Jaguar cichlid mixed with african cichlid

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Gizmo7415

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 7, 2011
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arizona
does anyone know if my Red Zebra will ever stop picking fights with my breeding pair of jaguars? jags are 5-6 inches and red zebra is 4-5 inches(male). there housed in a 130 gallon tank. also have some convicts and a bumble bee cichlid. The zebra dont bother them, he only bothers the jags
 
the jags are never damaged by the zebra, but he makes them stay on the left side of the tank. i am absolutely confused . jags are bigger and have babies but still allow the zebra to boss them around.????
 
Red zebras(mbunas) are highly aggressive, they just don't stop. My jag is bossed around by a much smaller Dempsey.. I'm not sure if its just the species or the individual... Jags have an aggressive reputation, and I, too, am confused.
 
i am told by others that eventually my jags will become the dominant fish, but im not sure. with them being a breeding pair im assuming they will eventually take over the tank.
 
thats not surprising...a jag at that size is not a full grown adult, the zebra on the other hand is most likely a more mature fish. Eventually the jags will be huge and it probably won't be an issue anymore, but zebras can be very aggressive, and since the jags are still small the zebra can still have its way
 
Even when the Jags mature the Red Zebra will still defend its territory. I don't see a neutral balance of power ever being established.
 
I've seen Jags do this before. They get pushed around untill they quickly out grow the one pushing them around! You could try re-arranging the decore, since the Zebra is probably guarding a marked territory. If he's not physically attacking the Jag then you could wait it out, since it will go in the Jags favor eventually.
 
I wouldn't re-arrange decor...unless you really know your fish and know what your doing. In general, mbuna establish themselves quicker then any other fish will. Been mixing the 2 for over 3 decades now, so i have seen countless of times, how mbuna establish themselves quick, in comparison to most new worlds ( when they are first introduced, or when decor is re-arranged). For example, some fish such as an auratus, depending on the particular tankmates and circumstances.....HAS to be temporarily removed from the tank, if you re-arrange decor, because of it's nasty demeanor and the fact that it is very likely to take advantage of it's ability to re-establish much quicker then most of it's tankmates.

At 5-6", though sexually mature, your Jags are still very young. Still small and undeveloped. You really can't judge too much what the species is really like, nor what your fishes will become. Of course every individual fish is different as well. Even amongst CA cichlids, jags are often not the most dominant fish at this size and age. Sometimes, but often not.

Mbuna, ounce for ounce, are generally very capable fish. They have high-energy aggression. Often, it takes some time for CA cichlids to learn how to defend against the mbuna style and ability. Looking on the positive side: probably a good thing that somebody in your tank can defend against the jags; otherwise they might take over your whole tank and possibly kill the other inhabitants.
 
dent20;5061772; said:
Even when the Jags mature the Red Zebra will still defend its territory. I don't see a neutral balance of power ever being established.

What I'm suggesting is that eventually the jags will dominate and/or eat the zebras, which will eliminate the issue with the zebra being too aggressive
 
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