Hello, i wanted to start a thread with information about how to setup a tank, aquascaping to prevent aggression in cichlids or any other fish. So, what would be the best way for me to setup my 55 gal to prevent aggression between african cichlids and other fish?
Aquascaping, How to prevent agression
- Thread starter Earthswater
- Start date
Adequate cichlid density will disperse their aggression so that there is minimal aggression toward any one fish. This in addition to plenty of rock caves, drift wood, and plants for hiding places should work well. You can visit the cichlid section to look at how others have aquascaped, or look at some youtube videos.
What cichlids and what other fish in particular are you interested in stocking?
What cichlids and what other fish in particular are you interested in stocking?
if you do africans, many people overstock the tank so one or two fish are not always being picked on. also lots and lots of caves and hiding places should lower the aggression
deffenitly one thing that works real well. Is to change the tank all around every week when you do water changes. So no one ever has set territory to defend. And the fish are kept not so board. And are allways investigating instead of claiming territory and fin nipping and such gaurding it. Keeps stress down. Allso black water set ups with low lighting. And rock bottom, or crushed coral. They are allways moving around entertaining them selfs. Low temps help alot i have noticed. Say keep your tank at between 78-79 instead of between 81-82 as i keep my cichlid tanks. Making sure that fish are full and have plenty to eat keeps aggression down in my exsperience.
calioutlaw1a;5061124; said:
This.
I used to have TONS of aggression a couple decades ago when I listened to fish 'experts' and their rule of thumb for fish per gallon. That's a good rule for people who are lazy and don't clean or do water changes IMO. I decided that if there were tons of fish then they couldn't be aggressive or if they were they wouldn't be focusing one any one single fish so therefore things should be better. I tried this and they were. I don't lose fish to aggression anymore. Here's an older picture to give you an idea of the decoration I use to give them plenty of hiding places and caves and flat surfaces on which to spawn if they choose. It's not a good picture and was when I had just set the tank up again and was in the process of restocking but I have a lot more fish in there now. When they're small you can get away with it but you want to use that time to put lots of small fish in because the older they get the more aggressive they will get.
As said above, overcrowding and lots of rocks greatly reduce african aggression. I suggest you try your hand at a lace or lava rock sculpture. Instead of just stacking the rocks you can "glue" them together with epoxy putty and some AC glue. I think it's fun, easy and cheap.
Here's my first try:
Here's my first try: