Thinker
New Member
Hi there.
I recently set up a tank dedicated to a Harlequin pair. I received both through a package and after acclimating them, I noticed that the female was displaying behavior indicating she was preparing to molt (slow and limited movement, hiding in rockwork, etc.). She molted 2 days after acclimation. The male injured her while trying to mate with her, and she was unable to molt properly. I ended up having to euthanize her, unfortunately.
The male, however, is perfectly healthy. He was very protective of her after the failed molt but seemed to back off of her after another 2 days and left her to go feed on a starfish.
I've read online that Harlequins of the same sex will be aggressive/territorial to each other if they are already mated. Males will mate with any female but will always return to their partner. What are the chances that I would be able to pair my current lone, previously-mated male Harlequin with an unpaired female? It's my understanding they mate for life, but I'm not sure if that extends into the death of one part of a mated pair. Am I going to need to wait a while before the male is more accepting of being paired again or will he always be "loyal"?
Due to my tank setup, I would much prefer to keep a pair than just a single Harlequin. Am I better off just giving him away and getting a brand-new mated pair?
Wondering if anyone has had any experience with this sort of thing.
I recently set up a tank dedicated to a Harlequin pair. I received both through a package and after acclimating them, I noticed that the female was displaying behavior indicating she was preparing to molt (slow and limited movement, hiding in rockwork, etc.). She molted 2 days after acclimation. The male injured her while trying to mate with her, and she was unable to molt properly. I ended up having to euthanize her, unfortunately.
The male, however, is perfectly healthy. He was very protective of her after the failed molt but seemed to back off of her after another 2 days and left her to go feed on a starfish.
I've read online that Harlequins of the same sex will be aggressive/territorial to each other if they are already mated. Males will mate with any female but will always return to their partner. What are the chances that I would be able to pair my current lone, previously-mated male Harlequin with an unpaired female? It's my understanding they mate for life, but I'm not sure if that extends into the death of one part of a mated pair. Am I going to need to wait a while before the male is more accepting of being paired again or will he always be "loyal"?
Due to my tank setup, I would much prefer to keep a pair than just a single Harlequin. Am I better off just giving him away and getting a brand-new mated pair?
Wondering if anyone has had any experience with this sort of thing.
