Heterotilapia buettikoferi biting everything

[L3CTR0N]

I have a 3-inch juvenile growing out in a 55-gallon along with 2 adult tucan fish (Chalceus erythrurus). It's biting everything from tank mates to decor. It has absolutely shredded the sponge filter I have in there and the teflon tape on some of the pipe fittings in the tank.

Any reason why it's doing this? I understand the nipping of tankmates, that's just the aggression showing. But why the decor?

 

[duanes]

These are some of the most aggressive and destructive cichlids I have ever kept, but I loved keeping them
They need to be kept a large space (minimum 6 ft tank, preferably larger), with no other fish, because they will eventually hit about 20" and kill anything they are housed with (at least anything I tried), including larger, more predatory cichlids than themselves.
In nature they eat plants, snails, even cow dung.
I have also found they will only work in large tanks with large enough rocks, heavy enough for them not to dislodge, and no equipment or material , or plants they can chew to bits. If allowed something they can pick up, they can destroy that, and the tank they are housed in.
A tank with all equipment in a sump, with drilled overflows would be what I consider useable.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Tilapia are high IQ and inquisitive and fiercely opportunistic. I imagine biting the inedible objects on their part (although we have never seen it with our 4) may be akin to what giant gourami and pacu do to liners, cables, airlines, piping, pretty much anything and everything they can fit in their mouth partly or wholly. Foam, matting, plants, plastic plants? Forget it, they will delight in chewing it up and spitting it out.

 

[Joshuakahan]

I have a 3-inch juvenile growing out in a 55-gallon along with 2 adult tucan fish (Chalceus erythrurus). It's biting everything from tank mates to decor. It has absolutely shredded the sponge filter I have in there and the teflon tape on some of the pipe fittings in the tank.

Any reason why it's doing this? I understand the nipping of tankmates, that's just the aggression showing. But why the decor?

Buttikoferi are amazing cichlids but possibly the meanest you can get, I’d forget about tank mates if I were you. But it will be one of the best wetpets you can have. They grow super fast as well, mine went from 1.5” to 10” in 3 months. I’d go to a canister or hob filter because sponges won’t last long

 

[phreeflow]

One of the meanest and funnest fish I’ve had

 

[Cichlids-r-beasts]

Yeah it’s gonna kill anything that moves. Some of the smartest most personable fish you’d ever own though and like Duanes said they need big tanks. Females have no problem getting to 10-12 inches and males get much larger.

 

[The Morning]

And be careful of your hands if trying to clean the tank. Only fish to ever draw blood on me. They are beautiful though.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

The thread on our cut short quartet: https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/...tory-aquarium-and-rescue.717042/#post-8107240