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Firemouth behavior makes no sense

1K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  jeaninel 
#1 ·
I have two firemouths which are at least a year old. I would like someone to explain their behavior to me as I cannot find anything online about it that fits.


Both the firemouths fight each other and chase each other. Sometimes one or both will have a patch (or more) of scales missing were they have probably been bitten. However, and this is the confusing part to me, they both follow each other all the time (since I have had them which is around 6 months) and eat together and sit in the same cave together. I thought this might be breeding behavior, but I am sure they are both females. Twice now eggs have been laid in the tank (they both look the same so I do not know if it is the same one) and the one that does it wont let the other near. There is also a blue acrua in the tank as well, but the firemouts rarely interact with him/her, usually they might flare and the blue acura swims by likes nothing happened (with the exception of when eggs have been laid and they fight everyone).



Could one be male? Neither show what I understand to be signs that they are but I do not know for certain.


So are these two ok together? There is several good caves for them to use, but they use the same one. I have reworked the tank to create new caves and get rid of old ones and they continue the same behavior.



Any ideas on what is going on here would be appreciated.


Thank you.
 
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#2 ·
What are your tank parameters? I am not experienced with cichlids but this will help others diagnose your problem.

Is there plenty of space? What you're describing sounds like straight-up aggression, even the following. No matter how many hiding spaces there are, if they're in too close of quarters, they'll fight.
 
#4 ·
What size tank are they in? So we know that at least one is a female since eggs have been laid. How do the eggs look? Are they white or a more transparent brownish color? If they are white then they are not fertilized. You could possibly have 2 females.
 
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