[FeatherFool]

I have a group of 18 month old Tropheus duboisi "Halembe/Maswa" in a 90 gallon tank, with Aragonite sand, some
Rocks and a few live plants. Eheim canister filter, two powerheads, Current USA LED lighting. They share the tank with my breeding colony of Neolamprologus similis. I have had the Trophs since they were about 1"; the largest are now just over 4".

Parameters:
Temp: 27C
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 15 (did a water change as I like to keep it under 10)
pH: 8.7
Feed: NLS Cichlid 1x daily, NLS AlgaeMax 1x day, zucchini or other veg 3x week, spiralina brine shrimp 1x week (scraps, target fed to the similis but the Trophs always grab a couple, never had an issue)

My largest fish and my second largest fish were flirting pretty heavily the last two weeks or so. Today I noticed the second largest fish (presumably female thoug I haven't vented them) has changed her behaviour quite a bit. She is usually really outgoing and bossy, but now she is hanging out in some rocks and is very dark. Her yellow band has all but disappeared. She is even letting the smallest Trophs push her around. She is still eating, but not with the same gusto as I'm used to. She doesn't look bloated or distended and there hasn't been any change in food or feeding regimen. Her jaw doesn't look terribly distended, though it's kinda hard to tell.

What do you guys think? Sick or holding or...?

I'll post a couple pics once I figure out how to resize images lol

 

[DJRansome]

If there is no bulging under the chin and the fish is still eating I would say two males and aggression.

 

[FeatherFool]

Except I've never seen them lip lock, and they were definitely doing the mating dance for the last while. I've bred many other fish species (from personal projects to professional aquaculture of endangered and marine species); that's kind of unmistakeable. Aggression in this tank looks like lip locking and chasing and dive-bomb biting: quick flashing attacks, not shaking and reciprocal belly nibbling while the one being "nibbled" one tilts to one side to expose their belly. In addition, the big male is extremely intolerant to anyone near "his" rocks, but would dash up to the second biggest, do an excited shaking display, then dash back to his rocks and wait. Rinse and repeat. Looked like African Butterfly Cichlids when the male is trying to show off his bower, or shelldweller when the female is trying to entice her male to her shell. Even now, when the dark fish DOES wander out from her little pile, the big male is way more tolerant of her than most of the other fish in the tank. She's even allowed to graze on his rocks, which the other fish I suspect is a male is not allowed to do at all.

 

[DJRansome]

OK well the Malawi mouth brooder males do exactly what you describe...shaking and reciprocal egg spot nibbling for aggression. The circles are usually faster than spawning.

 

[Old Newbie]

^^^What DJ said^^^ I have two male Yellow Labs that do this daily, but otherwise get along fairly well.

 

[Iggy Newcastle]

Any update on this?