OK, so my big beautiful Acei, who I have always considered the dominant male has a mouth full of EGGS!

What?!?

I stopped by to say Hey to my fish and he's/she's? looking out at me from a tunnel chewing and swishing something. So I looked closer to see what he/she? was munching on and I can SEE a mouth full of tan/yellow eggs! I double checked to make sure that was the Acei named Bumble, and sure enough it is!

This is the biggest Acei in the tank. The one who always vibrates at the small female (I know that one is female, she held twice, but ate the eggs within days both times), puffs up and is basically the orneriest one.

I have 4 total. One is small, who is the female who held. (Anyone know how to stop her from eating her eggs?) another is big, but very shy, I think of as a sub-male because I have seen him vibrate. The last one is a fat one I think is a female, with on big egg spot. That one keeps to herself.

There is a pic of Bumble below. If its a female WHY is it the one chasing the others, vibrating and showing stripes when ever another comes close???? I have never caught the Acei 's in action, and always assumed that one was the papa to the small ones eggs.

Anybody?? Is it a female in disguise?? LOL If so, hmm, the shy sub must be the papa.

The bottom pic show the fat female in front, the small female up top and Bumble the male/female? in back.

I just got a close up pic. See the eggs? They are the yellowish things in his/her? mouth.

Well, we still have a mouth full of eggs. This one is doing MUCH better at holding than my small female.

I am still so very confused tho! If you go by behaviour, I was 100% sure that it was a male!

Hey you African experts, what do you think?

Miami? Gumbi?

Still very confused here!

I will let it hold in the main tank till the weekend then put it in the 10 gallon holding/fry tank.