Aggressive Keyhole?

[dougie]

Hi All,

1st post!

I have had a happy community tank on the go for some time now, 18 months ago I added two Keyholes. They get along with each other (although show no interest in each other breeding wise, got them when they were very small so sexing was difficult) and with everyone else in the tank. Yesterday I added a Blue Acara, very small, less than 2", and the larger Keyhole is not too happy with his new room mate! The Acara was from a known breeding pair that were quite placid & also kept in a community set up, albeit with slightly more robust fish than are in my tank.
I have never seen aggression like this from a non breeding Keyhole before, the whole gill flaring & chasing (although he has no chance of catching the BA).
Do you think I should give the BA back or wait it out. I have been advised to give it a few weeks & the BA will soon start sticking up for itself. Obviously in a year he will be bigger than the keyholes, but I'd rather not put any of my fish under any unnecessary stress.
any thoughts or advice appreciated!
cheers
Dougie.

 

[onidrase]

if you add any kind of new cichlid to a tank with a cichlid who has already been in the tank for a while and established its territory, no matter how docile the species tends to be, there will be aggression issues. It's best you rearrange the decorations in the tank and see if it helps, then give it a week or so, if there's no progress, it'll be best to remove the acara.

 

[dougie]

Hi Onidrase,

thanks for your advice, I've kept an eye on things & the Keyholes have now claimed a corner of the tank as their own, something they had not done in the previous 18 months, & they will allow pretty much all tanksmates close, but not the Acara. They don't chase him off as full-on as before, more like encouraging him to go away. So hopefully they're a kind of toleration is on the cards.
thanks for the help!


cheers

Dougie