Reluctant Cacatouide Male

["Alan Whitten" <caw18@bak.rr.com>]

I have a bit of a perplexing problem.  I have a pair of Cacatouide Males, one of them is a very nice
looking Triple red I received back in March.  The other is a so-so double male I picked up at
a fish store in the Bay Area last month.  The trouble is the triple red.  He is in a 25 gallon
old petsmart tank with a couple of females.  The females have come into season three times
since I have set up the tank, but each time the male just ignores them.

Now, the male I picked up last month is not as good looking, but I he was putting on displays for
the females in his tank (3 of them) within 10 minutes of being introduced to his tank.

The water quality is pretty good for cacatouides: ph 7.4, temp 78, gh: 1, kh: 1.  The tank bottom are
measures about 18" square.  There are a pair of black neon's and three pencil fish as dithers.  The tank
is modestly planted.  There is a picture of the set-up on my website: home.bak.rr.com/alansfishroom in
the livestock question (its the bottom picture).

This tank is part of a 25 gallon system that shares water with a Ram tank, and a zebra Danoi tank.

Is the 25 gallon tank large enough for both males?  or should I pull out my nice looking reluctant male in favor
of the less attractive male.  Are there any tricks I could use to get the male to pay attention to the females!

Thanks all,
--C. Alan

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