Sevrum aggression

[ryansmith83]

How long were they together before the aggression started? It’s rare that two severums work in a tank. They’re best as singles or in groups to spread out the aggression. When you keep two, a dominant fish will almost always torment a submissive fish. This also happens with two females, a non-paired male and female, etc.

Also, your second fish is not a rotkeil/red shoulder, which is why you don’t see any red on it. It’s a commercially bred efasciatus.

 

[Scout1984]

They were together about 3 months before aggression started at which time I removed the 2 females from the tank thinking it would help eliminate any aggression but did not help

 

[neutrino]

Maybe id doesn't work just as often, but I've had two work in a tank a few times. I've also had two pairs work.

It can depend on species-- after that gender, individual fish, makeup of the tank, and other variables. The pairs in my two pair tanks (I had a couple of them going a few years ago) formed from a good sized group of rotkeils, not a mixed group of sevs-- maybe that was a factor.

 

[James20]

Hi Guys I have a 63 gallon juwel aquarium and it has been running for 1 year and regular water changes I currently have
1 Angelfish.
2 Three spotted gouramis.
1 electric blue acara.
and 2 red spotted sevrums
I just got 2 sevs they are about 2.5 inches the little bigger sev keeps chasing the smaller sev and when the smaller 1 gets close he will nip and bite him I have experience with community fish but not with cichlids could any1 help me, thanks James

Ik the water drops at the back are horrible needs a clean

 

[ryansmith83]

It’s too small of a tank ultimately for multiple Heros.

Any time you add new cichlids to an existing cichlids’ territory the new fish are going to be harassed. Sometimes they work this out, sometimes they never accept each other. Introducing them all at once into a new environment sometimes levels the playing field so you could take the fish out, rearrange the tank and add new hiding places, then reintroduce all the fish at the same time.

For four adult Heros you’ll probably want at least a 75 but I prefer 6’ tanks. These fish will grow 7 - 10” and if a pair forms they will make everyone miserable in a small tank.

 

[James20]

It’s too small of a tank ultimately for multiple Heros.

Any time you add new cichlids to an existing cichlids’ territory the new fish are going to be harassed. Sometimes they work this out, sometimes they never accept each other. Introducing them all at once into a new environment sometimes levels the playing field so you could take the fish out, rearrange the tank and add new hiding places, then reintroduce all the fish at the same time.

For four adult Heros you’ll probably want at least a 75 but I prefer 6’ tanks. These fish will grow 7 - 10” and if a pair forms they will make everyone miserable in a small tank.

Hi the sevs has been in the same tank in the store I will keep an eye out I think it might just be territoral aggresion but u never know i saw some territoral aggresion with the gourami sat the start when I introduced the sevs and acara but that has settled down thanks anyway for the tips

 

[ryansmith83]

It doesn’t really matter if they’ve been together before. A lot of South American cichlids have a pecking order that they fit into. When you change the dynamics of their tank, the new fish have to find where they fit in. If you remove a dominant fish, a new fish might take its place, etc. So moving them from the store to a new tank means they now have to figure out where they all fit in together.

It’s very common for young severums, 2 - 4”, to be pretty rough with each other as they mature. There’s a lot of chasing and nipping. As I mentioned before, tank size is going to play into this more as they grow.

 

[Scout1984]

I had them in a 215 sometimesits just not meant to be lol , separated now n doing really well ill

 

[James20]

Thanks

 

[neutrino]

Hi the sevs has been in the same tank in the store I will keep an eye out I think it might just be territoral aggresion but u never know i saw some territoral aggresion with the gourami sat the start when I introduced the sevs and acara but that has settled down thanks anyway for the tips

Excepting a longer term display tank (how many lfs do this anymore?), store tanks tend to be a unique circumstance; for a few reasons you can't always count on what you see there translating to your home tank.

I agree with Ryan that a 63 is on the small side for multiple sevs along with the other fish. Even in a larger tank, two may or may not get along with each other, depending on gender and on the individuals.