Need to add more fish

G

graysilm

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Nov 9, 2005
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I have 3 africans in my 55gal right now. I want 3 more. Problem is while i was waiting for my tank to cycle i kept going and looking at these beautiful larges africans at my LFS. I decided I wanted to get 6 of them for my tank. When my tank finally cycled and my parameters were right I went to the LFS to get the fish, but they had sold a lot of them and there was only three left. So I went on and got the three because I was really ready to have fish. Then someone came and traded a fish in at the LFS so I went and got it.(this was about a week later). My fish were not happy about this. They would not accept the new fish into the tank. I tried everything from rearranging to adding more structure and hiding place, to turning the water temp down to 75 and keeping the light off. No luck. The fish were terrorizing the new one so I eventually had to take him back. I want to add three more fish and I have decided that I definitely need to add them at the same time. How can I do this without creating WWIII in my aquarium? I was thinking about catching my existing fish and putting them in plastic bags, and getting the new fish and releasing them in the tank before I put the old ones back, and rearranging. Do you think this would work. Any advice would help. Thanks.
 
Are you sure the fish that you got was in fact a him? I've got all males in my Malawi tank if I were to put a female in there she wouldn't last. Do you know what kind of cichlids you have (genus/species) you'll be fine introducing 3 compatable males at the same time, but their aggression levels have to be compatable to what you have. You can go throwing in a Labidichromis Caerruleus (Yellow Lab) with a Melanochromis Auratus, that's not compatable. With cichlids I suggest you carefully select your fish and find out what you have now and get fish with similar aggession levels. You can do all the re-decorating you want but if you got a tank full of otherwise aggessive males and you go throwing in a passive male or female they're not gonna make it.
 
agreed... re-arranging the tank when you add is important too.

as long as you disorient them, they have no territory to fight over.

Mbuna are a good addition, i like saulosi, hongi red back, crabro, a little different-haplochromis obliquidens...

i prefer to find new fish that are around 1/4-1/2" bigger than my fish, so they can atleast defend them selves
 
You are really best to find out exactly what fish you have... and which fish you want to add. This will save you A LOT of headache down the road when one suspectingly 'passive' fish turns dominant and goes on a killing spree. If you know the species, or at least part of the species, you can predict aggression. Also try to find out the sex, because that also helps.

Before adding ANY fish, find out what you already have. Post pictures and we will help ID them for you. This is a good link to check out for assorted africans pics: http://www.malawimayhem.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3107

You also mentioned they were large african cichlids? That will also be a problem for you, you should have gotten juvie ones and grown them up together, because that *helps* reduce aggression.

Go slowly with this dont try to throw fish together based solely on looks, you will definately run into problems. You need to keep fish together based on thier temperments and diet.

:)
-Diana
 
Here are some methods that worked for me which didn't involve any tank rearrangement and with no aggression. Since all tanks and fish are different you may or may not experience the same results:

When adding a single mbuna to a tank that is noticeably different from other fish in the tank, I've found that adding in the dark works (for example a few hours after I've turned off the tank lights and room light and when all the fish are in 'sleep mode'). I'll take the new fish (which I've kept in quarantine in a different room), and add it to the main tank in complete darkness. Come daylight new fish's presence is barely noticed because its arrival was unwitnessed.

Alternatively I've had success adding a single fish in 'broad daylight' when there's at least a half dozen of the same species of fish. First I feed the fish, and while distracted by the food I add the new guy.

I've also had luck adding a new species (group of four juveniles) to a tank in plain view. I think a combination of their non-threatening smaller size and the fact that there were a few of them diffused any aggression and only brief curiosity was observed by the rest of the tank (I should point out that every single mbuna was aware of their presence).
 
ok, after searching through that long list of fish i think that my yellowish orange fish is either a male Maylandia Estherae, or a female Pseudotropheus "Msobo." Or else it closely resembles the two. My blue fish I cannot begin to identify because there are so many fish on that list that look similar to them. Does anyone know anything about the two yellow fish I named? I will post pictures of them as soon as I can remember to borrow my girlfriends digital camera.
 
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