience but it's also helpful to get help from people who actually know what they're doing. And I appreciate y'all help so far.


----------



## shealee44 (Dec 11, 2019)

Also my Venustus stopped chasing the peacock and they don't bother each other at all.


----------



## shealee44 (Dec 11, 2019)

And I was able to get the 10 yellows at an auction but they were separate and I had a fellow Cichlid owner help me pick out fish that went together. So he got the labs for me and the electric blues. I do want one colorful tank and then I do want a tank where I can breed. Just extremely hard for me to find females. But I've gotta get my first tank the way it should be and figure out proper details before I can even think about breeding. But what you're saying is my 72 is too small for my Venustus? And if it is, then why is that?


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Fryeri (electric blue) and peacocks hybridize, so you don't want mixed gender with both of those in the tank.

There are other blue haps with a blaze that would work instead. So you will rehome your yellow and white labs?

What we do is buy unsexed juveniles and rehome any extra males as they mature and cause trouble. I buy almost exclusively online. Let me know if you need a recommendation.

Choose one peacock (are you thinking of keeping the OB?) and one hap and you could keep the yellow labs, but trade in 4 males for 4 females.

The venustus gets 11" long and needs a 72" tank. With a 48" tank you want fish that mature <= six inches.


----------

