# A question about nests



## carloxp (Sep 30, 2010)

Good morning
I have some species of Malawi lake.

I have a question: only males excavate nests, holes, dens on the sand?

In other words: if a fish excavate a nest on the sand or near a rock, I can be sure it is a male?

Thank you :wink: 
Carlo


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## scooter31707 (Aug 24, 2012)

In my experience all my males start digging around their terriority, before they got into their breeding mode. I didn't have a single female to dig a nest.


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## carloxp (Sep 30, 2010)

Hi, thank you for replying



scooter31707 said:


> In my experience all my males start digging around their terriority, before they got into their breeding mode. I didn't have a single female to dig a nest.


Ok. Turning your answer to another point of view, this mean that don't exist females (in Malawi cichlids) that dig a nest in the sand?

And that, if I have a fish that dig a nest, this is surely a male?


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## StangG20 (Aug 12, 2013)

i have a cobalt zebra that i thought was a female digging a nest. my venting skills are newly acquired however and suspect to say the least. i'd be interested to know what others thing as well.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

What species and size of Malawis? I find mbuna, regardless of size or gender, stake a claim(or try to) and dig incessantly.


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## scooter31707 (Aug 24, 2012)

IMO I have females going through sand looking for food not moving sand everywhere like the males.


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## carloxp (Sep 30, 2010)

For example, I have 1M2F of Iodotropheus Sprengerae ald they all dig in the sand.
1 of them is certainly a female because she released 30 fry 2 weeks ago.


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## carloxp (Sep 30, 2010)

scooter31707 said:


> IMO I have females going through sand looking for food not moving sand everywhere like the males.


This is a very good intuition, but not explain why some cichlids of mine always dig on the same point.


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

Mbuna tend to dig, it really isn't a nest, more of a territorial thing. Maybe they think they can make better hiding places for the night.Or they think they are clearing a spot to breed in later. Females may dig.

Non Mbuna are less likely to dig, thou some males will make a "nest", really more of a marker of territory. Females much less likely to dig than Mbuna.

Many cichlids will dig if bored, like when solitary. Animals will do pointless habits in cages when there is nothing else to do.


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## scooter31707 (Aug 24, 2012)

Well from my experience with males mines dug what I call spawning pits due to the lack of flatness in the aquarium. I saw all my males dig until I could see the bottom glass of the tank. And 99.9% of the time the female would follow the male back to that same spot and spawn. Just my 2 cents!!


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## Kanorin (Apr 8, 2008)

Usually males do most of the digging because in a mixed gender tank usually the males are more dominant and have a larger claim to the floorspace (often a single spot or sometimes two spots that they keep coming back to).

In a tank with juveniles still maturing - it's not uncommon for a female to be dominant for at least a brief period of time and she may dig out her territory just like a male would during this time. This can also happen in tanks where there is no male of a species or the females are larger than the male(s).

In short - I think it's more of a territorial and dominance behavior than strictly a male vs. female behavior


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## StangG20 (Aug 12, 2013)

this is my cobalt that likes to dig. can anyone tell what it is?


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## carloxp (Sep 30, 2010)

Seem a female


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