M. altispinosa spawning behavior

[Sarah LeGates <slegates@yahoo.com>]

Hello all and happy new year,

I've added my new altispinosa to the tank (a 20 gallon that is
quickly becoming my "dwarf tank").  The three have established what I
would call a wary peace, with some chasing but no torn fins or other
signs that they are going to do any serious damage to each other. 
There are enough well defined areas in the tank to allow each fish
its own territory--for now.  I would assume that should a pair
develop the third will have to be removed, and I have a rescue tank
set up for this purpose (or to move the pair, if that seems the
better option at the time).  My questions are as follows: what does
altispinosa (or other dwarf cichlid) spawning behavior look like? 
Can it be called "generic" in the sense that it will resemble the
spawning behavior of other south american cichlids, or is it species
and/or genus specific?  I can't see any obvious dimorphism in the
fish that I have, so I can only guess at whether or not I even have a
pair (statistics favor that conclusion, but earlier messages from
listmembers seem to indicate that certain dwarf species are shipped
in male-only groups to sell better).  Can anyone give any pointers on
identifying altispinosas, other than by observation of the genital
papilla (which is only visible on one of the fish at this time).  The
two new fish are "smaller" (closer to 3 cm standard length) and may
be subadult specimens.  If it is a case of "wait and see", what can I
do in the meantime to condition the fish if they do decide to pair
off?  Can freeze dried or frozen foods be substituted for live (I
don't currently have a great source for live foods)?

Ok, I think that about sums up my questions (whew, how did I get to
be so long winded?)

Thanks,

Sarah LeGates
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