Keyhole Cichlid aggression

[duanes]

The size of the tank always seems to be the limiting factor, even with groups.
If the tank was a 6 footer or larger, a large group would easily work. But to me a 40, 55 or even 75 gallons is not large enough to hold more cichlids than just the pair.
In any of my tanks under 100 gallons, I find they only work temporarily for growing out a group but as soon as maturity sets in and a pair forms, only the pair is doable, without other deaths.
And if you want eggs and fry to survive, any kind of Pleco is problematic.

 

[Ravynn]

They will always be more aggressive to their own kind than other fish.

If you had more confirmed males you could just rehome the females and the males would probably coexist in the tank. I keep all-male tanks of SA fish with little issue -- if there's no female's attention to compete for, they don't seem to have much of a reason to fight.

Of the 2 that are unpaired, it seems they are male and female. I don't know what the best things to do is now. Keep the pair or keep 2 males. I just don't want future tank mates to get hurt.

And if you want eggs and fry to survive, any kind of Pleco is problematic.

Honestly I just wanted a peaceful south american community tank, not a species tank and i'm definitely not interested in breeding them.

 

[Ravynn]

I just caught the both of them within 2 minutes of eachother with the tank completly full and lights on. I have java fern in front of driftwood and they were in between it so I cornered them and they went right into the net! Ha, suckers.

 

[duanes]

Because I am a cichlid one trick pony, I hate to say this, but if you want a peaceful community tank,
dither fish like tetras or live bearers may be your target group, but cichlids, they may not be for you.
Maybe Rams, or some other dwarf mini type. That said.....
All cichlids are territorial, all have big personalities that are often at odds with any sort of copasetic community living, and especially in small tanks.

 

[Ravynn]

Because I am a cichlid one trick pony, I hate to say this, but if you want a peaceful community tank,
dither fish like tetras or live bearers may be your target group, but cichlids, they may not be for you.
Maybe Rams, or some other dwarf mini type. That said.....
All cichlids are territorial, all have big personalities that are often at odds with any sort of copasetic community living, and especially in small tanks.

In addition to the bristlenose I already have I was considering 2 different types of tetras with possibly a small group of corydoras. I'm just confused by your statement as everywhere I read says that keyholes are one of the most peaceful types of cichlids with other species and are great for community tanks.

 

[duanes]

The word Peaceful together with a Cichlid, is a very relative term, and to me, not to be taken literally.
Most cichlid profiles that I read say peaceful about keyholes and some others, and in a general way, might be right, but. if a pair forms, that's all out the window.
So I consider each of them with a grain of salt, many profiles will also claim a 55 or 75 gal tank is OK for an Oscar, or some similar cichlids which to me is total BS.
The reality is often quite the opposite, especially if the profile is a regurgitated from other "opinions".
And this is not only true about cichlids, I've seen profiles that say a 100 gallon is OK for a Pacu, or a 300 is OK for red tail cat, which to me is also just as ridiculous on both counts.
I had a mated pair of Nosferatu bartoni, (5 inch male, slightly smaller female) they lived copasetically in a 125 gallon, but after 3 spawns I gave them to a fellow aquarium club member who wanted to BAP them, and who thought, (its only a 5" fish, I can put them in 55 gallon), 24 hours later, the female was dead.

 

[Reiner]

nice bartoni, such a cool fish in breeding dress

 

[Ravynn]

The word Peaceful together with a Cichlid, is a very relative term, and to me, not to be taken literally.

I've talked to a few different people online before I got them. One with a 40 breeder consisting of a pair of Keyholes among other community fish and one with a 55 gallon consisting of 7 adult Keyholes and a pair among them with other community fish. I usually don't trust online profiles but rather read about other's experiences on forums like this, which is why i've been dumbfounded with all that has happened.

So are you suggesting that I can't keep anything else in the 40 gallon with a pair? Or I should approach it with caution? I'm definitely not up for just 2 fish in there. I'll get rid of 3 or all of them if it means I can keep schooling fish or corydoras.

 

[Reiner]

I keep a single male keyhole in a 80 gallon with 5 large male angels a Geo heckelii (threadfin acara) 3 small fancy plecos and I have never seen any aggression from the keyhole. I'm surprised at your pair.

 

[ryansmith83]

Keyholes are very peaceful, bordering on shy. If you had them with other species they would probably never touch them.

However, any breeding pair of cichlids is another story. Even the most peaceful cichlids are going to be territorial and aggressive to protect their spawn.

I have pairs of rams, considered one of the most peaceful and small cichlids, and they were attacking and chasing 5” fish when they laid eggs in one of my growout tanks. I had to separate them because they were making the tankmates crazy. It’s just the nature of breeding cichlids.

My suggestion, if you have no interest in breeding them, is to try and keep all males. You can’t keep all females because lots of female cichlids will form same-sex pairs and act just as nasty and territorial as a m/f pair.

What is the footprint on your 40 gallon? Is it a 40 breeder?