I have an old aquarium, 40 long, with 5 yellow labs and 2 electric blue?. 2 days ago I added 2 Red Zebras to the mix. I rearranged the rocks so they would reclaim new territories. Yesterday I noticed that the reds were fighting with each other as well as the other inhabitants. I removed the reds to a 10 gal. that I use for a hospital tank. My LFS won't let me exchange them. If I keep the reds out for a day and then return them to the larger tank will they be more submissive?
Cichlid compatibility
- Thread starter Nat'sfish
- Start date
MMMM might be better to just let them settle things on their own. I would only pull the fish if I started seeing major physical damage or fish relegated to upper corners. The mbuna tanks I've watched develop (my good friend has one) are always pretty boiserous untill a pecking order is established.
mooman said:
I agree. With mbunas, there will be alot of aggression towards each other. Chasing, as well as fighting to establish their pecking order. You think you have it bad......I've got a red zebra, auratus, chipokae, and many others in my 75g. The action is non-stop! Sometimes I have to remove the alpha from the tank, sometimes the injured. It's alot of work, but I love it.
How big are the fish? Can you tell the sex on them yet? If you have two male red zebras, they will not get along at all. IMO, you'd be better off with just one zebra, or a ratio of 1 male/3-4 females.....but at that point, you're pushing the limits of the 40g.
As mooman said, I would let them work it out on their own until you see some serious fin damage, or if a fish is extremely stressed.
Did you rearrange the rocks with the lights on or off...sometime without lights on it works better I've noticed...
Personally I think your tank is fully stocked without the red zebras. Did your LFS give you a REASON for not letting you return your fish? Most LFS will give you at least a little credit towards a new purchase. If not, then I would consider shopping somewhere else.
Turning the lights off and re-arranging rockwork is the best solution. Then as moo said just let them settle it themselves. Its a downfall to only have 2 red zebras, which could both be males, as they will target each other. Ideally you'd like to have more of them, but I would not do it in a 40 gallon.
-Diana
Turning the lights off and re-arranging rockwork is the best solution. Then as moo said just let them settle it themselves. Its a downfall to only have 2 red zebras, which could both be males, as they will target each other. Ideally you'd like to have more of them, but I would not do it in a 40 gallon.
-Diana
you've got a crowded tank there and insufficient 'territory' for them all. moreover, Mbuna do best as a group of one male + 4 females. such a sexual ratio will diminish the sexual aggression within a species and in my experience does so inter-skpecies aggression as well.