# Bee beating the &&** outa convict



## War (Oct 1, 2010)

We introduced a bumblebee cichlid to our tank which had a convict and 1 feeder that turned into a monster about 2 months ago. Everything was fine with the convict ruling the tank but not hurting the Bumblebee. But today while I was at work my girlfriend heard some really loud thumps and splashes when she looked the bumblebee had the convict cornered at the top of the tank and beating the **** out of him. He now is missing the trailing part of his top fin and has bitemarks on both his sides. He was floating on his side at this point.

She removed the bumblebee from the tank and he spent the afternoon in a goldfish bowl. After I got home I tried putting him back in and as soon as he hit the water he was chasing the convict again.

The convict is almost twice his size but he seems to have no interest in fighting back. The bumblebee was not really aggrresive until today..almost like he snapped. The tank is 48 galons I believe. The only thing I can think of at this point is to put a divider In. Both sides of the tank have caves though they are open ended.

The convict has been with us for 2 years and drove across canada with us on the front seat. We don't want to lose him.

Any ideas?


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## PepoLD (Dec 9, 2009)

Well Bumblebee is african, you shouldn't have them togheter...

Pseudotropheus are very nasty... as most Mbunas


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## sirnewb (Dec 3, 2010)

I agree, the bumblebee can be wicked nasty. My friend has one and just like you said, it snapped. It killed one of his jaguar cichlids and made the other one a corner fish. So he put the bumble bee in a 10 gallon for 2 weeks and he reintroduced him, and now all the bumblebee does is digs.
Just know, he wll be very fast and aggressive


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

One of the oldest stories around. Fish change as they grow and we just have to adapt. In this case I would send the bumblebee on the road. Believe it or not I have a platy that was at my daughter's and he has now working his way throught two progressivly more dangerous tanks. If he thinks he can chase full grown silver dollars and Severum, his next stop is the trash can!


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## sirnewb (Dec 3, 2010)

I agree, the bumblebee can be wicked nasty. My friend has one and just like you said, it snapped. It killed one of his jaguar cichlids and made the other one a corner fish. So he put the bumble bee in a 10 gallon for 2 weeks and he reintroduced him, and now all the bumblebee does is digs.
Just know, he wll be very fast and aggressive.


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## cichlidsrule16 (Sep 14, 2010)

I would get rid of the bumblebee or put it in another tank. It's an african and shouldn't be with the con.


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## War (Oct 1, 2010)

Thanks for the replies and suggestions. For not I am going to keep him out for about a week and try and introduce him. If it doesn't work I'll have to divide the tank until I can setup another aquarium. Really surprised I thought the convict would hold rule over the tank..I always heard how they were 1 of the most aggresive freshwater fish and with his size advantage.... Guess the bee is just too much to handle. He is even trying to attack the book we have over the goldfish bowl because he was trying to jump out...we had to stack a couple more books on top because he was pushing the book off the bowl.....nasty indeed!


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## cichlidsrule16 (Sep 14, 2010)

Well convicts are super aggressive and mean when they're paired up and mating. By theirselves their only semi aggressive. Bumblebee cichlids are way more aggressive then a single con, so that's why your having issues. IMHO I don't think reintroducing the bumblebee later will do any good, but that's just my thought. Africans are a lot different fish then ca/sa's.


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## War (Oct 1, 2010)

Yeah I have my doubts about reintroducing as well and after thinking about it a bit more doubt I'll take the chance. Going to go pickup a divider tomorrow untill I can get the new aquarium for the bee setup. Any suggestions on a new tank mate for the con? Not interested in breeding just want somebody he can kinda get along with hehe.


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## mok3t (Nov 28, 2008)

I have found loan female salvinis to be good tank cichlid mates for convicts.

Mine never had an issue until my male con spazzed out at my female con and left her with nowhere to hide, but you wont be having this problem. Just make sure there are enough places to claim as territory. My salvini never STARTED the fights, she was just quite territorial.


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## War (Oct 1, 2010)

ty mok3t. Going to pickup another aquarium today for the bee. Any ideas on a buddy for him? Not sure what would be able to survive his aggressiveness...gotta be something though?


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## sirnewb (Dec 3, 2010)

War said:


> ty mok3t. Going to pickup another aquarium today for the bee. Any ideas on a buddy for him? Not sure what would be able to survive his aggressiveness...gotta be something though?


More mbunas or just more africans in general, if you build a community the aggression will spread out and itlll be more peaceful.


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