ok here is an interesting question for you all i have a deep gravel set up like 1-2" deep now i see some trenching but not vary deep could this be due to the fact there is too much gravel or what but they are battleing eachother from time to time i do see the almighty lip lock but i never see a deep bedding area so what could this mean just i have two of the same sex or what?

maybe your substrate is a little deep, maybe you could try clearing a patch for them, they will maintain this whenever a stone falls in.

it is hard to tell whether or not you have a pair untill they successfully lay and fertilize eggs.

if your O's lay and they keep going white and mouldy everytime then chances are you have two females.

if fighting gets really bad then you could have two males

when I had gravel in my tank there was never any digging but when I made the change to sand the O's instantly dug a hole.

I am not sure if I have a pair but I would suggest if you removed some gravel.

try to put an slate or slab in the tank...and try to
observe if they will clean it. i have 3" deep gravel and
they just scoop some to exposed the edge of the slate

PAUL wrote:


X's 2

i cleared the area in one spot and get this now they are both digging seperate spots the fighing is not bad its mainly chasing and lip locking i dont see injuries that are to worry about just both have gotten fiesty but my younger taking the brunt of injury's but then takes control from time to time? kinda wierd to see what you think ill just make a deep side and shallow side i need to clean today anyways so ill do that when i pull the plant and wood out.

Let us know how they react to that. This is interesting.

well all done with the set up. I guess you should know that pulling things out everything went well cleaned up everything went well then after putting the plant back in and tommy my oldest who is not my avatar bit me then when i put in the drift wood got bit twice before i got it situated ugh so that was a first second and third time i have been bitten.

My Green Sev bit me when they had eggs one time but my O's have never tried to bite me. I guess it hurts huh? lol

Sinstinna wrote:


my O's have never purposely tried biting me until when recently they layed eggs and i tried taking the filter out to clean it... well i had to be quick lol.
then when i put it back the both attacked it.
they had never done this before they laid or since then

They don't like anybody when they're breeding

definitely not, i try to avoid them as much as possible when they are.
i want babies, but still waiting for them to lay again