# Learning the hard way.



## Northerner (Dec 9, 2017)

Hi, this is my first post here. Thanks for your patience and understanding with me. 

So maybe 4 years ago I got a 3 foot tank and bought a mob of cichlids and a Texas cichlid. All was well. I couldn't believe how easy it was... everyone got along just fine and I didn't know what all the cichlid fuss was about. I just put em in there and changed the water and fed them. I added a couple more over the years as there was the odd death, but it was basically really good. Plenty of hiding spots and everyone was pretty much happy. So about 4 months ago I went on holiday for 6 weeks and left the care of my tank to someone else. The water was not changed in that time and the week I got back almost everyone died  Obviously I was pretty upset and didn't know what to do. Even my beautiful Texas (that was as docile as a koala) rolled over.

I had 2 fish left. 1 yellow Labidochromis and 1 yellow striped Tropheus Moorii. These guys had been together for years, there was never any aggression from the Tropheus as he had always been the smallest fish. The Texas made sure of this. So acting in the same manner as before I just went and bought a mob of cichlids from the fish store. Everyone seemed happy at first, the Labidochromis was dominant and all was good. The she died, I don't know why. She just slowed down and stopped eating. Now the Tropheus Moorii has gone nuts!!! He was chasing everyone down and damaging them severely, he almost killed a pink peacock cichlid that I removed for safety and then started on a blue dolphin cichlid. So I put him in isolation and now the peacock who has been added back is attacking another cichlid... I don't even know what species that one is. I'm feeling really naive right now.

I have been looking at my species now and I think I'm starting to see where I went wrong with the choice this time. But I need help selecting and removing fish, knowing which I should add more of etc. I'm cool with overstocking maintenance and don't mind doing small daily water changes, but I'm being torn apart watching them kill each other.

So I've got these fish, I'll post phone pics of the one's I don't know what they are.

1 yellow striped Tropheus Moorii (largest oldest fish)
1 blue dolphin cichlid (horribly beat up by tropheus)
1 pink peacock (horribly beat up by tropheus)
1 unknown (hiding in fear from peacock)








2 blue cichlid m/f pair 








1 unknown








1 unknown mbuna, doesn't like unknown above









What do I do fishy folks? Add more females? What varieties are recommended? Get rid of the tropheus? Any other fish need to go?

Help is really appreciated.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

This is a 36" tank? I don't see anything that is a good fit for that size tank.


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## Northerner (Dec 9, 2017)

Yeah, I clearly didn't have good advice from the fish vendors to start out with. I'm quite disappointed as I asked a lot of questions.
I don't want to watch them kill each other progressively as they grow.
So I guess I have to sell all them or rehome in a larger tank?


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## joselepiu (Jul 22, 2017)

Northerner said:


> I don't want to watch them kill each other progressively as they grow.
> So I guess I have to sell all them or rehome in a larger tank?


+1...


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## kstuart (Dec 21, 2017)

hello. I have started a new tank and saw your post. I was looking for most recent post on cichlids. Sorry to hear about your tank I can understand. I started me a new tank. 75g. I added several peacock, 2 oscars and 2 blue jail birds (thats what I call them cuz of the stripes). Well we will see how they do. I have never had a major problem with my past tanks of aggression always some with african cichlids but I am doing things to prevent that. They are very young all around the same age and size. water clear and warm. PH high etc... Look forward talking with people on this site because it has been many years since I had my last tank. Look forward to watching these babies grow and hopefully spawn.


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

You've got quite a mess lol. Too small of a tank with a mixed bag of species. 1 is a "sunshine" peacock, 2 looks possibly like an Copadichromis Azure is, 3 looks like a green terror and 4 really is an "unknown Mbuna." They all look to be suffering from aggression wounds, which is not surprising considering the confined space they are in. Too many larger, aggressive fish in a small tank equals death and disaster.


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## Mr Chromedome (Feb 12, 2013)

Number 3 is a Blue Acara, a South American Cichlid that tends to be rather mild mannered, especially compared to Malawian Cichlids. Doesn't really like the same type of environment, either. As noted by others, your tank is far too small for the fish you have. Aggression is usually triggered by sexual maturity. _Tropheus_ will be mentally unstable without a large group of them.


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

Mr Chromedome said:


> Number 3 is a Blue Acara, a South American Cichlid that tends to be rather mild mannered, especially compared to Malawian Cichlids. Doesn't really like the same type of environment, either. As noted by others, your tank is far too small for the fish you have. Aggression is usually triggered by sexual maturity. _Tropheus_ will be mentally unstable without a large group of them.


+1


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## Northerner (Dec 9, 2017)

Thanks guys.

It's kinda hard to rehome such a random bunch of fish, but I've managed to sell a couple. Will keep posting them up for sale locally.

When I have got them mostly sold I will do a complete re-evaluation on what i want to do with my tank.


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## punman (Oct 24, 2003)

Maybe you could do 4 Yellow Labs - 3F, 1M but I'd need to know the total gallons. Even then, it might be too small.


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## joselepiu (Jul 22, 2017)

Northerner said:


> Thanks guys.
> 
> It's kinda hard to rehome such a random bunch of fish, but I've managed to sell a couple. Will keep posting them up for sale locally.
> 
> When I have got them mostly sold I will do a complete re-evaluation on what i want to do with my tank.


 :fish: =D> =D> :thumb: :dancing: :thumb: =D> =D> :fish:


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