# Mated pairs fact or fallacy.



## Lamplighter (Aug 3, 2012)

Mated pairs kind of evokes an ever and ever feeling also that the fish are monogamous. Are mated pairs a fallacy? Yes they may have mated at least once to qualify as a pair but does it last?

I've got a male angelfish in my community tank. I don't usually name my fish but this guy is "Casanova" he has mated with four females. There are currently 11 angels in the tank. 

There's a lot of posturing, lip locking and chasing each other but the fish are not physically harmed.

So is there a until death do us part with cichlids?


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## macframalama (Apr 17, 2012)

Not with flowerhorns for sure , because the very same female I have in with my veiled is the mother to the hybrids i have upstairs..

but i have noticed with convicts that if you have a mated pair that have had a successful spawn together, if split up they seem to take forever to pair up with a different mate,


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## gsneufeld (Jan 28, 2012)

"Mating
Cichlids mate either monogamously or polygamously.[5] The mating system of a given cichlid species is not consistently associated with its brooding system. For example, although most monogamous cichlids are not mouthbrooders, Chromidotilapia, Gymnogeophagus, Spathodus and Tanganicodus are all monogamous mouthbrooders. In contrast, numerous open or cave spawning cichlids are polygamous; examples include Apistogramma, Lamprologus, Nannacara and Pelvicachromis.[5][60]"

Cichlid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## Lamplighter (Aug 3, 2012)

I had wanted to hear personal experiences. Wikipedia is a good source but in many cases it's opinions and/or data from one or two individuals.


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## gsneufeld (Jan 28, 2012)

Oh, well in my experience I've only seen angels successfully breed, and it is had been the same pair all three times, even though the other big male in there has been making an effort! The female seems to only want to be with him...They swim around together and stuff The other three sort of just hang out


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## Pamela (Apr 21, 2010)

I had a pair of Super Red Severums for over 3 years (I sold them) that were completely faithful to each other. There was another female in the tank who was always trying to pair up with the 'married' male even though there were other single males in the tank (I called her the homewrecker). No matter how much the homewrecker did her flirtatious little dances & followed the married severum around he never looked twice at her (I was proud of him ).


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## onefishtwofish (Apr 21, 2010)

my same experience with angels. i had siblings growing up to breeding age so i had about 12 pairs all stayed bonded to only each other unless one male killed another. i did have one trio of 2m 1female. they were so monogomous especially the parents i actually think they grieved for each other in the odd time they were seperated.


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## Lamplighter (Aug 3, 2012)

Pamela said:


> I had a pair of Super Red Severums for over 3 years (I sold them) that were completely faithful to each other. There was another female in the tank who was always trying to pair up with the 'married' male even though there were other single males in the tank (I called her the homewrecker). No matter how much the homewrecker did her flirtatious little dances & followed the married severum around he never looked twice at her (I was proud of him ).


That's really sweet!


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

I had two huge male koi angels back in the 80s and they would breed with any female that swam by. I was so proud of them. (JK)


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## Lamplighter (Aug 3, 2012)

SeaHorse_Fanatic said:


> I had two huge male koi angels back in the 80s and they would breed with any female that swam by. I was so proud of them. (JK)


 My Casenova is a Koi! One of those huge Koi angels was most likely his Great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-granddaddy.


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## Momobobo (Sep 28, 2010)

It depends on the fish. Some form loyal mated pairs, some are polygamous in terms of mating, and some like the guppies rape whatever passes by...


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