# severums making peace



## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

i saw something very interesting last night. i have had a baby green sev (size of a quarter) for about a week. yesterday i went and bought the baby gold (though he looks almost identical in color to the green) of the same size. they were together at the lfs so i broke them up then re united them.

anyways, the green spent the whole day chasing the new guy around. he was pretty relentless and i kept a close eye to make sure nothing bad happened. i felt bad for the gold (named him bacon) but figured i would let them work it out. last night about midnight i saw the coolest thing. the green (allen) went for what i thought was gonna be another dive bomb when bacon turned to him instead of swimming in fear. they both flared their fins and sat next to eachother for about 10 min. then they started to swim around together and even make contact with eachother. i witnessed the peace making, though allen is still no doubt in charge.

this morning they are still good, though allen will chase bacon away from the algae wafers if he gets too close. they are good now, but i was very happy to witness them making peace. also interesting how it was established without doubt who is in charge.

just thought i would share!


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## cuddlefish (Jul 16, 2005)

That's awesome to hear Hondo. No doubt those two will provide tons of entertainment with their nutty behavior. Believe me, I tell you this from 1st hand experience.


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

you keep a pair of sevs who act similarly? will this heirarchy stay in place or will they eventually become "friends" or even take a turn for the worse and not get along? i know sevs have individual personalities so its not always the same, but do you have any good and or bad signs to look out for as they grow up together? anything i can do to promote harmony between them i will do.

also, do juveniles (size of a quarter) greens and gold look very similar and change color as they age, or do i just have two greens?


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

i may have spoken too soon. the green has been a little rough today. chasing the new guy whenever he gets close. he hasnt been seeking him out to attack, but the new guy is very obviously trying to be one of the gang and swim with the green and his two molly friends. when he gets close he gets chased off. i feel bad for him, he is being left out. especially during feeding time.

is this behavior likely to subside or is this something that may continue for a long time? anyone who has had similar experiences, i would really appreciate oyur input. im hoping it gets better with time.


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## cage623 (Feb 2, 2008)

I first must say that I have only ever had CA cichlids and never any sevs. But I have always heard that if you are having problems that it can help to remove the aggressor and rearrange the decor. Then put the aggressor back in. If things look different it may think it is coming into the other fish' tank and not be as mean. This is just a tip that _might_ help with your aggression problems.


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

thanks very much. i will try that. im in the process of buying a 75 gallon, so hopefully when i do that, with sufficient room and hiding spaces they will calm down.

do you think adding another juvie the same size might help, maybe figure out if i can get two to get along then giving back the outcast? i really want a couple sevs who get along, not worried about a breeding pair, just wnt them to have a friend that they get along with.

i appreciate your reply.


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## cuddlefish (Jul 16, 2005)

HONDO, I would say that as long as no damage is being done, give them more time together. Yours are so young, I doubt they could really hurt each other unless one was very weak. Severums do have unique personalities and they may or may not ultimately get along. You just need to keep an eye on them and use your best judgment. I'm not a fan of the 3 fish theory primarily because I can never bring myself to part with a fish. The other concern is that of the three, there will always be one that hardly gets any food and ends up getting weaker and weaker.

IMHO, hiding places are key to happy Severums. They are skittish fish by nature and love tight "secure" places they can hang out in when they feel overwhelmed. That being said they also benefit from open swimming space for when they spaz out and dart around - seemingly for no reason. :lol: The more open space - the less chance they'll bonk into stuff. Severums are far from graceful and I suspect my largest (Wimpy) has no clue how big he is.

I wouldn't worry about small pursuits - it's very common and part of how they socialize. If he's relentlessly chasing then that's more of a concern.


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

yeah, its just spurts, not continuous. i cannot wait to get them in the 75, i have a feeling they will get along better. im glad to hear it is somewhat normal. i feel bad because the smaller one obviously wants to be friends, but the bigger ones not interested right now. im trying to keep an eye on them. they are so interesting.

by the way, i have seen other threads with pictures and your sevs are beautiful. very good job.

thank you for your help!


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## cuddlefish (Jul 16, 2005)

Hey Thanks Hondo!

My Severums are part of the family, especially Wimpy. I'm sure you'll enjoy yours and please don't hesitate with future questions. This is a great Community; especially the SA section.


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

well, i do have a question i have been thinking about. in your opinion, with the two sevs and a 6 inch pleco in the 75 would an eheim ecco 2236 canister along with my aqua clear 50 external be enough? im trying to figure out the filtration. what do you use with your pair?


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## cuddlefish (Jul 16, 2005)

well, the ecco 2236 might be a bit underpowered for a 75G. Say's they're rated for 80G but frequently the manufacturers overstate. The issue is turnover and I don't think that unit measures up long term. That being said, it's certainly adequate with a couple juvi Sevs so for the time being, you'll be fine. A year from now, you'd probably want to consider upgrading. Two full sized Severums produce a ton of waste; almost literally!

You can see my equipment and setup if you click on the "Tanks" button below this text. I have an eheim 2126 which is marginal for a tank of this size but because of my decor, I've only got about 60G of actual water. I've also got a fluval in the tank which essentially helps with circulation and does do some mechanical filtration. My system seams to work, probably because I've only got one adult and one juvi Severum. down the road I may have to upgrade to handle the load of two 10+ inch Severum eating factories. :lol:

I hope I've been helpful.


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

you absolutely have. im gonna have to do some more research. between the big pleco and two BABY sevs, the waste is out of control. there is also a paif of dalmation mollies who are not helping the situation, haha. btw, has anyone else had success with mollies as dithers for sevs? i know the sevs are tiny now, but they seem to get along very very well. given the sevs dont eat them when they grow up, i was thinking a school of mollies might be nice with my pair down the road in the 75. thoughts?


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## cuddlefish (Jul 16, 2005)

mollies might be a bit slow for a motivated Severum. I've had success with fast-twitch tetras like Bolivian and head & tail light tetras. They move so frenetically that Severums, not being the swiftest of predators, stand little chance of snagging them. The problem with tetras is that when one gets sick, the rest usually soon follow.

I would also consider finding a new home for the pleco but that's just me.


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

why do you say that? i thought sevs and plecos were ok together.

i will be sad if i have to get rid of Pete III. thats the plecos name... i named him after my 3 year old boxer cause they look alike! pete jr died a few weeks after i got him.


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

why do you say that? i thought sevs and plecos were ok together.

i will be sad if i have to get rid of Pete III. thats the plecos name... i named him after my 3 year old boxer cause they look alike! pete jr died a few weeks after i got him.


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## cuddlefish (Jul 16, 2005)

I'm sorry Hondo, of course you don't have to get rid of Pete III!

I was only thinking of ways to reduce waste load and I'm not a pleco fan.

bad cuddlefish!


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

ha, ok i gotcha. you are right though, he makes a tremendous amount of waste. i really have to stay on top of cleaning up after him. between peteIII constantly polluting the tank with foot long cables and the two slob severums theres alot more cleaning to be done than normal. why do they eat a flake of food, apparently swallow a tiny bit then spit out the rest of the perfectly good food in 500 little pieces. no manners at all.


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

wow, i am releived. my guys are friends now. usually when i spend the most time watching them is when i feed them before and after work. bigger one is on his toes when i feed, chasing the smaller one alot. i had the day off today and watched them alot. he didnt chase the smaller one once. they actually stayed by eachother sides all day long. i am very happy they are getting along. just wanted to share.


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