Help With Malawi Aggression

[RedeyesUK]

After having kept a community tank quite successfully for a few years, I thought I'd have a go with cichlids a few months back.

So, I did some swapping around with my existing tanks, leaving me with an empty 15G tank (Yes yes, I know, I can hear you all groaning now!). I had a feeling that this would be too small, but had a plan to change them up to my 29G (3ft long) this summer, when they started to grow.
Put in some nice rockwork, added an extra filter, checked the chemistry, and went and bought my first fish - 3 yellow labs. These were followed a week later by 4 red zebras, 1 Labeotropheus fuelleborni, 1 Melanochromis auratus and a BN pleco. Fairly overstocked I know, but I'd read that that's the best way. Water quality has been excellent throughout, so no problems there.

All was well for the first couple of months, until one of the yellow labs died (reasons unknown). Then:

First one, then the other remaining labs were killed off (chewed fins etc)
One of the red zebras disappeared (I mean completely, I never found a body or even any evidence that he ever existed )
And now I've found that the smaller two zebras have been pretty badly beaten - fortunately I managed to save them for now, they're in a hospital tank until I can work out what to do.

So, before I lose the rest, what should I do? I know the auratus is probably the prime suspect, but from watching them (when they can't see me, they're good as gold when I'm in the room!), it seems that the largest zebra is the main aggressor.

Should I get some more to restock the tank (the upgrade to the 3ft will be in a month or so, I can't afford to do it any sooner) and hope that calms them down? If so, what should I get? My LFS has a pretty good stock of mbunas, so choice is pretty good. If not, what would you all suggest?

Many thanks,

Garry

 

[kj23502]

After having kept a community tank quite successfully for a few years, I thought I'd have a go with cichlids a few months back.

So, I did some swapping around with my existing tanks, leaving me with an empty 15G tank (Yes yes, I know, I can hear you all groaning now!). I had a feeling that this would be too small, but had a plan to change them up to my 29G (3ft long) this summer, when they started to grow.
Put in some nice rockwork, added an extra filter, checked the chemistry, and went and bought my first fish - 3 yellow labs. These were followed a week later by 4 red zebras, 1 Labeotropheus fuelleborni, 1 Melanochromis auratus and a BN pleco. Fairly overstocked I know, but I'd read that that's the best way. Water quality has been excellent throughout, so no problems there.

All was well for the first couple of months, until one of the yellow labs died (reasons unknown). Then:

First one, then the other remaining labs were killed off (chewed fins etc)
One of the red zebras disappeared (I mean completely, I never found a body or even any evidence that he ever existed )
And now I've found that the smaller two zebras have been pretty badly beaten - fortunately I managed to save them for now, they're in a hospital tank until I can work out what to do.

So, before I lose the rest, what should I do? I know the auratus is probably the prime suspect, but from watching them (when they can't see me, they're good as gold when I'm in the room!), it seems that the largest zebra is the main aggressor.

Should I get some more to restock the tank (the upgrade to the 3ft will be in a month or so, I can't afford to do it any sooner) and hope that calms them down? If so, what should I get? My LFS has a pretty good stock of mbunas, so choice is pretty good. If not, what would you all suggest?

Many thanks,

Garry

OMG, that's the first thing I said tbh when I saw you had an M. Auratus in there. I would sell them back to the lfs and then start again when you can get the other tank going. This is totally not fair to fish, as you have found out already through deaths.
How big with the new tank be? how many gallons/liters?

 

[dthoffsett]

Honestly the best thing you can do for you and your fish is to rehome them. In a tank that small you are going to continue to have deaths until you only have one fish left.

Really the minimum size to keep mbuna is a 4-ft tank, and in the future I'd avoid any of the melanochromis species.

 

[Soaup]

I have found through expierience with the M auratus that its the males you have to really worry about. I have been fairly successfull with the femal auratus and all my other fish have lived pretty normal fearless lives in her company.

 

[darrel69]

I agree.. rehome them. Your still going to run into problems putting them into a 29gall...

What about some small tangs or shellies from Lake Tanganyika ? They would fit perfectly in your 29gall.