Sarah Posted March 11, 2012 Report Share Posted March 11, 2012 In my 3ft planted tank lives my PK male, Rahiti, from Jarrod. A pair of Neon blue Rams, and endlers. Just now I noticed one of the Rams and the Betta boy to appear to be wrapping, as if spawning. Not like any defensive flaring I saw the first time they were put together (they live extremely peacefully together, never have even nipped). After close inspection, I'm fairly certain that it was the male ram, but the male and the female DID cross each other so I'm hoping I'm looking at the right one. I'm going to assume that it was some territorial thing, rather than an attempt at cross breeding (which doesn't seem plausible). Especially if it were the male. Didn't get a video, but has anybody witnessed anything similar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul Posted March 12, 2012 Report Share Posted March 12, 2012 (edited) You know what Sarah... It may actually have been an attempted mating! Really weird if it actually did happen, and really really confusing if it was the male ram... But strange things happen in artificial environments where species are kept in close proximity. Mythbusters conclusion: "PLAUSIBLE" Edit: Nest?? Eggs??? Edited March 12, 2012 by paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadoh Posted March 12, 2012 Report Share Posted March 12, 2012 ...more proof that there is something seriously wrong with that orange marble spawn *lol* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul Posted March 12, 2012 Report Share Posted March 12, 2012 I was going to suggest you had been preaching your "sharing the love" sermon to the fish and they may have taken it literally Jarrod!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted March 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2012 (edited) It honestly did look like wrapping..... but surely it couldn't be? Saw the same thing happen a couple more times during the day while I was in my room (but scared them off when I got too close). No nest, but a definite "lovey-dovey" feel. Think I also saw it happen with the female ram, which would make more sense if it were an attempt at cross-breeding. Odd. ESPECIALLY since both species have an entirely different way on reproducing... hmmm.. Jarrod, maybe it's time to stop with the speeches to the fish! Or at least make the "share the love" slightly more species specific. Edited March 12, 2012 by Sarah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadoh Posted March 12, 2012 Report Share Posted March 12, 2012 Only think it fair to give Busman the credit for using "share the love" first. I do, however think it is a great philosophy to live by Maybe I should go back to the one I used to use on here: "follow your bliss"... As for giving fish speeches, I don't do that (unless I am ranting at my red copper boy for eating 4 batches of eggs!) I'm more into playing them music to try to get them in the mood :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted March 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2012 Do you talk to your fish? Because sometimes I may.. er, share a word or two. Not speeches or any "follow your bliss/share the love", just general stuff along the lines of "are you hungry today? What food would you like to eat?", "why hello there", "so the other day you wouldn't believe what happened..." Like when I went up to Brissy, Matt was telling me how funny it was that Wolfgang talks to the fish as he catches them and that "nobody does that". I was all "attempted pokerface". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadoh Posted March 12, 2012 Report Share Posted March 12, 2012 Lol... Yeah, I have noticed Wolfgang has a running dialogue with the fish as he catches them *lol* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted March 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2012 (edited) *lol* Oh really now? Anyway, I'm about 90% sure this "wrapping" was with the male ram. So, if it were an attempt at cross breeding, what do we think of fish being homosexual? (*not sure if I should start a separate thread or not for a split topic?*). Keeping in mind THIS... I believe when I first started attempting to breed Bettas I did have two gay fish. I read that if you let two males in the same tub for a few moments, watching carefully of course, it entices them to spawn. I tired this quickly as carding had no effect. Neither of these seemed interested in the girls at all and wouldn't make a nest, no matter how many girls I tired. Anyway, both fish went straight up to each other, circled, and started wrapping... which was, well, odd, seeing as they both er, tried to be the male on the outside.. anyway, I am 100% certain these were both males. I DID try and spawn them with females after that, nothing, no matter what I did. Interesting. Photos of the two fish, both males, yes? Edited March 12, 2012 by Sarah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt_95 Posted March 12, 2012 Report Share Posted March 12, 2012 Sarah, I have told you Wolfgang talks to the fish like 67 billion times. We arn't aloud to call fish gay... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted March 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2012 No, we aren't allowed to joke about it, I think this is true. I linked to the warning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul Posted March 12, 2012 Report Share Posted March 12, 2012 (edited) Sarah, I'm not sure that you can call the inter species interaction anything other than an interesting phenenon at the present time. There is no understanding why it has occurred and what its significance. So trying to attach classically human emotions and sexual stereotypes or sexual "norms" to that behaviour is short sighted. Regarding your other question re whether two male fish could be gay.... I don't know. It may be possible that the two males were sexually attracted to each other and tried to mate, however there are other factors that could be at play here. Genetic, hormonal and environmental factors for example. We know that male bettas kept in group conditions express more female hormones than males kept in isolation. So, could some of these factors or other factors we don't yet understand be responsible for attempts at same sex breeding? Dunno! Could two fish Really be gay? Perhaps. Do humans anthropomorphise other species to try understand them? Absolutely! Edited March 12, 2012 by paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted March 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2012 Hhhmm... interesting, thanks Paul. As for the ram and betta... no idea.. will have to keep an eye on them and hope I can record them when/if they decide to do whatever they were doing again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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