Tank buster!!!

[Tunabish]

So I recently was given this Texas cichlid red unpeeled and put him in my 125g by himself. I have 4 20lb bags of sand in there and he has completely removed the sand and spit it up against the front glass. He’s chewed up my sponge filters, ripped the HoB intake off and just destroys the tank. In addition when I feed him once a day at night he doesn’t come up and get the food...he will let it sink and even swim by it. He will eventually eat but it’s whenever the hell he feels like it. This has been going on for two weeks now.

is this normal? As in welcome to the world of big cichlids ? or is he just a gangster
It’s kind of cool but also super frustrating

thanks for the input

ps picture is when I first put him in...the calm before the storm

 

[Jexnell]

All normal activities for big cichlids. I used to play the sand war games as well. But when he started moving the sand out the same time I was moving it back in ....


Water change time, filled in his pits

Not even a hour later...

With age come some calming, I leave his pit alone and he leaves my sand where it is save some house keeping around his pit

 

[Jexnell]

Recently he learned a new "game". Rip of heater and swim circles around it.
So I countered with blocking the heater with a rock
So he decided to dig out the rock


These kind of shenanigans is why big cichlid tanks are 90% empty save a couple big rocks they can't move.

 

[Tunabish]

Recently he learned a new "game". Rip of heater and swim circles around it.
So I countered with blocking the heater with a rockView attachment 1465526
So he decided to dig out the rock
View attachment 1465527

These kind of shenanigans is why big cichlid tanks are 90% empty save a couple big rocks they can't move.

Thank you for sharing your experience. If I keep him im going to give him what he wants...glass bottom and one hiding spot everything else like equipment is getting bolted down ?

 

[Jexnell]

Personally I would leave the sand in, just stop filling his pit. A breeding age cichlid makes pits as an attraction for a mate. Ever since I left his pit alone he don't dig out the rest of the tank. Also the bottom has no light underneath so this makes the bottom pane essentially a mirror. Your fish will spend much time attacking his reflection. As seen by Casper here

 

[Tunabish]

Personally I would leave the sand in, just stop filling his pit. A breeding age cichlid makes pits as an attraction for a mate. Ever since I left his pit alone he don't dig out the rest of the tank. Also the bottom has no light underneath so this makes the bottom pane essentially a mirror. YourView attachment 1465528 fish will spend much time attacking his reflection. As seen by Casper here

Well I’ve actually never tried putting the sand back...I’ve left him alone and the entire tank is essentially his pit he’s moved it all. I don’t push it back. He just seems to want everything out of the tank ?

 

[esoxlucius]

With looks like that I'd forgive any fish for being, let's say, a little boisterous in their tank activity, lol.

I love blues in aquarium fish, and boy, that fish is a stunner, nice pickup.

 

[Redshark1]

I don't know about these big cichlids but it would seem reasonable to assume they may need something to do all day such as dig and move things around.

 

[Tunabish]

With looks like that I'd forgive any fish for being, let's say, a little boisterous in their tank activity, lol.

I love blues in aquarium fish, and boy, that fish is a stunner, nice pickup.

esoxlucius name your price I’ll ship him to you ?