AboutRon Coleman Expertise I am an expert on cichlid fishes, particularly New World cichlids. My broader expertise includes the behavior, ecology and reproduction of fishes in general. (I am NOT an expert on Goldfish). Please do not use abbreviations, such as "my GT has a swollen eye" because I don't know what a "GT" is. The more clearly you can explain your question, the better chance I have of understanding what it is that you seek. I keep fishes both as a scientist and as a hobbyist and I currently maintain about 140 aquariums.
Experience I am an Assistant Professor at the California State University, Sacramento in the Department of Biological Sciences, and I run a website, called the Cichlid Research Home Page . I also write for many popular aquarist magazines, and I am editor of Cichlid News magazine. I am a scientist and I spend my time teaching fish biology, ecology, behavior and evolution and doing research on the reproductive biology of fishes, particularly cichlids. I do research in the laboratory and in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Mexico. My main interest is understanding the evolution of parental care in fishes. I am interested in encouraging greater public awareness, understanding and participation in science.
Publications Cichlid News, Tropical Fish Hobbyist, Freshwater and Marine Aquarium, Science, Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology, Copeia, Canadian Journal of Zoology, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, AUK, Environmental Biology of Fishes
Question I have a female Green Terror Cichlid. She is about 5-6 months old and has laid
eggs once before.
Monday: Her belly looked a little big and she seemed to be taking naps or
rests on the aquarium floor every couple hours. Other than that, she was still
aggressive as usual and seemed fine.
Tuesday: Her belly is slightly bigger and she was taking more frequent rests.
Still ate fine and seemed normal otherwise.
Wednesday (Today): Her belly looks to be a good size. She is now almost
permanently on the aquarium floor. She didnt even come up to eat breakfast
today.
Water parameters are fine, normal... It doesnt look to be a swim bladder issue
because she does swim fine when she does... Her fins and colors are perfect
and bright....
Is she pregnant or could she be sick?
Last time she laid eggs, it was over the weekend - so I didnt see how it actually
happened.
Answer Hi Christina,
Hmmm... that is a tricky situation. It could be that she is planning on laying eggs, but females about to lay do not typically "rest" on the bottom. They swim around normally and then when she is about to lay, the male and female make "passes" over a rock or other hard surface. During each "pass" the female will lay about 10-30 eggs in a line. She will then turn around and make another pass, etc. After about a minute, she will take a break and the male will swim over the eggs and spray sperm on them. Then she takes another series of passes and so on. The total time to lay and fertilize all the eggs is somewhere betweeen 30 minutes and a couple of hours.
Of course the other possibility, unfortunately, is that she is sick, so keep a close eye on her.
-- Ron
rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>
