# GBR fighting again



## Julian (Jun 29, 2008)

Hi folks 
Just wanted some up todate advice so to speak. My german blue rams are fighting again and i'm a bit worried. Basically the male chases the feel around the fair quite a lot. He will chases here for a few seconds then stop and she'll go off and hide for all of 30 seconds and then swim back out into the open. once she swims close enough to him for him to see here it happens all over again. Her colours are pretty weak compared to hims unless its feeding time and then her colours are fine. There are lots of hiding spaces but she doesn't seem to be using them very well. 

any advice is also appreciated

Thanks


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

Julian said:


> Basically the male chases the feel around the fair quite a lot.


       

Fish break up. Mikrogeophagus are especially prone to spats. It happens. How big is this tank?

What the heck is a feel around a fair?


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## jarmilca (Sep 10, 2009)

Julian said:


> Hi folks
> Just wanted some up todate advice so to speak. My german blue rams are fighting again and i'm a bit worried. Basically the male chases the feel around the fair quite a lot. He will chases here for a few seconds then stop and she'll go off and hide for all of 30 seconds and then swim back out into the open. once she swims close enough to him for him to see here it happens all over again. Her colours are pretty weak compared to hims unless its feeding time and then her colours are fine. There are lots of hiding spaces but she doesn't seem to be using them very well.
> 
> any advice is also appreciated
> ...


I had a similar problem and it helped to add one more female. That way the male has to divide his attention between two girls, so none of them is too stressed out.


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## Julian (Jun 29, 2008)

sorry the tank is a 40g long breeder.


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## Hack02 (Jul 2, 2008)

Another female might be good, also something to use as a dither fish could help (usually a tetra or danio are good even things like an otto cat or pleco can help)


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

With the right layout you can easily accomodate a second female. This is a good idea. Just make sure you have lots of nooks and crannies and territorial dividers like rocks and logs so that the fish can easily create a situation where one or two of the rams can disappear. Out of sight out of mind.


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

Unless she is constantly cowering at the surface and in one of the corners, she will be fine. It is likely the male is ready to spawn again, but she isn't. 

If you are still concerned, setup more hiding spaces and something that can block the line of site from one side of the tank to the other.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

I suggest Chris' suggestion and mine together. A 40 breeder is like 36/18 and you can easily make the layout so only one female can be seen at a time. This is what I'd do.


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

I used a piece of egg crate as a tank divider, dividing my tank in half, and the pair of cichlids were semi-isolated. 

It was a nice bonus when I discovered that the female could easily scoot right through the holes, but the male (who was a bit larger) could not get through so easily. When he was really eager, he would jump the divider, and then the female would just easily scoot back through.
They bred that way. When the female wanted away, she could get away, and when she wanted to be with Mr. Right Here Right Now, she could to. 

I think in nature there must be a way to hide and not get found, unless you want to get found, and in a tank, maybe that's harder to contrive.

I think a cave with an entrance to small for the male, and with more than one exit, would be ideal, too.

W


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