Choice Of Ciclids

[Cindylou]

I set up a 55g. cichlid tank..Without doing any research and going by the advise of LFS, I think I made poor choices of the fish I chose and now my fish are in for trouble...
2 acei
2 yellow labs
2 jewels
1 auratus
1 bumblebee
1 pleco
3 syno cat's
Some people say get rid of this and that and I am at a loss as to what to do or think..
I really can't afford another tank right now..( I wish I could ) and I really don't want to get rid of my fish..
I keep adding plants and rocks for hiding places hoping it will help..
So far the only aggression I am concerned with is the 2 acei don't get along very well one chases the other to the corner all the time and the same thing with the jewels..
Any advice or suggestions will be appreciated...Thanks in advance

 

[james41683]

I set up a 55g. cichlid tank..Without doing any research and going by the advise of LFS, I think I made poor choices of the fish I chose and now my fish are in for trouble...
2 acei
2 yellow labs
2 jewels
1 auratus
1 bumblebee
1 pleco
3 syno cat's
Some people say get rid of this and that and I am at a loss as to what to do or think..
I really can't afford another tank right now..( I wish I could ) and I really don't want to get rid of my fish..
I keep adding plants and rocks for hiding places hoping it will help..
So far the only aggression I am concerned with is the 2 acei don't get along very well one chases the other to the corner all the time and the same thing with the jewels..
Any advice or suggestions will be appreciated...Thanks in advance

add more acei and labs, they arent pairing fish, one will become dominant and the other will take the beating. by adding more it spreads the aggression among the whole group instead of one fish. the auratus and bumblebee may end up being a problem no matter what in a tank that size, most people recommend 75 gallons or bigger. the pleco should be ok for awhile, if its a common get ready for a really big fish and alot of poo. the jewels may be ok, i have a single one in my all male peacock tank and no one bothers him. i would definitely increase the number of labs, acei, and maybe even the syno's, may 2 more acei and labs and 1 syno.

 

[Cindylou]

Thanks I have heard that as well...Sooo maybe 2 more acei and 2 more labs? Would you quarantine the new fish or just add them in? And what if the new fish are a lot smaller? My syno's don't seem to be bothered...

 

[james41683]

Thanks I have heard that as well...Sooo maybe 2 more acei and 2 more labs? Would you quarantine the new fish or just add them in? And what if the new fish are a lot smaller? My syno's don't seem to be bothered...

if you have a small spare tank that can be up and running, then i would definitely quarantine them. when i first started i never did and luckily didnt have any problems. when it comes to size, if one is small enough to fit in the bigger one mouth, it will be eaten, unless you have alot of good hiding spots. speaking of hiding spots, make sure you have alot of rock work for picked on fish to hide in.

 

[Cindylou]

I have a lot of hiding places...The jewel and Acei hide up in the corners so I added plants up there to help them hide...Thanks for all your input I will keep you all posted on what is happening..( Or Not )

 

[james41683]

I have a lot of hiding places...The jewel and Acei hide up in the corners so I added plants up there to help them hide...Thanks for all your input I will keep you all posted on what is happening..( Or Not )

if the fish is just sitting up in the top corner of the tank, thats usually a sign of it being bullied alot. i used to have a lemon jake peacock that did that because my sunshine would mess with him if he left the corner. after i moved i rearranged the tank and put the jake in first and havent had a problem since.

 

[kj23502]

Your tanks not big enough to house some of the fish you have. The bee gets to 7" and acei's aren't far behind. Auratus is just asking for trouble. Since you made decisions w/out researching suck it up and give your fish a good shot by taking them back to the lfs. Yes, I sound kind of harsh, but it's not fair to your fish.

I would see if your lfs will exchange them for you. Maybe they'll give you credit toward new fish. I'm guessing the bee or auratus is bullying the acei...those are the two most aggressive in your tank....I dont know much about jewels at all. Come back here and post what species your looking to trade them for. I'll be glad to help with what I can