Hello everyone,
I have a single coral beauty (centropyge bispinosa) in my tank and am wondering how to go about getting it a partner.
The background:
Yesterday I got two of my absolute dreamfish and I was very happy to have these beauties in my tank (120g, 5feet long). I had bought them online and asked for a pair. One fish was smaller than the other and they had been swimming peacefully in the same tank for a week (that's what the dealer told me today). Unfortunately, they weren't that peaceful in my tank, despite lots of room and caves and places to hide. The small one got chased a lot yesterday and this morning he was drifting and tumbling through the water, the fins tattered. It died within an hour.
I'm very, very sad. This is the fourth fish in my tank and the second to die (my blenny jumped out of the tank - I have covers now).
So, I'm not sure about the next steps now. I don't really want to keep the big coral beauty alone, because I think their behaviour is much more natural and interesting when they have a partner. But I don't want to make this experience again and lose another fish.
I've tried to find out sex differences on coral beauties, but apparently, it's not easy. I'm guessing my fish were both female.
My vendor told me that the remaining fish will probably turn male in time. Is that true? I know they can change their gender, but I thought the process was triggered by contact to other fish and the biggest will turn male if there are only females. Why would it change if it's alone? How long would it take if it did?
My current plan of action is to watch my fish closely, take special note of the gill thorn (supposedly longer in males) and shape of dorsal and tail fin (supposedly more rounded in females) and then go to a LFS and try to find one that is as different from mine as possible. Are there any other things to consider?
What about the size? I heard you should get a smaller one, but then it will be foreign to the tank AND smaller/weaker than the "old" one.
Sorry for the wall of text, I'm just trying to do the right thing. I don't want any more fish to die on me
Thanks for any help!
PS: water params are okay: nitrates/phosphates not detectable, pH 8, salinity (and therefor Ca, Mg and KH) a little low but fish were drop acclimated properly; remaining fish are well, no signs of stress or itch or something
I have a single coral beauty (centropyge bispinosa) in my tank and am wondering how to go about getting it a partner.
The background:
Yesterday I got two of my absolute dreamfish and I was very happy to have these beauties in my tank (120g, 5feet long). I had bought them online and asked for a pair. One fish was smaller than the other and they had been swimming peacefully in the same tank for a week (that's what the dealer told me today). Unfortunately, they weren't that peaceful in my tank, despite lots of room and caves and places to hide. The small one got chased a lot yesterday and this morning he was drifting and tumbling through the water, the fins tattered. It died within an hour.
I'm very, very sad. This is the fourth fish in my tank and the second to die (my blenny jumped out of the tank - I have covers now).
So, I'm not sure about the next steps now. I don't really want to keep the big coral beauty alone, because I think their behaviour is much more natural and interesting when they have a partner. But I don't want to make this experience again and lose another fish.
I've tried to find out sex differences on coral beauties, but apparently, it's not easy. I'm guessing my fish were both female.
My vendor told me that the remaining fish will probably turn male in time. Is that true? I know they can change their gender, but I thought the process was triggered by contact to other fish and the biggest will turn male if there are only females. Why would it change if it's alone? How long would it take if it did?
My current plan of action is to watch my fish closely, take special note of the gill thorn (supposedly longer in males) and shape of dorsal and tail fin (supposedly more rounded in females) and then go to a LFS and try to find one that is as different from mine as possible. Are there any other things to consider?
What about the size? I heard you should get a smaller one, but then it will be foreign to the tank AND smaller/weaker than the "old" one.
Sorry for the wall of text, I'm just trying to do the right thing. I don't want any more fish to die on me
Thanks for any help!
PS: water params are okay: nitrates/phosphates not detectable, pH 8, salinity (and therefor Ca, Mg and KH) a little low but fish were drop acclimated properly; remaining fish are well, no signs of stress or itch or something
