Aggressive Geophagus altifrons

[JakobF]

I have a group of 7 Geophagus altifrons “Sao Felix do Xingu” in my 530 L (approx 140 gallons) aquarium. They display quite a lot intraspecific aggression and currently the aquarium is divided into several territories which is defended vigorously.

I think one pair is currently holding eggs and they obviously defend their territory, but the remaining five (another pair and three loners) do the same. This means that whenever a fish decides to move just a little bit out of their own territory, the fighting begins. Fighting’s consist of chasing, biting and often liplocking. In fact they have been lip-locking so much, that most of the them more or less constantly have wounds above the upper lip.

When I bought the group (they came from a 530 L tank) I was hoping for a more peaceful and harmonious group. When I feed them they do seem quite harmonious, but the rest of the time they are in their locked situation. In order to reduce their aggression I have been considering the following options:

- Rearrange decorations in the tank and perhaps add more driftwood.

- Split the group, so that I keep one or two pairs in that aquarium.

- Move the whole group to my 756 L (200 gallons) aquarium. This aquarium is 180 cm wide (my 530 L is 160 cm). However, this will probably require that I sell my Hypselecara temporalis pair and Uaru pair. Both pairs are quite aggressive (and big), so I don’t think it will work with them and the geophagus group together. There are also 8 myleus schomburgkii in that tank. I’m not sure if they can go with the geophagus (I’m afraid they will nip the fins).

- Add more fish to disperse aggression. However the geo's don't seem at all interrested in the 4 pterophyllum scalare in the tank, so I am not sure this will have any effect.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to reduce the geo’s aggression?

Picture of the tank (the tank is 160 cm wide):

sorry for the poor quality:-(

 

[ryansmith83]

They have probably outgrown that tank, based on the photo. A friend of mine raised out a group in a 300 gallon tank and they started murdering each other when they hit 10”+ so he had to sell them. They’re rougher on each other than people realize.

Have you considered leaving the pair in the smaller tank and moving the other 5 to the larger tank?

 

[JakobF]

Thanks for your reply. They are definitely rougher than I expected, and also a lot rougher than the geo's I have previously kept.

Yes, I have considered moving the other 5 to the larger tank. Do you think they can go togehter with the Hypselecara temporalis, Uaru and myleus schomburgkii?

And what about the pair in the original tank, will they thrive when not in a group?

 

[ryansmith83]

I’ve never had large geos bother other large SA fish. I’ve kept large winemilleri and dicrozoster with both Uaru and Hypselecara.

Geos loosely shoal but they’re not a schooling fish, especially once they pair off. Just keep an eye on the pair to make sure they don’t turn on each other. I usually try the “keeping cichlids in pairs” approach by putting large dithers in the tank to give the pair a target for their aggression, to hopefully keep them from attacking each other.

 

[neutrino]

And while you often read that geos like to be in groups, a pair will typically be quite content in a community with other fish.

The geos do better in groups thing is more true for juvies than adults. In the wild you often see groups of them-- sometimes more like aggregations-- but the same is true of Mesonauta, Heros, Crenicichla, certain acara and others often kept individually in tanks.

 

[JakobF]

Thanks for your inputs.

The best thing to do is probably, as you suggest, to leave the pair holding eggs in the tank and move the rest. I think I'll wait a little bit though, so I don't disturb the pair to much as it's their first spawn.

I added a bit more drift wood during waterchange today and at least for now it seems to have disrupted the constant territorial battles.

 

[duanes]

And while you often read that geos like to be in groups, a pair will typically be quite content in a community with other fish.

The geos do better in groups thing is more true for juvies than adults. In the wild you often see groups of them-- sometimes more like aggregations-- but the same is true of Mesonauta, Heros, Crenicichla, certain acara and others often kept individually in tanks.

Agree and I have had a similar experience with G altifrons, (and some other geophagines) when spawning they became quite aggressive in a similar size tank, so I removed them to a separate tank.
In nature, pairs are able to separate far from the group, to an area all to themselves to raise broods.
So the idea that a 6 ft tank is enough space once maturity sets in, and spawning occurs, is not really the case.
Just looking at the photo, the tank above looks overly crowded to me. The pair on the right need to either be removed to their own tank, or....the other Geos should be placed in another tank.