No Pass Zone

[mmorris]

For experienced breeders - if your male hasn't made passes over the eggs after five months, would you expect he will ever get it? He's still less than 2 years and is an albino turq. I posted pics of him elsewhere and the concensus was that he is, indeed, a male. He is a very entheusiastic participant and excellent `parent' otherwise, but he doesn't fertilize.

[Elite Aquaria]

I would be patient...maybe put him in with an experienced female. I have had a few males in the past that never got the job done. I would just be patient.

[mmorris]

Thanks Dan. I hate to break up an experienced pair - I only have a couple - so I'll be patient. Does a female actually instruct a male? At what point would you decide he's probably just never going to get the `job done'?

[Justice]

Thanks Dan. I hate to break up an experienced pair - I only have a couple - so I'll be patient. Does a female actually instruct a male? At what point would you decide he's probably just never going to get the `job done'?My Wife "INSTRUCTS" (= BOSSES) Me! I guess being a fish does not get you out of that either! :p

[Elite Aquaria]

Thanks Dan. I hate to break up an experienced pair - I only have a couple - so I'll be patient. Does a female actually instruct a male? At what point would you decide he's probably just never going to get the `job done'?

My experience has been, when if I force a pair the chances for success goes up significantly when one of the two fish has had a few successful spawns with another mate. In your case if you want leave them together for some more time.

[mmorris]

Well, OK, I think I'll give it a go. I'll put him in with my experienced female turq. Many thanks.

[MostlyDiscus]

I trained a young ablino male that way. Tang female. I put him back in with a albino female later and they had wigglers. Too bad the albino pair doesnt get along.

Ed

[mmorris]

Ange at Discus South suggested I put him in with a mature male. If they fight, it's likely he is a male. I put him in with a breeding pair of red turqs this am. The female red turq challanged him a bit and went straight into breeding mode for her original mate. The male red turq was perfectly happy to have the albino around. Hmmm It doesn't look good.
Here is a link to pics of the fish in question: pics one and two:
http://forum.bidka.org/showthread.php?t=9892

[mmorris]

The three of them were getting along like old chums so I removed the albino turq and added a known mature male. The male turq wanted to rip him apart! I removed him within a minute. I'm going to add a female now and see if I get the same response I got with the albino turq.

[mmorris]

So much for that. I added two females, one at a time, and got pretty much the same response as I got with the male that I added. I'm almost certain they are females, anyway. Would someone who has a knack for sexing look at the link I posted and tell me what you think? Again, the fish in question is in pic one and two.
http://forum.bidka.org/showthread.php?t=9892