My Pseudotropheus zebra is a jerk

B

brendanh

Fishmaster Flash
May 12, 2004
38
0
0
Northern California
www.buddypunch.org
Hi all,

I've got my 30 gallon african setup going with 6 fish. I tried to overcrowd slightly to stamp out aggression. They all seem to be getting along fine, but my Pseudotropheus zebras are real jerks. Both pick on the yellow labs, and one zebra picks on the other zebra something fierce.

I've got lots of rock cover and the yellow labs have staked out a spot to call home. The zebras just roam around and pick on them.

Any suggestions on how to cut back aggression further? My tank is covered with little caves, but they're fairly open. Maybe some tiny flower pots?
 
Unfortunately, a 30 is just too small for zebras, for the reasons you're seeing. There isn't enough swimming room for overcrowding to work; the chased fish never can lose the chaser because the tank is so small.

I'm afraid the only solution is to get rid of the zebras. You can probably do OK with a quartet of yellow labs in a 30, but that is really too small a tank for most mbuna.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news...

Jim
 
Incidentally the pots worked .. for now. If there are more signs of aggression I'll give the zebras away. I'll probably give them away as they get big anyhow.

Thanks for the post JSchmidt. Also there's no visible damage.

These 2 zebras have a really interesting dynamic. They approach each other on their side, and sometimes chase each other in circles. Often they'll just get close to one another and shart 'shaking'... both of them. Then one loses interest and swims off. I'm thinking this may not be as aggressive as I thought before, just playful. I'll keep a close eye.
 
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The shaking you describe is flaring, a dominance display. The chasing is most likely not playing... at least my zebras have never been an especially playful lot.

If you see any of the fish hovering near the top of the tank, that means it's time to get them out. Mbuna only hang out near the top when they're getting beat up at the bottom.

Good luck... I hope I'm wrong, but you'd be a rare aquarist to be able to keep zebras in a 30 for more than a short period of time.

Jim
 
Much to my chagrin (sp)? I removed the culprit from the tank and the LFS took him back. Now 5 malawis are living in harmony. The yellow labs are docile, and the other 2 are different enough in color and shape to not be threatened by each other.

It's a shame, he was a feisty little bugger. I liked him a lot.
 
Glad things have settled down. Nice pics. The blue ones look like some species of Melanchromis, perhaps... they're just babies, from the looks of their size. As they grow up, you'll need to watch them closely. They can be pretty nasty, too. The labs ought to be OK, I would think.

Good luck,
Jim
 
Had a similar problem in a 55. The dominant zebra harassed the male juvenile unmercifully. He was aggressive to all the labs and a huge blue ahli as well. Ended up taking him in when I did a trade in of lab fry. Within a week the juvenile zebra had colored up completely and taken over the aggressor role that his father left vacant. Got him a female to try and divert his attention and he basically just harassed her to death. About a month later the juvenile red empress gained display colors, so I got him a female. And now for some reason the red empress seems to keep the zebra in line.

Go figure.
 
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