# Buffalo Head cichlid mating pair fighting



## jamesamuscato (Dec 30, 2021)

Okay so, I bought a meeting pair of Buffalo head cichlids from the fish store but when I got them home, the male would constantly chase and attack the female leaving her hiding in a dark corner. Fast forward a couple months, All of a sudden their best buddies and building a cave together, now the female is really plump and round. I think she maybe carrying eggs, but out of nowhere the males colors are really dark and black and the females are really pale and he keeps chasing her around like he's trying to attack her and she's hiding in a corner again. My water parameters are decent. I just did a test moment ago. I have a couple green barbs and a few cherry barbs, it's a 40 gallon tank and I also have a baby. Oscar that I'm letting grow another inch or so before I put them into another tank. He's maybe 3 and 1/2 to 4. In from what I've observed he tends to give them grief but doesn't really hurt them. This is just a wild guess but I was thinking maybe with the Oscar in the tank and the other fish, the male started chasing off the female to discourage meeting because he doesn't think it's safe? Any ideas?


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## jamesamuscato (Dec 30, 2021)

The first picture is her hiding. The second picture is him "hunting" for her, and the third picture is from the other day when they were both in their cave. Happy as can be. I'm sure the pictures aren't going to have some major revelation from them, but I figured it might help a little bit maybe


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## Auballagh (Jan 29, 2003)

These are such odd little riverine Cichlids.
I suspect you have a 36"X18", 40 gallon 'breeder' aquarium? It would be OUTSTANDING if you had the so-called 40G 'long' aquarium, at 48"X12" bottom dimensions.
These white water Cichlids need a serious level of oxygenation in the water of their aquarium. The absolute best setup I've sen so far with these, was with a 33G 'long' (48"X12" bottom size). Filtered with a single Aquaclear 70 - and an external/in-line Mag Drive 7 pushing water through a DIY spraybar from one end of the tank to the other (BIG pre-filter sponge on the intake). Whew, the water current in that thing RIPPED!

An 8-member school of Giant Danios.
Five _Steatocranus casuarius_, Buffalo or Lion Head Cichlids.
Bottom substrate was a mix of Pool Filtration Sand and fine gravel.
Rocks! A lot of rocks!!!
You would think the Buffalo Heads would have been seriously stressed or something with that kind of current roaring through the tank. Nope. They hugged the bottom, and always found calm spots to hang out in. (The Danios seemed to love that current). The Buffalo Head males were almost constantly sparring and displaying at each other, but there was never any serious (injury) aggression. There may have been 3 males in that group with 2, definite females. The females barely left their favorite caves except to eat, and were never chased or harassed by the males. Spawning was successful and almost constant.
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And no.... even a baby-sized Oscar would have no business whatsoever being placed into an aquarium set up like that!


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## jamesamuscato (Dec 30, 2021)

Sounds awesome. So back to my question, is it normal for a male to be chasing a pregnant female? It seems pretty aggressive, anyone have any insight to their mating behavior I've tried searching guided and things but can't find anything that would shed light on my particular situation. Ty for your time


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

What I thought was being communicated was that it would not be unusual for a male to be chasing a female in a set up like yours, but if you change your set up in the ways described, that behavior will be managed.


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## Auballagh (Jan 29, 2003)

A M/F pair can be a bad stocking arrangement for this unique species. You need more Buffalo Head Cichlid males.


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## jamesamuscato (Dec 30, 2021)

Oh ok ty for your response. I was never really attempting to try to breed them or anything it just sorta started working out that way. And yeah I def understand the baby Oscar thing is not anywhere close to ideal, I took him in from a neighbor who moved. My original plan for the buffalo head s was to have the 2 of them and I have a couple cherry barbs and a few green barbs. So I'd it bad then to have a m/f pair?


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## jamesamuscato (Dec 30, 2021)

Wait sorry I reread the whole thread and it answered my question. Ty for your input.


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