How much harassing before you separate them?

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T

TahoeFish

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 20, 2011
179
1
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Tahoe City, CA
Hi all.

I just set up my 4x2x2, 120g today (Whew what a job). I am using established filters & media from my 60 gallon as well as decor and some sand and some water. Okay I decided before territories got set up I would put the two red spot severum (siblings) together again to see if it would work. Well it has been 45 minutes and despite being in a totally new tank, the bigger of the two is spending all his energy harassing the smaller one. There is lots of chasing right now.

My question is this, how long do you give them to see if they can work it out? Is there a rule of thumb to use before I give up? There are lots of hiding places but the one sev is definitely pursuing the other with gusto.

I can move the little one back to a 36 gallon and then move him on, but I wanted to give it the requisite chance of working.

Total tank inhabitants right now
1 BN
6 congo tetras
5 Biotodoma cupido 2-3.5 inches
1 heros sp. Rotkeil 4 inches
2 heros efasciatus red spot 4 & 5 inches

Thank you.
 
Toss in the others so it will be spread out instead of focused on one fish
 
Mostl likely it won't work. Put something else in with the agressive severum or move him. When a fish acts this way toward another one it will continue till it kills the other one. Just the way it is with cichlids sometimes it works some times it doesn't.
 
Just watch for physical damage, sometimes they need a little time to establish a hierarchy. If its all chasing and the little one is eating give them a chance to work it out.
 
Thanks guys. Shortly after I wrote this I found the smaller sev up against the filter intake in an unhealthy position. He looked exhausted and stressed and frankly wouldn't have lasted. So he is back in the small tank and I officially give up on putting those two together. He is doing well in the smaller tank. Breathing normally, upright and acting fine.
 
bbortko said:
Just watch for physical damage, sometimes they need a little time to establish a hierarchy. If its all chasing and the little one is eating give them a chance to work it out.
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+1 i would wait to see if they work it out until you actually see some bad physical damage more than just a few missing scales, as long as the little one is still eating and everything then i would wait to see if they work it out
 
ok yeah you did the right thing, sometimes cichlids just plain don't like each other and wont give up until the other is gone
 
I would wait till the small one is less stressed out and put him back in, but pull the larger one out at the same time. Put him in the 36 for a week or so. It doesn't work everytime, but I've had moderate success doing this with aggressive fish. This way the smaller one will settle in and feel comfortable first and the larger will be "the new guy' upon reintroduction.

You did the right thing pulling the small one out though.
 
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