Dither fish for red devil

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Kerrie

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 3, 2009
11
0
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Rockingham, Western Australia
Okay I haven't posted here in a long time however I'm looking for some help here with a problem.
I have a Red Devil probably a hybrid but irrelevant to my question.
He is about 5 years old now, he is alone in a 482L tank however he has become quite obnoxious lately. He has almost smashed the lid of his aquarium by head butting it HARD. Throwing toys out of his tank through gap in lid and splashing large amounts of water with his tail out through said gap. Now water splashing is a usual behaviour just not this volume. He will do this until I come to the aquarium and interact with him becomes calmer and behaves. If I leave he starts up again.
I am wondering if he is lonely now he cant have a friend as he tends to rip out eyes or strip faces. When I tried him on feeder fish he just ripped out their eyes and left them floating uneaten, he ate the eye stalks of an apple snail.

I am wondering maybe dither fish to occupy him but what would work Giant Danios, or rainbows would they be fast enough? but Im sure when lights out he will go them.
Anyone any ideas?

I have changed his lids to plexiglass to avoid a potential fatal injury. I have eliminated every other potential reasons he may be angrier then usual

Thankyou for any help
 
Convicts.
 
He likes you and wants to jump out of the tank to be with you. Maybe you can carry him around in a portable bag of water.

Seriously though, permanent solution is difficult for large fish; maybe you can try the tank divider method and get him(?) a mate.
 
a strongly built,divider.that would be needed to introduce a female,i like that idea.convicts with a small fortress they can hide in.more toys:ping pong balls,rubber fishing worms,maybe wind up swim toy? i might have to try that with my crazy a@# jagXtexas cross
 
Thanks for the replies
A female? would a 72*18*24 inch be big enough chopped in half for them they would only have 3 foot each to swim in. Space wont allow for bigger tank. I thought about convicts do they have a potential to attack and run I wouldnt want my devil to get his fins all ratty. My devils my only cichlid I have ever kept so not familar with behaviour.
Also I love him I wouldnt wanna see him picked on as badass as he thinks he is
 
some tinfoil barbs. silver dollars. other cichlids may likely piss him off and get harassed but quick fish will avoid danger.
 
Kerrie said:
Thanks for the replies
A female? would a 72*18*24 inch be big enough chopped in half for them they would only have 3 foot each to swim in. Space wont allow for bigger tank. I thought about convicts do they have a potential to attack and run I wouldnt want my devil to get his fins all ratty. My devils my only cichlid I have ever kept so not familar with behaviour.
Also I love him I wouldnt wanna see him picked on as badass as he thinks he is
Click to expand...

He will take the convicts out. You could have tried something when he is little; now that he is big, there is little chance he will accept roomates...hence the tank divider method. Any pictures of the bad boy?
 
Divide the tank, and drop in a nice female. She will get his attention and calm him down. How big is he for 5 years old?
 
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