# Will A Bigger Female JD Spawn w/ Smaller Male?



## Boldstone (Sep 14, 2007)

I posted an inquiry about it earlier, but I didn't get a response. I have a 7 1/2 inch female I just introduced to my tank that houses a dominant 7 inch male. It has been 3 days and after a lost challenge (she's stronger than him) he seems to be terrified of her. The thing is she isn't aggressive, she does chase him, but I don't think it's with the intent to kill him. I think she wants to get closer to him, she gently nudges him with her mouth when she gets close...he just swims away with tucked fins to the closest hiding spot.

Does anyone have a clue what is really going on? They are both stunning specimens.


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## montellp (Jun 9, 2012)

Yes a bigger female will mate with a smaller male they maybe pairing he will catch up to size male grow faster I think what do u feed them


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## Brmst40 (Feb 7, 2012)

Boldstone, absolutely they will pair up if compatible, but size won't interfere. I have a female that has mated with 2 male counterparts that were smaller then she is. My female is about your size, 7 inches, and she mated with a male about 6 inches. Then the male died, and I replaced with another male about 3.5 inches, and she has just mated with it for the second time. I would just give it time as they get use to their surroundings. I concur the lack of replies is frustrating on here.

Another thing that helped my recent pair of JD's was introducing dithers. Giant Danios are what I went with, but if other fish are in the tank, it might help them form a bond quicker.


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## Boldstone (Sep 14, 2007)

Thanks a lot.

They are housed with a school of 10 black skirt tetras and a red texas. Things seem to be calming down, still no friendship yet though haha.


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## Boldstone (Sep 14, 2007)

I'm convinced my dither (red texas 3') is interested in my male. It's pretty funny, it often interrupts moments when they get close to each other.


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## Boldstone (Sep 14, 2007)

Update: Spawning behaviors are arising, but no eggs yet.


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## Boldstone (Sep 14, 2007)

I've bred JD's before but these guys are sooo confusing. I don't know if it's spawning behaviors or just small squabbles.

Both are in their breeding dress
The female is still a bit dominant. 
The build shallow pits
They (well she) still chases him, but he doesn't run and hide, he usually goes off and stays beside her, or swims above her. 
They don't swim together, but will stay in the same vicinity.

I've been feeding a lot of earthworms and crickets, a lot of water changes daily (40%), dithers are present, water about 87*F

it's been a week


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## montellp (Jun 9, 2012)

throw a mirror on the side of the tank people say that really gets them in the mood and feed more but in small amounts


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## Boldstone (Sep 14, 2007)

Yea. I've done the mirror thing, it gets them going for a bit, but they never follow through.


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## montellp (Jun 9, 2012)

do u feed them more in small amounts


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## Boldstone (Sep 14, 2007)

I'll try that


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## bluejack23 (Jan 23, 2012)

Thats what works for me. Although the mirror may only be usefull til" they bond. A 20% water change after a couple days of your new feed shedule and it should help.


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## Boldstone (Sep 14, 2007)

Things are going great I think, I'm actually putting them on a diet. They're pretty healthy. I changed the scenery once more and allowed them to be alone with no others.

I believe they are pairing and preparing to spawn. The male is no longer terrified and actually approaches her all macho and such, and she is under a big rock constantly digging a pit in the substrate. They do quick lip-locks and he is still at it with that mirror. They still don't get in the same cave together, but they "hang-out" without attacking each other for short periods of time. She still won't let him into her cave (that I think is going to be the spawning site). He is trying to get in with her, so hopefully eventually he will.

I am not doing anymore water changes for a while...I was doing 20-30% a day. Now I have just bumped the PH to 7 and the temperate up a notch.

Do you think I should expect eggs soon? (btw this is not my first JD pair, I've bred JD's before with success...this male comes from my last brood 2yrs ago - this pair is just difficult because they're already big and stubborn)

MALE CURRENTLY









FEMALE CURRENTLY


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## Boldstone (Sep 14, 2007)

Looks like I may wake up to eggs in the morning for real if they can both agree on where to lay them. She wants the cave and he wants the driftwood. It's like a fishy custody battle. You may think it's weird, but my aquarium really humors me.


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## montellp (Jun 9, 2012)

Lol i watch my fish more then tv ^_^ and did the change,in feeding work


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## Storiwyr (Apr 24, 2012)

Boldstone said:


> Looks like I may wake up to eggs in the morning for real if they can both agree on where to lay them. She wants the cave and he wants the driftwood. It's like a fishy custody battle. You may think it's weird, but my aquarium really humors me.


Not weird at all. Just reading that made me laugh right out loud, picturing it!


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## Boldstone (Sep 14, 2007)

I actually stopped feeding them since I had been conditioning for about 2 weeks, they are officially a pair now (swimming together into caves). No eggs this morning, but still a lot of house warming going on. I question how old she is...I bought her at this size, and I feel like a younger female would have dropped by now. I'm guessing 3-4 yrs old, he's 2 yrs. old.


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## Boldstone (Sep 14, 2007)

Oh yea, Harpo and Sophia are a funny couple.


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## montellp (Jun 9, 2012)

the feeding is for the female to know that there will always be food avalible so the fry wont starve feed them high protein meals like shrimp and stuff or live food like knight crawlers i hear get them going i love how it works for other peoples jds bit not mine lol


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## Boldstone (Sep 14, 2007)

Well they are a pair now. I'll start feeding them again, I took off for a day and they started to clean off sights together. They eat earthworms. His vent is showing, but her's isn't. Spawning for a few days and still no eggs.


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## Boldstone (Sep 14, 2007)

Update: They're in love, but I don't think they want children lol...no eggs! I'm considering adding the dither back in, but at the same time I don't think they need it because they're already paired.


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## Boldstone (Sep 14, 2007)

EGGS THIS MORNING!!!!!!!!


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## halffrozen (Sep 24, 2011)

Millions of them! lol

Could we get a full tank shot?


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## Boldstone (Sep 14, 2007)

It's on the first page


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## ryanjamesg (Aug 26, 2012)

haha my partner gets pissed at me when i watch the fish more. its just relaxing to me.


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