# Male Convict Cichlid - weird twitching?



## xlilracinangelx (Oct 24, 2012)

This is the first time I've seen him do this... so just wondering if anyone knew? Is it to do with mating.. or does he just have an itch.. is something wrong?? Any ideas? 
Thanks!


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## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

Looks normal to me... He's most likely just showing off to your female. Cichlids often "shake there heads" like that when displaying to the opposite sex and or to show aggression.


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## xlilracinangelx (Oct 24, 2012)

thanks for your reply  they are a breeding pair and she's about to be laying eggs again... but i just recently added a few more fish to my tank, when before they were alone... so that's kinda what I suspected, just wanted more experienced opinions. didn't know about the shaking their heads thing though, thanks!


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## Azedenkae (Apr 19, 2012)

Cant see the vid (on the move atm) but if he's not actually scratching himself against anything, then it's just normal cichlid behaviour. Cichlids often use their body movements to communicate with others.


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

CjCichlid said:


> to show aggression.


 You have to look in what context the signal is being given.

The most common occurence of a male twitching his head like that is cleaning the rock that a pair is considering laying eggs on. Females might do the same but usually less so. I've had a pair of oscars all by themselves, one time, go weeks on end cleaning a flat rock with no eggs being layed......even though the female had layed eggs many times previously, paired up with another male, in a community cichlid tank.
But that is not at all what is hppening here. It is a signal, an act of aggression , by the male convict to the other fish that are not respecting his territorial boundaries. The yellow labs swimming through his territory don't seem to care too much :lol: .....obviously he does not instill much fear in them.

I've see male convicts do the same along their territorial border, after days on end threatening with mbuna (and at times all out scraps, now and then). The border of a convict territory often depends on who you are in the tank and their relative power. The border with a male mbuna might be no more then 12" from the breeding site. Enough threatening and cons will get tired of it. When I have seen male cons shake at mbuna.... It mean't: "Come one step closer and we will attack....but no, I'm not going to expend any more energy threatening."


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