I'm have started my monster tank with 4 oscars 1 jaguar Cichlid 1 green terror 1 jack Dempsey and 2 convicts. I was wondering what would happen if I remove all the decore. The biggest fish in the tank are two of the four oscars and The jaguar. Will the other smaller fish be bullied to death or would aggression decrease since there is only sand and two fake plants in the tank. And is there any tips on how to arrange the decore If it should be left in the tank
No hiding places or decor just sand aquarium set up
- Thread starter Jay99
- Start date
You didn't mention how big the tank was. Some scapes can definitely promote territories while others don't provide enough spots for more assive fish to hide. Experimenting is going to be your key to success as noone here but you know the personalities of your fish. Make changes and observe carefully.
Good luck
Good luck
It's a 210. none of the fish beat up on each and cause damage but there is a lot of chasing and flaring gills
I've kept all of the same fish (except the Jaguar, and one, not 4 Oscars, and one not two convicts) in a smaller tank. It was very aggressive, but I had a lot of decor. Rocks, caves, plants. Eventually, not too long later, I concluded the fish were antagonized by each others presence and proximity too much. I removed the Oscar, then the GT. Life became peaceful again.
Long term that tank is too small strictly speaking on the bio load alone... unless you are prepared to do 85% water changes every 3 days.
Long term, lack of decor that enables the fish to establish territories, hide, avoid contact, imo, will lead to some fish trying to claim the entire tank as their own, while others will be stressed from having no defined spot. Without any physical device to determine where borders start and end, thus allowing fish to "bargain" and adjust, each fish will be stressed.
In a much larger tank (e.g., a 1,000 gallon with zero decor) that would not be as much of a problem. Fish could get chased and would swim a few feet away. Issue solved. In a smaller tank, not so good.
So not my fist choice on how to keep a tank of cichlids.
The three things studies have found with regard to aggression is that its directly related to species characteristics, too small of a tank, and lack of complex decor.
So, trifecta.
I would probably add smaller caves on one side, plus larger caves in the middle, and several very tall, wide plants, or driftwood left of center and right of center to break up line of sight, add protective caves, and provide boundaries sooner rather than later.
However, if the Jaguar is a male, I think it will solve these problems.
Long term that tank is too small strictly speaking on the bio load alone... unless you are prepared to do 85% water changes every 3 days.
Long term, lack of decor that enables the fish to establish territories, hide, avoid contact, imo, will lead to some fish trying to claim the entire tank as their own, while others will be stressed from having no defined spot. Without any physical device to determine where borders start and end, thus allowing fish to "bargain" and adjust, each fish will be stressed.
In a much larger tank (e.g., a 1,000 gallon with zero decor) that would not be as much of a problem. Fish could get chased and would swim a few feet away. Issue solved. In a smaller tank, not so good.
So not my fist choice on how to keep a tank of cichlids.
The three things studies have found with regard to aggression is that its directly related to species characteristics, too small of a tank, and lack of complex decor.
So, trifecta.
I would probably add smaller caves on one side, plus larger caves in the middle, and several very tall, wide plants, or driftwood left of center and right of center to break up line of sight, add protective caves, and provide boundaries sooner rather than later.
However, if the Jaguar is a male, I think it will solve these problems.
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Yes i do basically almost the same stock. Convicts pair can take over a tank very aggressive. Oscars should be fine although 4 maybe to many, jaguar wil be the boss of the tank and might even eat the jd and convicts. The green terror will need somewhere to hide also recommended for the Jack
