hey everyone, ive had my cichlids for year and a half now, and 2 have began mate. making the male of the pair incredibly territorial, and he has decided to pick on one of the smaller cichlids.

The bullied cichlid is looking really ill, with scratches, flayed fins and red marks at the joint of the fins and is strugglerling to feed due to its weakness.

do i need to treat the poorly cichlid? and what for i can only think "fin rot"

what would be the best plan of action? i want to sort out the root of the problem which is the stress, rather than keep on moving the poorly cichlid back an forth between a medical tank and the main tank cheers

sorry for the essay

whats the size of your tank and what do u have in it to start with?

Need size of tank (dimensions and gallons/liters) and species of fish in the tank

As well as the # of males and females in each species

copy cat lol!

lol...i was more precise. It won't do any good if he says he has 4 crabro (and 3 of them are male) but he doesn't tell us that there ARE 3 males.

i know am just messing lol

venestus x 2 thats the poorly one and the "bully"
Polistigma x 1 who is mating with the larger male
moori x 1
yellow lab (i think)

4 foot length by 1 foot width by 18 inches depth

I may sound critical, but I'm only trying to help


Holey Cow...this one is up to 10.5 inches Get a bigger tank or it really needs to go back to the lfs.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1160



This one needs to go. It can reach up to to 9" Sexually active males ...actively defend their spawning site. Big problem with a big attitude fish. It needs a bigger tank or to go back to the lfs.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1159



This one gets 9" To big for your tank also.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1061


Great choice I'd get more of these.

Get a bigger tank if you'd like to have bigger fish. A 75 gallon would be a much better choice

Feel free to ask any more questions

the problem is that as said the size of your fish needs to be addressed asap.

but as well u dont have enough malawis , the ideal number is 20 spreads the aggression, but ull need a bigger tank as sadi 75gtallon good size

For mbuna species (not the larger haps you have now) the most I'd recommend for the current tank would 16. 3.5 gallons per fish is the most I'd go. A 48x12x18 is a 55 gallon tank. And they'd have to be smaller peaceful species. Acei are peacful, but they get HUGE for a tank of that size. Stick to labidochromis Ceraulus(sp..i think i butchered that word)"yellow labs", maybe rustys.

for a 75- agree w/rockn, about 21 A 75 is 48x18x20. The 6 extra width inches will give lots more swimming room, imo.

You dont have enough fish in your tank to dispurse aggression. I have several Venustus in a 125 gallon tank. I currently have 1m 1f that i can tell and 2 smaller ones im waiting to grow out and sex. Are you venustus sexually mature, i would imagine the bully is the male, Does he have a bluish tint on his face? If so hes a male, If the other one also have a bluish tint on his face, please do him a favor and remove him to another tank and look into getting more females..