I have a 55-gallon Semi African cichlid tank. That is they are all Africans except the opaline gourami, the 4 yoyo loaches, and the green spotted puffer. Here is my issue. The red zebra is picking on everyone. Is there anyway to diffuse the aggression because i feel bad for the other fish. All of them are less than 3 inches. In total there are 11 fish. I have heard that you can overcrowd a bit and it will get rid of a little aggression, but how many fish would I need to do that? So far the other fish are stuck in the corners and the zebra sits in the middle of the tank waiting until someone moves. I think that i should have enough places for them to hid, but the pesky zebra finds them and runns them out. Am i doomed, am i going to have to pick a few and sell the rest?
Diffusing Aggression
- Thread starter Casey Norris
- Start date
Move everything in your tank around somethimes this helps and makes them set up another territory.
your problem is the Zebra. You have a mbuna african and zebras are the worst. I would say your problem lies in the selection of fish. Africans are aggressive. I would also like to know how many more africans you have. The crowding thing can work, but it works best with just africans. Otherwise you are putting more bullies in the tank. The will pick on each other, but they will pick on the weakest.
There are 5 total africans in the tank. Which is funny because the africans get picked on by the zebra more than the other fish. Thanks for the suggestions
I do move the hidding places at each water change, which is about once a week. Should i try to move it around more often?
I have a male aratus also. I would think the zebra and the aratus would fight mostly, but i think the zebra whooped up on the aratus and so he stears clear now.
I do move the hidding places at each water change, which is about once a week. Should i try to move it around more often?
I have a male aratus also. I would think the zebra and the aratus would fight mostly, but i think the zebra whooped up on the aratus and so he stears clear now.
THe trouble with moving everything around is that it can fix a problem, but moving all the time will make it worse. every time you do a water change you are starting the fighting all over again.
I think you should try taking the zebra out and seeing what happens. I dont think the agression problem is going to go away by moving stuff around, it does work but if he keeps at it then I dont think that is the problem. Sometimes in order to equal out things you have to gain some or lose some. I say take him out and see if anyone else starts to become a big bully - if no other fish does then I would say get rid of the zebra. Mbuna in general though should really be kept in a tank amoung themselves or with other malawi's that can hold up against them.
If you take him out, the auratus will do the same thing. I suggest getting a couple more to try and spread things out a little, or add some more caves/rocks.
try dithers! dithers in this case target fish should give the aggresive ones something else to pick on! but target fish should be pretty fast or else they'll be killed if to much agression is toward them!
Casey Norris;736887; said:There are 5 total africans in the tank. Which is funny because the africans get picked on by the zebra more than the other fish. Thanks for the suggestions
I do move the hidding places at each water change, which is about once a week. Should i try to move it around more often?
Try every four hours!
ASH and DUNAGANword
As for dithers, it seems that the non Africans in the tank are the dithers.In seriousness, Giant danios or rainbows are cheap, fast river fish that you may try.
yo-yos can usually hold their own. I have them with my Africans and have seen them many a-time.
Sometimes you just get a mean fish. -who will try to king where ever you put him. Until some fish puts him in his place.