stress problem

[toyomark]

I have a 55g with 3 juvi convicts(1 make 2 female) a small texas, a texas hybrid( looks like a jeweled/texas) and a juvi Salvini.

I do 25% wc a week w/prime.

tank is at a steady 78F.

I clean the canister every 2-3 weeks.

Light stays on from 11-10

Feeding consists of mixture of hikari pellets and hikari dried blood worms with occasional live feeders.

Now lately they have all been really stressed, showing bars, really dark, and very skittish.

what can be the problem?

[Weezer]

Are you testing the water with a liquid test kit ? if so what are the readings....:)

[toyomark]

No ammonia, no2 - 0, no3 - 20.

pH 7.5.

[titansfever83]

Is there a lot of fighting, chasing, etc????


Those WILL NOT workout together when they get bigger, and they will need a bigger tank too, very soon!

[mostlycichlids]

Overcrowding I would suspect.

[wataugachicken]

i agree. soon enough, the tension and stress will turn into aggression, and they'll start fighting for the space.

[Rbishop]

Especially when a mated pair of cons start nesting....

[jpappy789]

Agression/crowding problem no doubt...

[toyomark]

Thank you for the input.

the wierd thing is i actually took out a couple fish and then this problem started.

wierd. But thank you again.

[jpappy789]

Possibly because it was so cramped that no territories could be established. Now that their is room certain fish are fighting for their turf.

[AfroCichlid]

I agree with all the above.

I'm of the opinion that a 55 is not large enough for a pair of texas cichlids ( others may disagree ). There is enough room for the convicts and salvini to establish territories, and both are very defensive fish by nature. I think as they mature there will be some tough fights and you will end up with a salvini who lives behind the filter intake at the top of the tank.

I think that eventually you will be left with one pair of convicts in this tank. Until they fill it with more convicts of course.