2 x Male Pygmy in the same enclosure?

[Tazjunky]

HI guys,
I bought a group of 5 pygmy thinking that i had a 1:4 ratio, when it turns out after some help from this site that i actually have a 2:3 group.

when the little ones were first introduced into the tank, all seemed well and both the males were displaying colours and patterns etc and both were walking around trying to woo the ladies.

But, now I have noticed that the smaller of the guys (whom was first thought to be female) has stopped his usual chirpy walks about the tank and just sits hi up hidden in a plant. he no longer displays his colours and I have just found him asleep - which I now sense is not a good thing!

I have had them all for a week and they all seem to get on fine and I havnt witnessed any hostility from the bigger male (who is permanently displaying patterns).

what do you all think?

Should I Take the little fella out and put him in a seperate tank with one of my other females?

 

[CleaTheChameleon]

Yes. Males are very aggressive toward each other. 1 male with 5 females is good. But 2 males wont be good. The males are very terriotrial toward each other.

 

[gary1621]

It also depends on how big your tank is.

Personally i would set him up in his own little love nest Maybe with the gravid female you already have, that way she isnt pestered by the randy boy you have

 

[Julirs]

I ended up with 2 males just like you did, and the younger one eventually died. If he is already closing his eyes it may be too late.

 

[Tazjunky]

Thanks for the swift response guys and gals!

I took your advice and separated him from the rest of the group, I feel so mean on him tho as i don't have a tank ready for him, so i had to make a temporary home in a large jar that i had sitting around. so he is now in the jar with some plantation soil, moss and a plant to hide in at the moment until i can get another tank ready. think il put the other non gravid female in the new tank and see what happens. he drank as soon as i placed him in the jar and iv put 2 crickets in aswell so il see what happens i guess and hope for the best.

 

[ChamLady]

The same thing happened to me when my 1.2 group turned out to be 2.1. I had them in a 20 gal high, & they did well for about 2 months. I separated them as soon as I realized the two males were squaring off with face-to-face confrontations.

I then bought a 38 gal, 36 inch long aquarium, & turned it into a second habitat. I put the males on opposite ends of the terrarium, & within an hour, they had met in the middle & were confronting one another again. I separated them & ordered 4 more females, so I now have 2 unrelated groups, 1.2 in the 20H & 1.3 in the 38 gal.

I wonder how large their territory is in the wild? The male in the 36 inch patrols the whole thing, & owns it. He cracked me up one day when I saw him head-bobbing & 2 of his females rocking.

Good luck with your little ones.

 

[CleaTheChameleon]

Thanks for the swift response guys and gals!

I took your advice and separated him from the rest of the group, I feel so mean on him tho as i don't have a tank ready for him, so i had to make a temporary home in a large jar that i had sitting around. so he is now in the jar with some plantation soil, moss and a plant to hide in at the moment until i can get another tank ready. think il put the other non gravid female in the new tank and see what happens. he drank as soon as i placed him in the jar and iv put 2 crickets in aswell so il see what happens i guess and hope for the best.

How is he today? Is he doing ok?

 

[Tazjunky]

well he had eaten the crickets when I got back from Uni today and was happy walking around the bottom of the jar. so i out him back in to the big tank with the rest of the chams and he started to display all his colours again. im going to see how it goes over the next few days and if he starts to be antisocial again and close his eyes afriend is going to lend me a spare tank that she has.