![]() It is very possible that one or more of your Cichlids will be much more aggressive than the rest of its tankmates. It is a genetic drive that causes fish to fight in the first place, and genetics can not be changed. You will probably have to remove a fish or two. If you do choose to have a full male tank, keep a few things in mind to make the setup a little more easy. It may be as simple as chasing another tankmate for a few inches, or it could potentially become an outright nipping battle between two or more members of your community. The initial challenge is the fact that your fish will be aggressive toward one another. Maintaining a tank of all male African Cichlids can be both challenging and very rewarding. There is a very simple way to handle this though, and there may be more benefits to removing females than you think. This tank setup means that the alpha male will want to breed nearly nonstop when there are females in the tank. This sparring or aggression is especially common in setups that have multiple females. We have already established that keeping both male and female Cichlids can lead to males sometimes attempting to revolt against their leader and become the new tank boss. Why do African Cichlids change colors? It is genetically hard-coded into these interesting fishes DNA to always leave the ability to continue breeding, even if this comes at the cost of one of their own.Īn All Male Tank Can Minimize Aggression And Maximize Color If the alpha male of the colony is attacked or eaten by a predator, likely because of his bright colors making him much more noticeable than the other fish nearby, this allows another sub-dominant male to step up, brighten up in color and take the place as leader and continue breeding. They may be varying shades of yellow or blue, but they don’t “pop” and are basically bland looking. The subordinate males of these Cichlid species also tend to be a more dull color. This trait is not isolated only to the females. Since females are less attractive looking it allows them to blend into their environment much more easily and avoid any predators who may be looking for their next meal. It also advertises to females that a male is present, dominant and ready to begin breeding. This odd color variation between sexes is important for ensuring the safety of the females in a colony. Most species of African Cichlids are sexually dimorphic, meaning that male members of a species are brightly colored while females are a subdued hue. Read more about the Top 10 things you must know about African Cichlids This african cichlid will rapidly begin coloring up and immediately start releasing hormones that allow him to begin to breed with females or sparring with other males to maintain the newly found position as leader or tank boss. In larger home aquariums, and definitely in the wild lakes that these species come from, once the most aggressive male leaves the general area of other subordinate males, one of the subordinate fish can move up the ranks to the role of alpha. The alpha male, or tank boss, will have the brightest and most rich colors, while less aggressive males will be sub-dominant and faded in color.Īn even more interesting fact is that these color changes can happen in minutes. The most aggressive and vibrantly colored male gets the benefit of breeding with the females. This African Cichlid hierarchy is essentially the “pecking order” that the fish breed is based on. ![]() Male African Cichlids adjust the vibrancy of their color pattern based on their role in the aquarium. To answer a complicated question in a single word, dominance. But Why do African Cichlids change colors? Getting these fish to reach their full potential can sometimes be frustrating. African Cichlids are one of the most beautiful and colorful fish in the freshwater aquarium hobby. ![]()
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