Marine introduction techniques?

[Skurj]

I have a 180g community right now with:

6 black bar SD
2 Cubans (3"ish)
6 RTM ranging from 2-3+ (5 males which will be coming out and I will keep the lone female who is also the largest)
3 Polleni 3"+
3 Raphael
2 BN

I tried to introduce a female festae on the weekend (3") and she got through a couple days ok, and then Monday I came home to find her beaten up so pulled her immediately.

Once she has recovered I want to try again. I am limited for space, and if I can get the rtm out first I will.. but on to my question:

Has anyone had success introducing new fish using marine techniques such as placing the new fish in a clear container that is then sunk into the tank and left there for a week or so? (I have a large fish trap that would keep her and allow water flow) I've not read of anyone doing this with FW but it seems pretty common in SW.

I do plan a restructuring one of these weekends as well.

 

[duanes]

I find it is very difficult to add new cichlids to an established cichlid community.
Especially festae, they seem to take longer than some other species at getting comfortable, and can easily be bullied into a stressed induced death.
Sometimes rearranging the entire aqua scape works, sometimes it doesn't.
I have tried dividing off a portion of tank and putting the new cichlid in the section where it can be seen, with minimal success.
I would try removing some of the male motas, to see if that breaks down the hierarchy, and puts all cichlids on equal territorial footing.

 

[Skurj]

I am definitely in agreement to removing the rtm males that will be a fun task. I added all the fish in the community pretty much within a month of each other. I considered adding the festae as well but guessed that may have turned into a bloodbath. The most aggressive fish at the moment are the polleni which surprised me. I had a 3"+ torpedo barb in there until today.. came home to find it mostly eaten.. another surprise. I haven't the space to keep the rtm, so will be dropping them off at a friend's store within the next couple of weeks, likely the festaes I don't plan on keeping as well. I'll hang on to 2 female festae and the one female rtm and cross my toes.. I hope that the female festae and rtm are to be the centerpieces of this tank. (mebbe foolishly)