Bagghi problem

[mark97r6]

Right..
I have a breeding pair of Bagghi cardinals in my reef, i also have a third odd one out.
In my tank (5x2x2) the pair hang around the left side and the odd one the right side. there isnt really any squobbleing going on to speak off but it is worth mentioning the odd one is the smallest of the three.

When my male has a mouth full of eggs, the pair become very 'loose' and the odd one starts wanting attention from the now available female (so im presuming the odd one is male) i have seen the trembling and shaking between these two, though the odd one has never carried any eggs.
Once the male is done incubating he and the female again are inseperable and the odd one keeps his distance. During feeding time all 3 are happy feeding around each other.

Within the next few months i am upgrading to a tank i am setting up at the min, its a 54"x 36"x 24" (LWH).
So i have the oppurtunity to add and get rid of problem fish.
Im thinking i have 3 options.

1) Get rid of the odd one and just keep a pair.

2) leave the 3, hopefully the female will mate with each male in turn while the other broods eggs.

3) Pair up the odd one and keep 2 pairs. Not sure if 2 pairs are ok in one tank?

Thoughts please?

Cheers
Mark

[IFbettas]

Usually it's best to keep only one pair of these guys in a tank together. A while back I had two pairs fighting to the point of the death of one of the fish. I doubt that the female would actually share two males at different times. I would find a new home for the misfit.

[snorvich]

I agree. Eventually the odd one out may be harassed and killed.

[FMarini]

did you ever read my 1998 report on keeping these fish? I ask because I used to rotate females all the time However i would physcially move her to the next divider w/ a new male, so to answer your question, in your current tank setup the odd man will almost never get a spawn, and will be relegated to hide from the pair, however should you move him to a new tank- then this is a different story.
BTW-- please spell the common name correctly, banggai, you'll find alot more articles on google this way.
good luck
frank

[mark97r6]

Thanks for the replies guys.
Yes i remember the article Frank, i couldnt remember where i had read about the situation though.

I know i should really seperate them. Though it has just surprised me that the third one isnt hiding or shy at all, just keeps his distance as they both keep to there own ends of the tank.
I havent long since added the female hoping to form a pair, and the male is yet to hold to full term, though its only his third clutch to date.
I am thinking though the competition from the second male may disencourage him to hold them.

Mark

[Stanley-Reefer]

Yep, I thought I had HO, but now I only have 2 left;) My falco eats all the babies every ohther month or so.