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Brevis Advice

712 Views 10 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  prov356
Hi guys,
Still very new to the cichlid game, so thanks for all the advice.

Got a few escargot shells for my Brevis, which I had gotten 4 of. After watching for a few days I was able to tell that I had goften 3 males and 1 female. Luckily the LFS was nice enough to switch out one of the males for a new female.

When I got home and had her in the tank, she immediately got into one of the shells, and the two males battled over it. The biggest won and is now defending it. The female hasn't come out since.

Should I be worried about her getting food? Would you think they near-insta bonded?

My other female also seems to have no interest in being in a shell?
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Very normal. Has the male gone into the shell with the female? If he has, then that's a good sign that you've got a pair forming. She's just skittish right now about the new environment and will come out eventually to eat. When I watched my pairs, the male would nip at the female to let her know it was ok to come out. She's always the first one into the shell with the male going in behind her. I wouldn't be surprised if the other two pair up eventually. I found them very easy to pair, and it's good that you got two pair. Very entertaining fish if you can take the time to sit and watch them. Are there other fish in the tank? I found them helpful in bringing them out more often.
Not yet, gonna get a half dozen danios in next as a dither before putting some rock dwellers in
prov, I second that, I have to sit in front of my brevis tank for 35 - 40 min. before they stop watching me and go back to their normal behavior so I can watch them
Hi - im no expert but *** had my brevis for several months now and i can say that mine have behaved the same. Initially the female used the shell for shelter to settle in but spent a lot of time outside the shell. The pair seemed to do their own thing most of the time but stayed together in the aquarium. More recently however the female is spending more time in her shell and the male follows in behind and seems to protect her more if any of my cauds come too close.

I can also second whats been said about the male gently nipping her - it doesnt seem malicious i think he is just saying stay in the shell etc

Im wondering what will happen to your surplus male? Will you have to take him back to the store or will he coexist without his own female?

Btw Brevis are fun arent they! :D
I think this thread is dead now, BUT

All of this Brevis talk is making me want some, how many pairs would you shoot for in a 36"x18" footprint?

They seem neat when you have multiple pairs.
how many pairs would you shoot for in a 36"x18" footprint?
If that's all you have in there, about 5-6 pair. Start with about 15. Find someone with a breeding pair, and you'll get fry cheap. I'd probably add some rocks and some comps/calvus for fry control. You could also add a non-cichlid dither, if needed.
The more I keep fish the more I am becoming interested in keep less species together. As long as the brevis compete with each other I will probably just let them have the tank. May add some dithers for fry control.

P.S

Dr Tims cycled the 125g, 30b, but for some reason did not cycle the 10 gallon lol.
May add some dithers for fry control.
That'd work. My danio's would pick them off.
ahud said:
Regular danios or giants?
Zebra's, it was a 6 gallon tank. Giants could work in a larger tank.
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