How to stop The Fin nipping

Mystroe_TheMyst

Mystroe_TheMyst

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Dec 16, 2002
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In my 35gal the current residents are

1 red top zebra 3"
2 kenyi 2.5 & 2"
4 bronze corys 1"

I recently re aquascaped the tank in hopes of the cichlids staking their territories as there is one more 1" livingstonii to be added.

my concern is that my 4 corys have all got nipped fins and my not be able to swim properly if this continues...what can I do to stop this? I think the cause is that the bronze cats swim anywhere they choose and the alpha kenyi' doesn't like it. or perhaps not enough feeding, but they are getting well rounded stomachs....I must admit i'm more than generous when feeding them.

so what do you think?
 
Dithers might help a bit. Just make srue they are big enough and you have a school of whatever your chose. This way one fish wont get singled out and they will be be to big to eat.
 
i suggest you remove the cory cats. the africans are not trying to bite the fins, they are trying to eat the cory cats. and if they try, it will get lodged in there throat and kill them. get some other ground feeder.
 
Unfortunately, kennyis won't cohabit with any fish in a tank that small. Kennyis are very aggressive, territorial fish who will fight just about any other fish. Adding any more fish, especially a livingstonii, is just asking for trouble. Syno cats probably won't mix it up with the kenyi or zebras, and if you got some small ones (e.g., Syn. petricola) you'd probably do OK.

Your fish will soon outgrow a 35 -- they may be already -- so be prepared to either get a larger tank or to take someone back to the LFS.

HTH,
Jim
 
Ok first of all...why would I need a bigger tank...From what i've read the kenyi's and Red Top do fine in a 30gal ...and mine is a 35gal. There are 3 fish in there. Plus a livingstonii growing to 10" ?? I was under the impression of 8". But I don't think my tank is over crowed or will be. But i'll hold back of the addition of the livingstonii...

If the fin nipping gets worse I'll hospitalise them and then return them to the LFS.
 
story time...

i had a kenyi in a 30 gallon once with some more africans its size. when i introduced the kenyi, the auratus beat its @ss in 2 minutes...
 
Mystroe, who advocates keeping kennyis in a 30? I can't believe anyone who's kept africans for very long would suggest that...

Two males kennyis in a 30 will eventually fight (probably to the death) as they reach maturity. A female kept with a male will be hounded incessantly and will probably be pretty beaten up, too. The attention wouldn't be as bad as if she were male, but if she happens to be holding fry and isn't eating, it won't be good for her. You might be OK if you have two female kennyis in a tank that small, but even the females can be nasty.

I doubt that many people who have kennyis, or other of the larger species of mbuna, could say they've successfully kept them in such a small tank for very long.

I think you're right about holding off on the livingstonii. Mine is over 9" and still growing. Even if it did only get to 8", why would anyone want to keep a fish that large in a 30? Even fish that can reach 6" (like kennyi) will be pretty cramped and miserable in a 30...

Jim
 
I do believe I said my tank was a 35gal. Things are fine for the moment I don't think i'm going to take my kenyi's back to the LFS because I only just got into Lake Malawi Cichlids...and plus if things go well then its all good...but we will see, they are quite happy at the moment and are not showing any signs of aggression only towards the cory's but the fin nipping hasn't gotten any worse, if anything the fins are growing back.

but don't get mad at me, thats what I read...kenyi's etc being in a 30gal..i've heard of worst.
 
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