Can someone give a broad-brushstroke description of the general colorings associated with mood for Apistogramma females and/or males? I understand the yellowing while mating/tending a brood in the females, but I'm not sure what this 'shock coloration' is supposed to look like. Are there other colorings as well?
I have 2 females and 1 male in a 25gal (with 2 silvertip tetras - used to be 4, but I have a feeling the apistos have systematically reduced their population; no proof, just a feeling). One of the females had babies a couple weeks ago - I removed all but a couple of fry. (I couldn't catch the last ones.) So for a while she was herding those couple around, but lately I haven't spotted the fry. I suppose she (or somebody) ate them. However, she's still in yellow mode, like she's on guard, and chases the other fish every once in a while.
The other female has never, to my knowledge, turned yellow. I don't think she's a he; I saw her dance for the male once. Nice little wavy wriggle it was, if she were a human she could be an exotic dancer. Every once in a while the male will edge closer to her, tilting sideways with fins spread, and dart after her. Still she remains in a relatively dark coloration, almost the same as the male. Is she in 'siege' mode?
So, what can I deduce from this situation? How long does it take after a spawn for a female to lose her color? Why does the other female not spawn?
I haven't measured water parameters lately, but last time I did the pH was fairly high, about 6.8-6.9. (It was about that when the first female spawned.) Peat water. Dunno the GH/Alkalinity/conductivity (but it's pretty low out of the tap). Temp about 81F.
Thanks
Andrew
-----Original Message-----
From: plasticolor@guate.net [mailto:plasticolor@guate.net]
Sent: Friday, August 20, 1999 6:52 AM
To: apisto@admin.listbox.com
Subject: Aggressive males (was fin rot)
.... After a few minutes of courtship she went into shock coloration
and he lost interest. ....