Trouble in Apisto paradise?
I have a pair of Apistogramma cacatuoides in a 2 ft tank, along with some Gertrude’s rainbows and a few algae eaters. The Apistos have been together for around a year and have successfully raised two batches of fry.
Over the past week or so, though, I’ve noticed some odd behaviour. The female has suddenly coloured up, but not in the typical yellow breeding dress, she’s showing colours that look almost like a less pronounced version of the male’s coloration. At the same time, she has become quite territorial and aggressive towards the male.
There hasn’t been any serious damage so far, but she regularly chases and nips at him. What I find particularly surprising is that the male doesn’t really fight back in spite of being much larger (and quite dominant in the past) and usually just moves away. Both fish otherwise appear healthy, active and are eating well.
There haven’t been any major changes to the tank or water parameters. The tank has simply continued to mature and the plants have grown in considerably.
Has anyone seen this kind of change in behaviour after an established pair has been together and bred successfully for a fairly long time?
Posting a video for reference, although I couldn’t catch her actually attacking the male in the clip.