I have a 60 gallon mbuna tank set up. I have 10 juveniles, including 2 yellow labs. I noticed the 2 labs yesterday circling eachother really fast and them "fighting". Today, one of the yellow labs is not allowed out f the rocks, or else it gets attacked by the other yellow lab. What should I do? Anything? Or just let them settle who is boss? Will the loser lab ever be allowed out again without being attacked?
yellow labs fighting?
- Thread starter diane6
- Start date
I am planning on getting more, but this is a "new" tank so I didn't want to get too many fish at once. I got ten to start, I will definitely add more labs. It makes sense what you say. How many do you think I should get? How many fish total in a 60 gallon? The lfs guy told me between 15-20. Is this reasonable?
Edit to add: Tank is cycled. Ammonia is 0, nitrite 0, and nitrates 10. I just did a 30% water change a few days ago, because I am getting some brown algae on the rocks and windows....
Edit to add: Tank is cycled. Ammonia is 0, nitrite 0, and nitrates 10. I just did a 30% water change a few days ago, because I am getting some brown algae on the rocks and windows....
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Try to do a new decor on your rocks and caves, And you may want to get a few more of the labs and also just some more africans too
I forgot to add: When the two yellow labs are "fighting", my elongatus (or kenyi) (I have both but don't know which is which, they look the same to me) cannot stand them fighting and always gets in between and then they seem to stop fighting. It's always the same blue fish trying to stop the fight. I find this amazing.
I beleive this is part of the pairin ritual. Since you have only 2 it may be mute at this point. Normally they will go after others of there type. than pair off. They usually can then become a breeding pair!
Of course this is just my thoughts I have about 12 different types of Cichlids and have been able to develop 3 different breeding pairs. I have a beautiful pair of Flowerhorns about 7 inchs long and they are now in there own tank. They have had 2 different broods of eggs they have laid. In the last one they almost killed each other.
Boltsfan
Of course this is just my thoughts I have about 12 different types of Cichlids and have been able to develop 3 different breeding pairs. I have a beautiful pair of Flowerhorns about 7 inchs long and they are now in there own tank. They have had 2 different broods of eggs they have laid. In the last one they almost killed each other.Boltsfan
Mbuna don't form pairs. What is the case here is you either have 2 males or 2 females(most likely 2 males but I have seen dominant females). One is now dominant and doesn't want the other anywhere near them.I beleive this is part of the pairin ritual. Since you have only 2 it may be mute at this point. Normally they will go after others of there type. than pair off. They usually can then become a breeding pair!
Boltsfan
Between 15-20 mbuna is reasonable as long as you have a well filtered tank adn keep up with your water changes. If your subdominant fish is getting too beat up you could rehome him. But that is up to you. Adding more yellow labs should help the problem. That way your dominant fish has more labs to spread out his aggression.
Well, I went today and bought 3 yellow lab females for the two males that were fighting. Funny thing is though, that today, the dominant male was letting the other guy out of the cave without attacking him! I guess they have established who is the boss, and they know where they stand. They are now busy chasing the females!!