separating EBA

bathawk

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I had 8 electric blue acaras crammed into a 250 liter tank there was little aggression even when the pair spawned. Anyway I split the 8 up putting 5 in my 240 gallon tank 2 females and 3 males within a day they paired up and all hell broke loose lip locking to the extent of damage to their mouths then in my 100 gallon 2 females 1 male today the unpaired female started lip locking with the male so I separated them. Will things be calmer with all males together and all females together out of the 8 6 are brothers and sisters spawned 2 years ago in my 250 liter tank. I intend to separate the group when I do a water change making it easier to catch them.
 
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duanes

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3 years ago, I put a dozen young Andinoacara coerleopunctatus in a 680 L (180 gal ) tank. These are very close cousins to blue acara, in looks and demeanor.
IMG_8559.jpeg
By the time the alpha hit maturity (@ 1 year), he killed all other males, and some females, leaving 3 females and himself to peacefully exist in that 6ft, size tank.
Territory and tank size are very important to this genus (and most other cichlids) and whether we perceive a tank is large enough, it is the cichlids themselves that decide if there is enough space to coexist.
 

bathawk

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Ha Ha you are asking for trouble a 180 is a good size though I have a male and female convict not a pair as the male hates the female they were in a 130 liter tank no issues put them both in my 250 liter tank and the male relentlessly chased the female around the tank so I had to put the female back in the 130 liter tank for now.
 
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duanes

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The theory of all male tanks working, as a concept seems to go well for African cichlid keepers because in the rift lakes, diverse flocks of varied cichlid species exist together like that in nature. And in standard size tanks, like 55s and 75 it is a very common technique.
Cichlids in Central America do not have those large inland seas with seemingly unlimited space, so in comparison and have developed less tolerance, more jealous attitude toward sharing the neighborhood turf.
I've not found that all male communities to translate into the new world cichlid realm. especially with the Central American, and/or South American species from west of the Andes, where much fewer species share habitat.
Tanks for new world cichlids need to be much larger to accommodate diversity, than African cichlid keepers have the luxury of getting away with.
For these less tolerant American's, tanks of 300-500 gals may be needed to keep from being battle zones.
There are some new world species that have evolved a shoaling and sharing of space tolerance,.
Some Thorichthys come to mind where a couple different species of a genera are able to share a limited area in nature, butt most don't.
In a habit in nature we often see only 1 domient spent, or 2 if the acreage is large enough.
It may be about selective combinations of species rather than all male generalizing.
 
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duanes

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Its interesting to me that in one lake in the rift of Africa, there may be hundreds of genera, with thousands of species of cichlids,
yet in the entire area west and north of the Andes versant, spanning a number of countries
There are only 3 genera of cichlids, Andinoacara, Mesoheros, and Geophaus
Only 10 species of Andinoacara, mainly 1 or maybe 2 per country
4 species of Mesoheros, each hardly ever found in the same riverine habitat.
And 3 species (maybe a few more now) of red hump Geophagus, vastly separated by geography.
 
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bathawk

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yes I heard about rift lakes in africa where there are thousands of species of cichlid's very interesting
 
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ryansmith83

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I tend to keep all-male bachelor tanks of South American cichlids and without females to fight over it usually works okay. However, all-female tanks rarely work out that way because females will pair and spawn with other females, especially in the absence of males, and then you still deal with the same aggression you would with m/f pairs.
 
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