So i have been having some miserable luck with my africans this time. Almost makes me wish i hadnt got back into it. So the other day i got a breeding pair of rare oscars, a pair of red tiger motas and a pair of dovii in. Well in order to make room i combined 3 tanks into one. I had originally had a trio of lwanda, a trio of bi color 500s, a trio of otter points and a trio of ngara flametails. That was my first order, all wild caught so semi pricey not too cheap. Well due to FedEx's lack of professionalism because they hire people that dont care, my box came soaked and destroyed, i lost my bi color 500 male, a lwanda female that was holding free swimmers so there were dead babies all over the box as well and one of my lwanda females was dead. My otter point and lwanda males were big 5" show males super aggresive wild fish. So since they were cut down to pairs my otter point killed his female. A couple days later my lwanda almost had his female dead so i set up a medical tank and brought her back to nice shape. Well with this new shipment coming in, i had 2 tanks with 1 fish each in them and another with 6 wild synodontis multipunctatus in it and the male otter point, thought it would be a good idea to combine all 9 fish into a 125 to free up the 3 tanks. I went out tonight for a fabulous dinner and bowling and a movie and came home to shut the lights off in my fish room and found the 125 in total chaos. My otter point male had totally put the smack down on the lwanda. He was dead. missing eyes and totally tore up, holes in him. Im so frustrated. I am almost ready to throw in the towel. I guess these large wild males are pretty feisty fish. That lwanda was show quality too. Pretty sad about my luck. Just another reason i keep species only tanks. Just figured i would share.
Another dead african :(
- Thread starter jhutch
- Start date
I am really sorry to hear about the tragedy 
... The only thing I can think of why they were ripping eachother to shreds was that they are already very aggressive fish, but when you add females into the mix it doubles the aggression so they were both angry because of females and trying to establish dominance and throwing them in together with that probably took it over the edge. I am really sorry to hear about the dead Iwanda and other fish . Don't throw in the towel though! I am pretty sure things can turn around why not try getting mildly aggressive species and just have a community tank of mildly aggressive malawi's?
... The only thing I can think of why they were ripping eachother to shreds was that they are already very aggressive fish, but when you add females into the mix it doubles the aggression so they were both angry because of females and trying to establish dominance and throwing them in together with that probably took it over the edge. I am really sorry to hear about the dead Iwanda and other fish . Don't throw in the towel though! I am pretty sure things can turn around why not try getting mildly aggressive species and just have a community tank of mildly aggressive malawi's?Community fish arent really my thing. I breed and sell these fish. I had 113 tanks of africans 3 years ago until a big gas company fracked across the street from me and contaminated my well water which in turn when i did a water change(88 tanks were plumbed together with a central sump and swimming pool filter) it contaminated my system and killed most of my stock. So im rebuilding my business. Thats why i have africans. Ive just never mixed them ever. I always do species only tanks so i have never witnessed aggression like that.
Africans are by all rights one of the most aggressive fish for their size.. especially when there are mating pairs among the group... the male of the pair has to defend himself and his female partner constantly.. even if they do not have a one on one encounter the stress he goes through weakens his body until he is worn and that alone can kill him... the best way to have a breeding pairs is to have them in thier own tank.. a big 125 gal is great for all male africans.. and a little more of a crowded tank is better with these fish then less of them.. simply because the extra movement of other fish distracts the aggressive types and they don't constantly aim their aggression to just one that would eventually succumb to it.. So more is better as long as you are are aware that the tank will need extra maintenance and sheduled consistent water changes..very sorry for your loss but yes i agree stick to species only tanks when you can.
What a nightmare!! Don't give up...
it is really terrible how FedEx treated the package of fish but I really don't think it was just FedEx's fault, it was how the fish were packaged....the males shoulda been kept seperate from the females! But from the sounds of it, the males temperaments themselves weren't very good as well.
Did you notice any aggression between the males before you went out to dinner?
it is really terrible how FedEx treated the package of fish but I really don't think it was just FedEx's fault, it was how the fish were packaged....the males shoulda been kept seperate from the females! But from the sounds of it, the males temperaments themselves weren't very good as well.
Did you notice any aggression between the males before you went out to dinner?
All the fish were individually packed. None were packed together and i dont believe i said they were. 3 bags were busted open = 3 dead fish plus all the free swimmers in the one females mouth. I didnt see any aggression before i went to dinner. I put them all together in the tank in the morning. Everything looked ok.
Ah, my bad....so it was 100% FedEx's fault from the sounds of it...and if it happened to me I'd be giving them a call for sure!
What size tank was it that you put them all in?