Can fish "gang up" on another fish?

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mshill90

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 4, 2009
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Mechanicsburg, PA
Well, many of you know that I have a SA/CA mix 180 gallon tank, with fish that people normally advise against keeping together...

1x jag male
1x midas male
3x barred midas (2m.1f) - going to petstore this weekend
1x Festae male
1x RTM female

and multiple bichirs.

I went down to the tank this morning, and my poor jag (my first ever cichlid) was all beat up. He's not breathing heavy, or anything like that, but his fins are all ripped up, and he's got no pattern from all his skin being all torn up. He's not bleeding, or had any actual wounds.. but he's in a salted 20 gallon QT for right now.

But... all my other fish are spot less. I have seen him and the festae mouth battle maybe once or twice, but they are both not adamant about it, and after a touch of the mouth, they both go their own ways. The large midas could care less about anything that goes on in the tank.

I'm really at a loss as to who it could have been. I know the female RTM which is about 6-7" (small compared to the rest) has been really pestering the jag and showing off.. I think she wants to breed, but he's just not that into her I guess..

I'm thinking it's either her (RTM), or the group of barred midas, as they chase everyone around, and they seem to be a "school".

Any ideas? And please, don't give me the crap about how ALL Midas are killing machines because the big guy is a puppy dog, and won't even eat a guppy.

I'm hoping the Jag pulls through... he's my favorite and I think if I lost him, I might shut down every tank I have.
 
the mix of cichlids you have in general are aggressive. either way its only a matter of time until they get territorial. my guess would be the festae. my midas is a jerk. he started of nice and turned into an attacker.
 
the reason I have them together is because they have all lived their lives with other fish, and never had issues. I can automatically rule out being the largest cichlid (midas) because the jag just stayed in his cave, and the midas doesn't really have interested in the fish. Him and the Jag actually make all the other fish move out of the way when I feed them so that the bichirs can get food.

I'm leaning towards it not being the festae though. I had a male convict in there and he bossed the festae around to no end. He passed last week from old age. He was like 9 yrs old or something like that.
 
Hate to say I told you so but...

To answer your main questions, cichlids can definitely "gang up" on a weaker or injured fish.
 
Yeah, he was the mellower of them all...

The barred midas are going to the pet store this weekend, and the female RTM is getting moved in with the carpintis.

That should settle everyone down and make some space.
 
Well, I don't think the Jag is going to make it.. and I don't like that idea at all. This may put the final nail in the coffin. He is my absolute favorite fish out of ALL of my fish, and is so friendly.

Normally my treatment for hurt/injured fish is to QT and salt.. well, salt, in this case was a bad idea, and it brought out his true condition. He's like skinned! I can see meat.

So, I did a water change, and added some stress coat. I keep a gallon of it around in case I ever need it.. which is rare.

-sigh- I've already been having a crappy week.

BUT- I KNOW WHO THE CULPRIT WAS! IT WAS BOTH OF THE FEMALES IN THE TANK. THE BARRED MIDAS AND RTM. THEY BOTH HAVE FACIAL ABRASIONS. AS WHILE ALL THE BOYS IN THE TANK ARE FLAWLESS.

Needless to say, the RTM and barred midas will be gone. I'm not dealing with this.
 
yup, cichlids will definitely gang up on a weak opponent if givin the oppertunity. I have a large Nicaraguan cichlid around 7-8 inches that was running my tank with an Iron fist until I brought in a bigger Vieja Synspila. They instantly hated each other but it was just lip locking and wasnt getting to serious. the next day I came home and they were both destroyed, just shredded and every other cichlid in the tank was beating on the Nicaraguan now that he was weakened. Cichlids will gang up on each other and they will remember who picked on them in the past. The Nicaraguan did recover but is no longer in charge.
 
If the Jag makes it, and decides to stop being a sissy... I would gladly put him in with the female barred midas and pray he rips her face off! haha.

I can't tell you how pissed off I am.

Him and the big midas and festae get along great.

I've really been dealing with too much death this week... stingray, squirrel, koi... now possibly him.. -sigh-
 
well u have a bunch of males in the tank with one female , that would cause the males to fight as well...diff species of cichlids will pair up in a tank...
 
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