julies are scrapping - tips?

[MotorcyclesFish]

OK i got a rekord 96 tank which is a german metric sized tank - in proper sizes it's 31" by 13" by 15".

Anyway, i have two Lamprologus signatus (sort of shelldwellers) and 2 Julidochromis dickfeldi.

When the lamprologi were in there on their own they stuck to the shells just like before. Since adding the julies, they've taken to sitting VERTICALLY against the wall of the filter box (big integrated filter) by the outflow. They swim ok, they're not ill... any explanations?

Also, the julies are scrapping - there's only 2 of them, and i think they've sort of settled territory, but one is normally hovering in the middle of the tank, whilst the other has claimed the corner of the tank with the rocks in.

hehe here's a pic i rendered in a CAD suite i have

the yellow circles are each of the julie's territories - when they're not scrapping anywhere and everywhere - i base this on where they hide when i walk past the tank. the red dot is where the lamprologi sit vertically, and the green circle is showing where the abandoned shells are.

basically - how do i stop the julies fighting quite so much, and how do i return the lamps to the shells?

thanks a lot - Grant

 

[Bolo Frumblefoot]

Dither/target fish may help a bit if your set on keeping your fish, probably a few small rainbowfish would work the best.

 

[Sumpin'fishy]

I can't really say how to fix your problem, but I can definately understand why they abandoned the shells. That's ground zero for war zone! Each Julie will continue to harass anything at the edge of it's territory, and their territories touch each other. The place where they overlap is the shells. Would YOU want to live there?

Anyways, from my experience with mbuna and other territorial fish, I'd suggest breaking line of sight to the different territories. Place some large (high) rocks on either side of the shells and see if the Julies will stick to their own sides of the rocks. Usually works well when the fish can't always see each other.

 

[Tightdog1]

thats what i do in my 55g i have this big rock i found in the creek in back of my house i put it in the middle of my tank so my breeding pair of blue acaras has 1 side and the other 3 have the other side. it seems to work because without the rock the fish woulkd always be jawing and fighting and now they rarely do.

 

[MotorcyclesFish]

OK thanks people, i'll be off down the fishy shop on monday to get myself another great chunk of slate to put as a divider of some sort. I think the weight of stones is gonna outweigh the water soon though