War Seems To Have Broken Out, Help/advice Please

[star4]

Ok so my 400l tank is overstocked at the moment as I had nowhere to put the texas when the frontosa arrived so they went in the 400l with servs, ellioti rtbs nics and sp44. Now the SP44 was an error on my part, they were in the same tank as the nics and did the classic ooh they look nice and bought them. When got home and looked them up they were wrong for the tank (slap my writst) However the male sp44 did work very well in the tank and was a major peace keeper breaking up squabbles and never biting or harming anyone else, just chasing if anyone argued, and the whole tank was really peacefull. But I sold them the other week, now war seems to have broken out in the tank!. Mainly between my 2 servs, both had always got on very well but the male is being a right bully to the female and chasing her constantly. When he starts the female ellioti starts by having a go back at him and allowing the female serv to hide in the ellioti's tree ornament. Now once the Ellioti has chased off the male serv she starts having a go at all the texas? she is getting a right strop on, but she is protecting the female serv from the male at the moment (he has his backside in his fins for some reason). Now all being well the texas are being moved to another tank this weekend, but as they seem to be the "dithers" at the moment I am a bit worried about moving them. So at the moment I have 1 ellioti and 1 female serv occupying one half of the tank and the rest of the fish in the other. No one is daring to cross the line set up by the female ellioti, I am worried because she is half the size of most of the other fish!

Question is who do I move? Texas, Ellioti, female serv or just play fish shuffle till they settle again? or should I move the texas as planned and re-scape the tank to move territories.

 

[snowflake311]

You know I just read something that helps a lot with cichlids but is no fun. Have an open tank no decor nothing maybe one good size rock. Cichlids mainly fight over territory. You can have caves for all the fish but someone cave will be better and there will be a fight for it. Cichlids set up a pecking order once it's been set up things are ok. Any change in the pecking order and they have to figuared it out all over again.

So you could take out all decor and let them work things out. I find it takes a week for them to get in order.

Good luck.

 

[star4]

Sounds actually rather sencible lol, I have a huge lump of bogwood one end with a plastic plant and the other a tree root sort of thing with a plastic plant and the middle is all open. The only downfall is if they start to squabble there is no where to hide.

 

[snowflake311]

True. That's way this is more for if you have all large fish. If you have some smaller fish it would be ok to have some shelter for them. Could try only having the big chunk of wood. Just keep an eye on them if things get bad you can swoop in.

 

[minxfishy]

I have the solution, I'll take the male Sev

Ok, yep its either a complete re-scape, bag the aggressors, release the less dominant 1st, then the next etc to re-establish territory or hope it settles or move one for a while and then return.

The male clearly wants to breed, but the female doesnt want to, lord knows why the Ellioti has become involved, unless she wants him for herself

 

[roadmaster]

Ok so my 400l tank is overstocked at the moment as I had nowhere to put the texas when the frontosa arrived so they went in the 400l with servs, ellioti rtbs nics and sp44. Now the SP44 was an error on my part, they were in the same tank as the nics and did the classic ooh they look nice and bought them. When got home and looked them up they were wrong for the tank (slap my writst) However the male sp44 did work very well in the tank and was a major peace keeper breaking up squabbles and never biting or harming anyone else, just chasing if anyone argued, and the whole tank was really peacefull. But I sold them the other week, now war seems to have broken out in the tank!. Mainly between my 2 servs, both had always got on very well but the male is being a right bully to the female and chasing her constantly. When he starts the female ellioti starts by having a go back at him and allowing the female serv to hide in the ellioti's tree ornament. Now once the Ellioti has chased off the male serv she starts having a go at all the texas? she is getting a right strop on, but she is protecting the female serv from the male at the moment (he has his backside in his fins for some reason). Now all being well the texas are being moved to another tank this weekend, but as they seem to be the "dithers" at the moment I am a bit worried about moving them. So at the moment I have 1 ellioti and 1 female serv occupying one half of the tank and the rest of the fish in the other. No one is daring to cross the line set up by the female ellioti, I am worried because she is half the size of most of the other fish!

Question is who do I move? Texas, Ellioti, female serv or just play fish shuffle till they settle again? or should I move the texas as planned and re-scape the tank to move territories.

Would move the female severum.

 

[star4]

Minxy you stinker thats not a solution lol. Well typical with cichlids there seems to be peace and harmony again this morning, the female ellioti is back in her tree ornament, male and female serv gliding around the centre of the tank all lovey dovey again, female nic flirting with the 2 male cons and the poor texas all herded into one corner by the rtbs who seems to think he is a sheepdog and the texas sheep! Will stick with plan A for now, got help organised for the weekend for the tank shuffle get one of the other 400l in move the 300l and the turtle tank move the fronts to the 400, move the texas to the front tank simples

 

[Littlemonkey]

Minxy you stinker thats not a solution lol. Well typical with cichlids there seems to be peace and harmony again this morning, the female ellioti is back in her tree ornament, male and female serv gliding around the centre of the tank all lovey dovey again, female nic flirting with the 2 male cons and the poor texas all herded into one corner by the rtbs who seems to think he is a sheepdog and the texas sheep! Will stick with plan A for now, got help organised for the weekend for the tank shuffle get one of the other 400l in move the 300l and the turtle tank move the fronts to the 400, move the texas to the front tank simples

I feel a hernia comming on

 

[star4]

I feel a hernia comming on
[/quote]


Funny my hubby has said that too lol, and backache, headache, splinter, pain in his toe lol

 

[Littlemonkey]

I feel a hernia comming on

Funny my hubby has said that too lol, and backache, headache, splinter, pain in his toe lol
[/quote]

But i bet you carry on without moaning

 

[minxfishy]

I feel his pain, I have my new trigon coming tomorrow, just me and my 15yr old to carry it in and set it up!! I shall spend the next few weeks doubled over in agony.

 

[Littlemonkey]

I know exactly where your both comming from. I still doing too much lugging around even though my side has not completely healed yet. When it comes to water changes, hubby says he would do it wrong and kill the fish Yeh right!

 

[snowflake311]

Hey glad to hear they have worked things out. You just throw off the pecking order but they worked it out that's good.

 

[star4]

Well the Texas have been sold again!!! just depends if they come and pick them up (not holding breath) but they will be moved anyway. Need to make sure there is plenty of room for the beautiful Bailey, who should hopefully be here soon.

 

[minxfishy]

Fingers crossed on the texas