This is a strange question and I dont know which forum to post in so I will go with general NW cichlids, I will explain my situation. I have a 125gallon tank that is just getting over ich, that this, or these, chocolates will be going into (along with the heckelli) in a few weeks. I just got these 3 fish Saturday (3 days ago), 2 chocolate cichlids, and 1 heckelli or threadfin acara. They are currently sitting in a 30gallon in QT, the heckelli is about 3 1/2 inches, the smaller chocolate which I believe is a H. coryphaenoides is about 1 1/2 maybe 1 3/4 inches, the mid sized chocolate which I believe is a H. temporalis is about 2 to 2 1/4 inches. I will also let these guys grow out a bit as they are a little smaller than the 125 community, but not by much. in the 125 biggest (other than bichir who is around 5.5 to 6) is 4-4 1/2 wile smallest is around 2 1/2 to 2 3/4. But that isn't pertinent to this question.
Whats going on is the mid size chocolate is very aggressive towards the smaller chocolate. He chases him, stalks and hunts him, more than twice every half hour, at the least
. He doesn't seem to bother the heckelli at all, although the heckelli does get out of his way. Is this likely to be lifelong aggression towards each other and they need to be separated? Or does someone think this could be a size thing and once the mid size chocolate hits this 125 he will chill out? They are only in the 30 for less than a month so don't freak out on me about that size. At the size they are, its fine, but I was considering adding a divider. OR MY QUESTION...
I have an Axolotl that is about 4.5 inches long in a small 10 gallon tank. I am wondering if one of these chocolates could do their QT time in with him instead of each other, then see how they are in the big 125. The only issue is the axolotl tank doesn't really have any filtration, although I could easily add a small sponge filter. It does have an air stone and decorations, and a light. If that, then do I put the aggressive mid size in the small axolotl tank or do I put the smaller chocolate cichlid in the smaller tank?
My other option is to trust that the chocolate doesn't need QT and put him in our 55 gallon that is stocked with tetras, frogs, snails, and a rainbow shark. However, that is a very active tank with fast swimmers and not a lot of hiding spaces, not mention risking my very stocked 55 gallons health. I would rather just use a divider in the 30 than do that, but it is an option. My one main concern about using the divider is I don't think it curtails aggression very well, and it reduces the tank size for all the fish involved. Neither chocolate is that large to be affected right now, but it would limit the heckellis space significantly.
As for the 125. It is stocked with a Severum, GT, electric blue acara, firemouth, EBJD. It also has 6 rainbow fish as dithers and 1 pictus catfish, I will likely be adding a striped raphel catfish as well. O yea, and the feature fish, my senegal bichir. That is pretty much the order of their hierarchy right now and size oddly enough (top 3 cichlids around 4 to 41/2 whlie bottom 2 around 2 3/4 to 3 inches). The EBJD may be above the firemouth in ranking, hard to tell at the bottom. But the severum is clearly boss, even over the GT. Could be cause he is a little bigger, he is peaceful, but clearly #1.The GT right now plays peacekeeper between the acara and firemouth, who go at it all the time. The pictus has no idea there are other fish in the tank LOL, and the bichir ignores everyone except when he is eating, then he pushes them out of his way. This may not stay like this as they are all still small and young, but for now, how do you guys/gals think the aggressive chocolate might do in this tank with much larger more aggressive fish? Do you think he will forget about the smaller chocolate, or will this be a lifelong harassment that I will have to stop by keeping them separate? As for my 125g, I am very happy with how the community is working out so far.
Whats going on is the mid size chocolate is very aggressive towards the smaller chocolate. He chases him, stalks and hunts him, more than twice every half hour, at the least
. He doesn't seem to bother the heckelli at all, although the heckelli does get out of his way. Is this likely to be lifelong aggression towards each other and they need to be separated? Or does someone think this could be a size thing and once the mid size chocolate hits this 125 he will chill out? They are only in the 30 for less than a month so don't freak out on me about that size. At the size they are, its fine, but I was considering adding a divider. OR MY QUESTION... I have an Axolotl that is about 4.5 inches long in a small 10 gallon tank. I am wondering if one of these chocolates could do their QT time in with him instead of each other, then see how they are in the big 125. The only issue is the axolotl tank doesn't really have any filtration, although I could easily add a small sponge filter. It does have an air stone and decorations, and a light. If that, then do I put the aggressive mid size in the small axolotl tank or do I put the smaller chocolate cichlid in the smaller tank?
My other option is to trust that the chocolate doesn't need QT and put him in our 55 gallon that is stocked with tetras, frogs, snails, and a rainbow shark. However, that is a very active tank with fast swimmers and not a lot of hiding spaces, not mention risking my very stocked 55 gallons health. I would rather just use a divider in the 30 than do that, but it is an option. My one main concern about using the divider is I don't think it curtails aggression very well, and it reduces the tank size for all the fish involved. Neither chocolate is that large to be affected right now, but it would limit the heckellis space significantly.
As for the 125. It is stocked with a Severum, GT, electric blue acara, firemouth, EBJD. It also has 6 rainbow fish as dithers and 1 pictus catfish, I will likely be adding a striped raphel catfish as well. O yea, and the feature fish, my senegal bichir. That is pretty much the order of their hierarchy right now and size oddly enough (top 3 cichlids around 4 to 41/2 whlie bottom 2 around 2 3/4 to 3 inches). The EBJD may be above the firemouth in ranking, hard to tell at the bottom. But the severum is clearly boss, even over the GT. Could be cause he is a little bigger, he is peaceful, but clearly #1.The GT right now plays peacekeeper between the acara and firemouth, who go at it all the time. The pictus has no idea there are other fish in the tank LOL, and the bichir ignores everyone except when he is eating, then he pushes them out of his way. This may not stay like this as they are all still small and young, but for now, how do you guys/gals think the aggressive chocolate might do in this tank with much larger more aggressive fish? Do you think he will forget about the smaller chocolate, or will this be a lifelong harassment that I will have to stop by keeping them separate? As for my 125g, I am very happy with how the community is working out so far.
