[gaz131]

We have a very agressive male in our tank has been in the tank from the very start, one of the first fish we put in, but he is getting out of hand, any tips on how to control this,i dont want to get rid but if thats the only way then he is gone. plus i dont want to keep him in a holding tank,dont see the point of having a fish if they can not move around the tank. The funny thing is, this fish is one of the smallest fish i have, they is several males a lot bigger then him :-? :-? :-? hear is a photo of the fish .

 

[cichlidaholic]

Any other shots of the fish? It almost looks like a cross between a red zebra and a kenyi, which would equal an overly aggressive fish! (I would have also bet female by the finnage!)

What size tank is this?

What are the tank mates?

Kim

 

[CICHLUDED]

Looks like a nice Kenyi male to me...

And they can get a bit nasty at times..

Do you have females in the tank as well?

 

[SinisterKisses]

That is a VERY nice M. lombardoi (kenyi) male. You don't see too many nice, pure kenyi around anymore, and that guy is stunning.

But yes, kenyi are very aggressive, so I'm not surprised that he's terrorizing the tank.

 

[gaz131]

his tank mates are posted on the photo section called few of my fish by gaz131, its a 210 litre,( it )as it shall be named for now then does a lot of dancing to 3 i know for defo are femaile sort of a shimering shiver sorry if that sound funny but that what it looks like and it chases any fish that comes even near its cave.

that the only other pic i have of IT . dont think it will help much but there u go .

 

[cichlidaholic]

The tank is on the small side for kenyi, so this may be your problem. I wouldn't recommend less than a 75G, and even then, that can be pushing it. Do you only have the one female for him?

It sounds like he's maturing and ready to spawn. This is when their true aggressive nature becomes evident.

Kim

 

[gaz131]

Well now i know what he is what would a female look like maybe he wants some, if you know what i mean, lol. I love the look of him he the best looking fish i have, but the rest just as nice to me many thanks Gary

 

[cichlidaholic]

Females are blue. Take a look in the profile section under Lake Malawi mbuna, Metriaclima lombardoi.

He is really beautiful, but after looking at your other thread, that's a pretty aggressive mix you've got for that tank size.

He would need several females, at least 2-3, and it might disrupt your tank even more than you're seeing right now. They really need a 75G minimum.

Kim

 

[gaz131]

What are you saying that a 4ft x18"x18" tank is not big enough for him :-?

 

[cichlidaholic]

It may not be...

You're already having problems with him. This usually gets worse as they mature, not better. Giving him a few females can go either way...It could calm him a bit, but it could also make him worse than he already is.

They are one of the more common mbuna, and readily available. Unfortunately, they can be really aggressive and require more space than others.

I don't blame you for wanting to keep him - he's very nice, but he may be more trouble than he's worth.

I had an adult male and 3 females that I kept in a tank that size for quite some time, but in the long run, it just wasn't worth it considering all the trouble and stress they caused the rest of the tank.

Kim

 

[gaz131]

right thank you for that i did have 4 of them but i now only have 2 left they was killed a few weeks ago they was fine when i turn of the light one night the next morning one was dead the next a few days later but i did have one that was holding at the time and i now have 21 fry from her growing on in a holding net and one that is still ok but dont think he likes that one chases that one all over.

 

[cichlidaholic]

You're always going to have one that is more dominant than the rest. It sounds like this is your guy. That doesn't mean the other males won't take him on now and then, they don't seem to give up easily.

You have alot of zebra types in this tank, and with one of this and one of that, the aggression will be intensified.

If you're looking for a more peaceful tank, you may have to work on your stock somewhat. You'll be able to tell more as they all mature - some of them look pretty young.

Good luck!

Kim

 

[gaz131]

What to do, because i may now have 21 of this fish babies so that sound like a lot of more agressive little buggers to deal with the problem i have is over hear in England shop owner dont know there arse from there elbow and told me that all the fish i got would be fine together, think he was talking out of his bum, i will see how things go for now, as none of the fish are getting any damage to them (yet) , but if he needs to go does any one want to make me an offer for him lol dont think the wife will let me get a new tank not yet anyway lol and thank you all for the info :thumb:

 

[gaz131]

Many thanks again kim you have been very helpfull we will see how it goes for now fingers crossed

 

[LexBubble]

People have always said that cichlids are very intelligent for fish. I have even heard that oscars can learn tricks. So I figured that if they learn tricks they can learn other things such as discipline. what i do is I thrust a finger or whatever I have in my hand right at the aggressive male whenever I see him chasing someone else . It probably means and changes nothing but for the moment but I do it whenever I see my dominant male beating up on my other males. they're still alive

 

[cichlidaholic]

No problem, gaz131...

It can be really difficult to get your stocking right initially. These fish have taught me alot in the past 5-6 years, but I still have to make stocking changes every now and then.

The thing that worries me most about an overly aggressive tank is the toll it can take on the fish's health. A stressed fish usually becomes a sick fish, and at times, you can wind up with an entire tank of sick fish because of the stress level. It can be very frustrating, so you have to stay open minded and observant of the tank on a regular basis.

Kim

 

[gaz131]

Yes i know what you mean. I dont have any fish that look ill ,or hide they all eat well and they all get some, and are growing very well.They all free swim around its just him being a bit of a bully, as you say keeping an eye on him and the rest thats not a problem, the tank is 2 ft away from my pc in our conservatory and i spend most of my time in there, on the pc, playing my guitar, or just watching the fish, so i have my eye on him. the only good thing about this is that i have a holding net with 29 fry in there growing very well, just above his cave and he keep the rest of the fish away from them, i not lost one in 4 and a half weeks, he make for a good gard dog lol, but thank you again kim and the rest of you.I will let yo know how thing go. Many thanks again Gary. .