My GT Is a Bully Magnet.. When Will It Stick Up For Itself?

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onidrase

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 20, 2012
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Colorado
I got a green terror the moment my 75 gallon tank was cycled, by far my favorite of the tank (aside from my raphaels, but they're my favorite in that weird late night janitor kind of way) but it's definitely had a problem, being that it just won't fight back if another fish is chasing him or anything.

All the fish are juveniles, my red spotted severum being the largest at about 3 inches, and without his over all round shape, he's not even noticeably larger than the GT. Being a severum, I figured he wouldn't be that aggressive. But he'll openly bicker with the GT whenever he feels like it.

Beforehand, I had a convict and firemouth for tank mates, the firemouth used to be very docile in my 37 gallon aquarium, being tank mates with a couple apistos, an angelfish and a load of tetras, but as soon as he was put in the 75 he was a monster. he's also much smaller than the severum and green terror. He was removed shortly after. The convict was of course, a convict, eager to be the top dog no matter what. I removed him too, and may try adding him back later on or rehoming him.

The green terror isn't all too big, guessing 2-3 inches at best, looking to be a female at this point in time due to the rounded dorsal fin, though I don't know at what size they're truely sexable. I hear all these horror stories of green terrors killing other fish and being best in a tank kept alone, and I'm not seeing any of this, even my bristlenose pleco will push it around during feeding time.

Is it really just an age thing? Will it man up a bit with growing?

Oh yeah, and the tank is heavily decorated with mopani and malaysian driftwood, so it definitely has routes of escape from aggression, but I don't really like seeing the poor thing get pushed around so much.
 
I believe it's just a size issue. Some cichlids only get aggressive once they reach a certain size. The convict and firemouth are generally aggressive cichlids and stay small so they are pretty much teens or adults by now while the GT can get pretty big so it's considered a little kid for now.

In what order did you put the fish in the 75? Perhaps the first ones already made their territory and consider the ones that came in later on as trespassers.
 
I dont really think its a size issue more of a sex one . I have 4 gts all about the same size and my male is very tempermental especially to outsiders any other fish then a gt he will aggressively attack but my female really could careless and she often gets bullied by a 1" jack dempsey (possible male)

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Green Terrors are a less aggressive and a calm fish compared to butti's, devil's, dovii's and ect.

I had atleast 50 green terrors in my life, but they ALL got killed and murdered. Though, I've noticed that green terrors love to chase but when another fish turns around to fight back he runs off like a bunny.

I know 50 green terrors is a lot to lose. I always wanted to keep one successfuly because I love their colors. Guess they need to be kept singully or with bolivian rams!
 
doomiedee said:
I dont really think its a size issue more of a sex one . I have 4 gts all about the same size and my male is very tempermental especially to outsiders any other fish then a gt he will aggressively attack but my female really could careless and she often gets bullied by a 1" jack dempsey (possible male)

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Click to expand...

Granted when small females arent as aggressive as males i think this comes down to more of a size thing.

Mysterious said:
Green Terrors are a less aggressive and a calm fish compared to butti's, devil's, dovii's and ect.

I had atleast 50 green terrors in my life, but they ALL got killed and murdered. Though, I've noticed that green terrors love to chase but when another fish turns around to fight back he runs off like a bunny.

I know 50 green terrors is a lot to lose. I always wanted to keep one successfuly because I love their colors. Guess they need to be kept singully or with bolivian rams!
Click to expand...

Try telling this to my 6" male which wont allow even my hand in the tank.

I think it is more of a personality thing, which is often caused by the small size. I believe with GTs, unless they are an aggressive specimin (which can be uncommon) they need to be over the 3" mark, from what i have experienced this is where they become terrors. My female was more aggressive than my male and would willingly fish my 5" oscar.

Personally i think it comes down to the individual fish.
As for your scenario, i would try get the GT a little bigger and introduce it to the tank first, let it claim a teritory and add the others later on. Trial and error is the best way.
 
@GrantA94

Fight your oscars? well yeah, its not a festae, dovii, red devil, jaguar, or umbee. It's an oscar. Of course a green terror can fight that.

All 50 green terrors I bought lived with these type of cichlids. Sadly, the terrors were bigger too. But still ended up as a rag doll.

I remember having one green terror that fought with a 2 inch convict when he was 6 inches. I was impressed but he never dominated that female convict.

I do believe they all have their own personality but, I never experienced a tough one that could stand up to any of my other cichlids. I still like green terrors because of their colors but I don't think I am going to get another one anytime soon.
 
My female terror has only recently started standing up for herself and actually growing, shes currently just around the 2" mark and I've had her since November and since then she has grown about an inch. she started off the same rough size as the other fish but she just is very submissive. im starting to see her grow more now which is encouraging but I just thought you should know that youre not alone.
 
Mysterious said:
@GrantA94

Fight your oscars? well yeah, its not a festae, dovii, red devil, jaguar, or umbee. It's an oscar. Of course a green terror can fight that.

All 50 green terrors I bought lived with these type of cichlids. Sadly, the terrors were bigger too. But still ended up as a rag doll.

I remember having one green terror that fought with a 2 inch convict when he was 6 inches. I was impressed but he never dominated that female convict.

I do believe they all have their own personality but, I never experienced a tough one that could stand up to any of my other cichlids. I still like green terrors because of their colors but I don't think I am going to get another one anytime soon.
Click to expand...

she will often dominate against my RD which is of similar size, i used the example of the oscar to show they will stand up to fiah larger than theirselves.

Howcome you didnt learn after the 3rd ir 4th?
 
The green terror was actually the first fish ever in the tank, even before I added the buenos aires tetras and such. The firemouth and convict were after I added everything else, and the severum is the latest edition. I took the firemouth and convict out but may add them back in a month or two
 
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