I have been keeping CA cichlids for over 15 years and one of the biggest challenges is the aggression no matter which sp. In my opinion nothing you can do to kirb the aggression works in the long term. It eventually comes down to removing or shuffeling fish around.
Myths that I have found not to work and my reasons:
1. Lower temps. Most people say lowering the metabolisim will reduce aggression. I think this might work on sp. in warmer waters (like SA cichlids), but not for CAs. My thought is that CA cichlids are used to cooler temps and temp changes in the wild.
2. Hiding spots. A territory w/ hiding spots is always desirable to any cichlid. I think this only works in large tanks. Most CA's in will want all of the 4' for their territory. The only CA's I find this works is with sp. specific tanks (like a group of firemouths for example), cryptos and achos. Mixing varrious CAs in the long term in a 4' tank rarely works.
3. Dithers/targets. Dithers may help in breeding time and may help pairs bond, and might take aways ome of the pressure on the cichlids tank mates, but another cichlid is more of a threat. As far as targets go-most cichlids only care about other cichlids and never see other fish as competition or a threat. Every CA cichlid I has always ignored livebarers or tetras.
4. Over stocking. I've tried this and never works. Once a cichlid is determined to have the whole tank to themselves, then they will pick off one tank mate at a time until they are all gone. If the aggression is conspecific then the fisrt ones to go will be the look-alikes. Conspecific aggression is a very vague theory IMO. It is all in the prospective of the fish, and what they see as competition. In most cases any cichlid will be competition for food and territory since these fish are in unnatural conditions.
The bottom line is that CA cichlids are adapting to aquariums in their ways. Unlike most SA and African cichlids they tend to fight to the death and will never let up. Of course there are SA and Africans that are the exception, but I think it is more common in CAs. At the end of the day tank size is the only solution for a CA community tank, and that wil only reduce the aggression, but never end it.
Anyone have any thoughts or opinions on this?
Myths that I have found not to work and my reasons:
1. Lower temps. Most people say lowering the metabolisim will reduce aggression. I think this might work on sp. in warmer waters (like SA cichlids), but not for CAs. My thought is that CA cichlids are used to cooler temps and temp changes in the wild.
2. Hiding spots. A territory w/ hiding spots is always desirable to any cichlid. I think this only works in large tanks. Most CA's in will want all of the 4' for their territory. The only CA's I find this works is with sp. specific tanks (like a group of firemouths for example), cryptos and achos. Mixing varrious CAs in the long term in a 4' tank rarely works.
3. Dithers/targets. Dithers may help in breeding time and may help pairs bond, and might take aways ome of the pressure on the cichlids tank mates, but another cichlid is more of a threat. As far as targets go-most cichlids only care about other cichlids and never see other fish as competition or a threat. Every CA cichlid I has always ignored livebarers or tetras.
4. Over stocking. I've tried this and never works. Once a cichlid is determined to have the whole tank to themselves, then they will pick off one tank mate at a time until they are all gone. If the aggression is conspecific then the fisrt ones to go will be the look-alikes. Conspecific aggression is a very vague theory IMO. It is all in the prospective of the fish, and what they see as competition. In most cases any cichlid will be competition for food and territory since these fish are in unnatural conditions.
The bottom line is that CA cichlids are adapting to aquariums in their ways. Unlike most SA and African cichlids they tend to fight to the death and will never let up. Of course there are SA and Africans that are the exception, but I think it is more common in CAs. At the end of the day tank size is the only solution for a CA community tank, and that wil only reduce the aggression, but never end it.
Anyone have any thoughts or opinions on this?
