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 hi do you know much about bristlenose catfish?
i have a two foot tank, my PH is 7.0, temperature of the tank is 26 degress c.
Question: i have a 6cm bristlenose which i have had for 6 months, and i just purchased a breeding pair of bristlenose the male is 14cm female just a bit smaller, and i am concerned the new male has not came out of tube since i got him not even to eat, is it just because i have only had them for 3 days?
how should i get them to breed?
i cant drop water temp. because i have guppies in with them.
also should i remove the 6cm female bristlenose so the breeding pair can be by themselves?
will the 6cm female get in on the action with the male even though he is massive compared to her, or do they stay with the same female all the time, will she get upset if he gets it on with the 6cm female.
any help will be much appreciated thankyou very much.
Answer Hi Melissa,
If you have two females with one male, then you can probably leave them all together. Give the male some time to get used to the new tank and then he will likely come out. These catfishes have male parental care so the male will likely breed with one of the females and then may later breed with the other. This will not "upset" either female.
As for getting them to breed, provide lots of clean water. They do the rest.
-- Ron
rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>
