# front moving rocks, digging?



## chardy100 (Dec 17, 2008)

I've got 2 fronts in my tank, one smaller and another a little larger, but not by much. Anyways the larger of the is starting to get his hump on his head so i'm guessing it's a male, the other is still too small to show signs of gender. The larger of the 2 keeps digging a hole and moving rocks in the back corner of the tank. why is he doing that?


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## RyanR (Apr 29, 2008)

They just do it! :lol:

It's mostly a "because they're cichlids" thing, but our large male frontosa does it much more than any of our New World cichlids do. I made ours a "cave" out of an empty plastic coffee canister... which floats... so some gravel is needed as ballast. The male kept clearing all of the gravel out of it, and then his home floated away. I eventually had to put in a big flat rock.

I think it's mostly a breeding behavior, since females like to lay eggs in holes or pits.... so if you are a male with a really nice hole/pit... that's about as good as a shiny red sports car.

-Ryan


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## cichlidgirl1 (Sep 17, 2007)

Totally normal. 
They also will dig holes or pits to shelter in, mine do. Mine dig out under objects to make a cave that wasnt there before or dig behind a rock to make a half cave to hide or hang out in.

The other reason they do it is to sift the sand or gravel for food. The sifting for food is the most common reason for minor daily digging in different places around the tank. This is usually just surface and is a all over thing. Digging deeper and in a more specific location only is likely because its his area and he wants a slight depression to shelter in. He will keep the sand or gravel cleaned out of it daily. If you fill it in he will pull it all back out again, usually in the same place too.


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## Lesley (Sep 20, 2003)

Mine spends ages moving rocks around, has made a nice little crater beneath a pile of rocks. Would this indicate that it's likely a male? I've had it about a year, it has a very slight hump.


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## boredatwork (Sep 14, 2007)

I have eleven 3" size Frontosa and they can usually be found sifting through the sand. When I catch them all doing it at the same time it reminds me of those cleanup crews on the side of the freeway. Just with blue/black/white suits instead of the hot orange.


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## APDoxies (Feb 29, 2012)

My cichlids have been moving rocks out of a hollow stump decoration that I have & have been putting them into the sunken ship we have in the tank. The largest one has been chasing & then shaking at another - I'm new to cichlids & am wondering if this indicates breeding.
Thanks!


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