I have a fickle female!

snoopy65

snoopy65

I am Sam aka Snoopy65
Aug 24, 2008
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Where the ducks walk on the fish, PA
I have used the search function and haven't been able to find anything on this.

I have 3 marble angels 2m/1f (all about 6 months old) in one tank. The female had paired up with one of the males. They have spawned 4 times with the spawns getting to the wiggler stage. I had read that if I left the extra male in the tank that it would make the bond between the pair stronger, but would eventually have to take the extra male out as they would kill him. But my female has changed men! She and the other male have spawned today. They started chasing the original "dad" away and beating on him. I have moved him out of the tank.

I have never heard of a pair "breaking" but I am relatively new to angels. Is this unusual?
 
Cichlids will break pair bonds if when they challenge each other the opposing doesn't return the challenge sufficiently. This doesn't happen when there's only one mate available. The urge to reproduce keeps the stronger one trying and trying which will end up in either the other stepping up to the challenge or being killed by the other.

In your situation, another mate was available, so when the other male didn't step up to the challenge, the female evidently chose to accept the other male's advances.

I would NOT put the other male back in with them. Let the new pair form a strong bond. If you find they are not defending the eggs sufficiently, add a giant danio as a dither fish. They tend not to bother eggs, IME, but will give the pair enough of a distraction from each other defending the eggs.
 
Well, we have successfully gotten to the wiggler stage and mom and dad are diligently fanning and scooping them and putting them back on the filter intake. This is farther than the female has gotten before, so we will see. I may have free swimmers in a couple of days.
 
I had the same happen with me. My angles were in a 75 gallon tank, 2 males to one female. The female paired with each male, they rotated, every other time she would pair with the other one. I eventually moved one out of my tank.
 
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