Convict mating ritual

BarbH

Last week I had gotten a pair of pink convicts that had successfuly spawned at the store. Recently I have noticed what I believe is thier mating ritual. Was wondering from others if what I have been observing is correct. I will see the male and the female follow each other around the tank. No signs of aggression while doing this, more of a you lead I follow type of thing. The male at times will also flare his gills while around the female. I have also noticed them picking or attempting to pick at the gravel, not sure if this is a looking for food type of thing, or if thinking about digging pits. The gravel that is in the bottom right now is a bit big, it might be to big for them to move, but Then I have read they can move some fairly big pieces. On the female the color on her belly I think has become more intense over the past week since I first got her, and she has developed a gold coloration in her fins near the body. On her dorsal fin I have also have seen some black appear. Does it sound like I could be expecting to have babies in the next couple of weeks. What other things should I look for that will tell me that they are possibly getting ready to spawn?

rrcoolj

Sounds like the mating ritual to me. Females will get a bright orange belly and there will be a lot of flaring of fins and sometimes lip locking. They will also dig pits around the tank as they figure out where they want to spawn. Look for head shaking and see if the female has dropped her breeding tube. That means she is really close. I have never spawned convicts but my midas will get quite violent sometimes when courting so watch for that. Violent tail slapping and gill flaring is common. They will calm down as they find a nesting sight. The female will become quite vicious when spawning even to the male sometimes.

BarbH

That is what I was thinking, her belly is starting to look bright orange now, and she is starting to develop some beautiflul color in her finnage. Have tried to see if she has dropped her breeding tube yet, from what I can see she hasn't. Will their papilla be similar with shaping as those in angels, with the female's being blunt and wider and the male's being pointier?

rrcoolj

^yep. As far as I know all female pit spawners/cave breeders/ open breeders have the same looking tubes no matter what the species. The males is pointy and female is short and blunt like you said.