Geophagus Brasiliensis Confusion - Help!

[Wysper]

I recently picked up a pair of Geophagus Brasiliensis from the LFS, they are a bonded pair.

My concern/confusion is that the female (the one that I think is the female) has black vertical bars that go down through her eyes. Sometimes they show, sometimes they don't. Is this normal? Also, this morning she was displaying a horizontal black bar from gill to tail.

Is this normal?

They are my very first Cichlids and I am a little worried.

 

[wesleydnunder]

Fish will show bars...or not, depending on mood, stress, cohabitants, time of day, etc. You will often see this most evident in the morning when the lights first come on. I wouldn't worry. If it's stress-related you should see other signs; clamped fins, flashing, sitting on the bottom or hanging at the top.

Mark

 

[Wysper]

Well I must be doing something that they are OK with. When I first noticed the eggs I moved the other fish out of the tank entirely, so the only thing in with the Geo's now is one snail.

Pics of Mom, babies and Dad!

 

[Tifftastic]

Yay, babies! Congrats!