Champsochromis caeruleus

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fish_dude

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 19, 2008
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Virginia
I recently added a nice 10" Champsochromis caeruleus to my 180g show tank. Other inhabitants are a 10" venustus, a 9" Bucco Rhoadesii, 8" Spilonotus, Ornatus, Tangerine Tiger C. Borleyi Kangango, Exochochromis, Fusco. And more smaller fish.

I had no agression issues before except maybe the venustus. I added the Champ 3 weeks ago.. and rearranged the tank setup last sunday. As of yesterday, the Bucco has started showing a lot of agressive chasing when mostly after I turn the lights on. He has done no physical damage, but he's been chasing all the BIG fish escept for the Vensustus(only one that stands up to him). The Bucco, who has been guilty of hitting him from behind when he's not looking.. but can't stand up one on one... gets chased the most. The chase is fast and furious with the bucco banging into the glass. Again... no damage..

However, these chases have GOT to stress the other fish. I've also heard that Champs can clear a tank if they want to... as in KILL EVERYTHING.
When I got this guy, he was a dominant fish, but he wasn't the 'killer' in the tank.. if that makes sense.

So what do I do? Do I sell this guy? He's beautiful, but honestly, the Bucco is my favorite. Do I let them settle in a bit? Add another big fish?(might mean more fighting).... Remove him for a couple weeks? Sell him? He'd fetch me big $$$. I miss my peacful tank... and the tyranochromsi i traded for this guy.

Thanks for any advice!
 
Still no damage... he's off and on with the agression.

I'll try that... the problem is the guy I got him from isn't local. I swapped for him, but he's a $100+ fish... as you would expect from a 10" champ with long fins and good color. It's a 6 hour drive, and with Gas, I'd spend that, and a day driving, just to bread even. I'm SURE I could find a buyer closer though.

NOW, I remember why i was growing oneout... and long patience.

Just a comment here.. when you get your tank with a good balance, forget the offers to sell your nice fish for large sums of money, forget the tempation to get a cool new fish. It's going to take me 3-6 months to be where I was 2 months ago. The more you leave well enough alone the better.. don't rock the boat!
 
If you have some where to put them take out 2 or 3 fish and once again rearrange everything when you reintroduce them all back together and see if this jumbles them up enough to stay together.
 
Steve,
Your first problem was that you re-arranged the rock work. You should have never of done that. He was getting "use" to the tank inhabitants and now it "appears" to the new fish, and existing fish, that they are in a new environment in which they need to show dominance.

My best suggestion would be to remove the guy and the bucco for 3-5 days if not longer, then, re-introduce them back in the tank. Since those 2 guys are your more dominant fish they are not going to be high in the pecking order right away. They "should" settle right in after 24 hours much like the champs originally did when you got him from me.
 
Well, I didn't rearrange the rocks through choice. I had to get a couple fish out of the tank... and I had to remove the rockwork to get the fish. They never go back where they were... exactly anyway. The fish I pulled were a VC-10 and a Exochocrhomis as they were not eating. Both of those fish are now doing fine in my 125g. I also removed what I had thought was a male firefish that was 'holding'.... so I had to yank her as well.

I was able to catch the champ wihtout disturbing the rocks... he's in a 20g right now.. and the tank is peasful again. To see the tank (minus the champ.. well.. I had another smaller champ at the time... ) there is a video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9m2EDlsg2M

The tank no longer had a champ of any type as they have been pulled.. for now. and I actually replaced the tyrannochromis with a fusco.
 
Thanks.. I like the Bucco too! Which is why i don't like the champ trying to take him out! I like the champ, but I probably should have chose one that was subdominat. I was told when I got him that he was the dominant fish, but not the mean one. I don't see any physical damage.

I was told by others that the only way to get these guys to work is to grow them in your tank... as once they're in a breeding group and get that big, they're hard to deal with. As i said, he's in a 20g by himself.. he's a 10" fish.. so he's not happy. He'll stay there for at LEAST 2 weeks.

Then I'll move him back... for one last try.
 
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