# ocellatus pair bonding tricks?



## skurj (Oct 30, 2011)

Ok I have 5 ocellatus gold

I originally had put 3 in a 15g and well a few in the 55g. The 3 in the 15g consisted of the 3 toughest fish for all of about a day or so, until 1 was chased to the top corner (so moved to the 55) Then not long after the dominant fish in the 15 had chased the other fish to top corner so they both went into the 55. Well I started with 8, I now have 5...

Yesterday I found one of the fish which I think is a female (not as long and slender as the males I think) hiding at the top near the return, so I decided to put it in the 15g. Now since the last attempt in the 15g I have added a few swordtails to the 15g to grow them out in prep for a big tank still to be delivered. Anyways, I am wondering if reintroducing one of the other ocellatus, mebbe one I think is a male will net different results perhaps this time as their is a potential threat in the tank with the swords, ie something that might encourage the 2 occies to group together?

What say you?


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

Occies are best as a harem. In a pair, the male will often kill the female. Put all of them in the same tank, with a shell for each of them plus 2-3 extra shells, for a move if they don't like their neighbor!


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## LouIE82 (Nov 6, 2012)

I agree with Floridagirl, I found having a smaller group tends to concentrate aggression, more numbers spreads it out. These little fish are tough for their size, I've had a group of black ones for around 8 months and they quickly became my favorite fish. I recently pulled all of my fish from my living room tank and moved them to my bedroom tank, then put my occies from the bedroom to the living room. This way while my girlfriend thinks I"m watching the movies she pics, I can use my peripheral to watch my occies instead. :lol: (she catches me sometimes)

Put a good number of shell piles around, I've found if you give them more than a few they just bury the excess and keep 2-3 to hang out in. Fine grain sand is also key.


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## skurj (Oct 30, 2011)

I did have them all together, and still had one hiding in the corner, think for the 55g maybe more open real estate for shells would help.. it is due for a rescape. I think I may have 3m 2f and only one of the females is standing up to the guys. For now I will leave the one that was chased in the 15, and perhaps move her back in the 55 after the rescape.


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## skurj (Oct 30, 2011)

Well I now have a pair, i'd like to try breeding them, is it worth moving the 2 to their own tank or should I just steal the shell once I have a spawn and move it to its own tank?


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

steal the shell when they start to be free swimming.


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## skurj (Oct 30, 2011)

I have been suspecting that the female has had little ones. Now the large male goby doesn't take too kindly to all the shells, and I just noticed he had flipped over the female's shell so she couldn't get into it. When I flipped it over a few little ones fell out. Going to have to see if I can grab a 5gal this weekend and clear some space for it if I have any hope of keeping any of the little ones. Though I might just leave this one.. its her first as far as I know.


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## skurj (Oct 30, 2011)

looks like a few are swimming now. Wonder what their odds are of survival... The way the larger fish particularly the gobies barge in and ignore the ocellatus parents, I'm guessing very low. No where to move the shell to, and no food for the little ones atm so its up to the parents.


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## ahud (Aug 22, 2009)

Gobies and shell dwellers dont mix well IME. I used to get so annoyed when gobies when rush through the shellies territories and interrupt whatever is going on. Not the gobies fault, but they seem to lack the ability to recognize territorial boundaries. Makes sense if you look at the habitat they live in.


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## skurj (Oct 30, 2011)

ahud said:


> Gobies and shell dwellers dont mix well IME. I used to get so annoyed when gobies when rush through the shellies territories and interrupt whatever is going on. Not the gobies fault, but they seem to lack the ability to recognize territorial boundaries. Makes sense if you look at the habitat they live in.


Yup exactly my experience as well, I may relocate the gobies in the not too distant future.


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