# Jewel cichlids fighting or breeding?



## FLIP5CICHLIDS (Apr 5, 2009)

It just look like their mouths are locked in and with real aggression. There are other cichlids that are smaller but the day that I shine the sunlight directly in the tank, the cichlids starts going beserk especially the super red jewel cichlid?


----------



## KATALE (Jul 25, 2008)

sounds like 2 males jaw locking eachother... thats a battle and not spawning behavior.. u may have to remove 1 of the male before a death occurs.. do u have any females as well?? may be a territorial battle for soon to be spawning with a female....


----------



## FLIP5CICHLIDS (Apr 5, 2009)




----------



## FLIP5CICHLIDS (Apr 5, 2009)

[No message]


----------



## FLIP5CICHLIDS (Apr 5, 2009)




----------



## FLIP5CICHLIDS (Apr 5, 2009)




----------



## SidGuppy (Sep 9, 2002)

tiny pic, but it can be a pair

this is likely Hemichromis lifalili

most often sold as "bimaculatus" but the real bimaculatus is very rare.

sexing isn't hard; females are red, males are much more lilac, blueish. 
females are often smaller, a normal sized female is about 2/3rd of a male's size.

as usual females are also much more rounded, males are larger and more pointed fins.

I've seen male-female liplocks as well; it's all about dominance, spawning rights and on.
make sure there are several hideouts. the female should have a few caves.

also sand on the tankfloor is a pre. these like to dig and giving them a lot of furniture to "mess around with" keeps them busy and dampens agression

in a bare tank fish like these are much more likely to kill each otyher than in a well furnitured tank.


----------



## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

well they relly only get that bright red color when they are trying to spawn...mine both shoot up bright red...the female is red all over and the male is more on his gills than anything ...mine have never lip locked so yes u probably have 2 males fighting for dominance or over a female


----------

