# Hey Frank, or anyone that knows



## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

Is it the male or female Nattereri that builds the nest, or does it vary? I have a little red 4.5-5" that has been changing colors for a while now and has started blowing a nest in a heavily planted back corner. I know this sounds small for a red to display mating behavior, but I have had this red for 10 months and it has maybe grown an inch at the most in that time. It is being very protective of that spot and that area used to be occupied by a 8" cariba that is not allowed there anymore. This red is also biting pieces of fake plants and jabbing them in the ground inside of a large plant. I am pretty sure I know what it is doing, I was wondering if this is the behavior of the male or female or either?


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## NIKE (Jan 27, 2003)

i'm not possitive, but my bet is the male p my male is always protecting the nest and chasing of other p's even the female p but when it gets down to the hanky panky time the female pitches in, and they spit rocks together and dig as the release eggs and sperm and when they are actully doing this nothing comes by







i have been watching them with a lite shining on them and it doesn't even bother them one bit. but the male is still circleing the area even no the female is at the other end, so i would say male good luck.


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

Either will create the nest and guard. But it is not carved in stone.


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

Thank you, that is what I thought. 
I only have 2 reds in the tank and I dont know if I have a male and female. Will a Natt build a nest even if there is no chance to mate? Meaning, could I have 2 male natts and have one build a nest? Or *if* this is nest building, does this mean I have a male and female?


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## Piranha King (Nov 28, 2002)

both will build it but mostly it's the male. 
wes


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

grosse gurke said:


> Will a Natt build a nest even if there is no chance to mate? Meaning, could I have 2 male natts and have one build a nest? Or *if* this is nest building, does this mean I have a male and female?


I was more or less wondering the same:
five of my reds are still a bit too small for breeding behaviour (4,5-5,5") i think, but my largest one (about 7") has shown signs that are often connected to breeding behaviour (ie. circling and guarding a small area of the tank, although not always, blowing gravel and becoming very dark [almost black at times]) for quite some time (more than three months by now).

So could it be that a single fish shows breeding behaviour in a home aquarium, even if no suitable mate is available?
And is breeding behaviour triggered by internal factors (hormones etc., which in turn may have been affected by external factors in the first place), or do fish 'contaminate' (I know, bad choice of words :smile: ) each other with this behaviour (ie. a fish starts to show signs only when others do, visible or invisible [hormones, feromones, ...])?


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)




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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

> Judazzz Posted on May 1 2003, 09:12 PM
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> I was more or less wondering the same:
> five of my reds are still a bit too small for breeding behaviour (4,5-5,5") i think, but my largest one (about 7") has shown signs that are often connected to breeding behaviour (ie. circling and guarding a small area of the tank, although not always, blowing gravel and becoming very dark [almost black at times]) for quite some time (more than three months by now).
> ...


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## spike (Nov 27, 2002)

My female and male played a part in making the nest.Before she laid eggs the male was blowing gravel like hell, every so often the female would come along and help and they would swim side by side blowing gravel.


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