# Help with aggression



## kurrency21 (Sep 18, 2017)

I'm fairly new to the hobby about 6 months in - in recent weeks i've learned a lot about African Cichlid agression - I currently have a 40 g breeder tank with 5 Africans , i'm trying to add 2 more to my stock (maybe 3) and was advised to add the new fish during a water change and to rescape, so my question is this - when I get the fish from the store should I float them , then do water change and add them or should I do the water change then float the new stock in the tank then add them? Sorry if this is a confusing question I appreciate the advice in advance and i'm really stoked to be a part of this forum!


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

We need to know what African cichlids that you have before anyone can tell you how to manage aggression in your tank


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## thornsja19 (Feb 4, 2017)

I'd say do the water change then add because if you do the change after then you're changing the water conditions immediately after adding them. However, that's just an acclimation concern. Neither will really make a difference as far as aggression. Like caldwell said, it's more about what you're adding than how you add it. Need to know the stock list


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I find the tank setup and the number, size and type are the primary things. I do not find many cichlids tender enough to need much work to acclimate them to the tank unless you have a really weird setup like CO2 injection that changes things a great deal. 
If I want to add fish to an existing tank, I do lots of décor/rock moving. This may not be needed, depending on which African cichlids as they do come in many different types. Many do not set territories as the books often state but do roam the whole tank. Mbuna are more prone to having their own spot and for those, moving and changing the tank will help as it makes it more likely that everybody feels "new". 
But getting plenty of the right type of hiding can be the best way to keep aggression from ever starting if the fish are not of the aggressive bunch to start. Make the rock piles so that fish can actually hide and not just simply hope to duck behind something. Give them cover from all directions so any aggressive fish has to actually search for the victim and will likely forget the project before he finds them.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I would add more than two, but not sure about 8 Africans in a 40 breeder. Agree changing water is not likely to make a difference unless you have a nitrate problem. Float for temp and net them in.

I have had rearranging rocks work both ways...one relatively calm demasoni tank became WWIII after rearranging. Don't feed and keep lights out for 24 hours.


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## kurrency21 (Sep 18, 2017)

Thanks for the replys everyone - I did some research to determine what are stocked in my tank.
1 Auratus
1 Maingano
1 Nyerei
1 Chipokae
1 Mbuna
and a pleco

at one point I had 10 fish in that tank and yeah I think that was too much


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## kurrency21 (Sep 18, 2017)

caldwelldaniel26 said:


> We need to know what African cichlids that you have before anyone can tell you how to manage aggression in your tank


Sorry about that here is my stock in the 40 
Auratus, Maingano, Nyerei, Chipokae, Mbuna and a Pleco


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## kurrency21 (Sep 18, 2017)

kurrency21 said:


> caldwelldaniel26 said:
> 
> 
> > We need to know what African cichlids that you have before anyone can tell you how to manage aggression in your tank
> ...


Edit: The Mbuna is specifically a Zebra OB


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I would not keep those fish in a 36" tank. Especially the auratus and the chipokae.

Maybe swap some out for less aggressive fish? Are they all male?


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## kurrency21 (Sep 18, 2017)

DJRansome said:


> I would not keep those fish in a 36" tank. Especially the auratus and the chipokae.
> 
> Maybe swap some out for less aggressive fish? Are they all male?


My local fish store told me to get rid of the Auratus today as well, I'm thinking I may donate him to them because I have no home for him and it seems he's stemming the issues - I had him with my Jack Dempsey in a 25 Gallon but I was advised to keep the South African Jack Dempsey by himself or at least with other S. Africans (i'm learning he's one of the meanest of them all so i'm sure he'll spend him time alone but i keep him company lol  ) I may have mis identified the chipokae as she/he is the most dosile of them all it seems . I don't know their sexes... I have researched on this forum and YouTube - it appears that venting is the best way to determine sex I just havent gotten around to it nor do I want to super stress them but like I said, I know its the best way! I'm tired of looking at my tank and seeing a few in the corners with the other two dominating the tank but I realize I only have 40 gs and these are aggressive Cichlids - I would like to say I have a nice set up with Lace rock and rock substrate - i'm running a Marineland Penguin 200 as well as a Aquaclear 50 on the 40 g tank. 
Happy fish - happy owner


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## thornsja19 (Feb 4, 2017)

Jack Dempseys are Central America, not Southern. Once he grows out a bit and if u have a big enough tank you could try adding some Rainbow cichlids or maybe Firemouths. South American cichlids are more on the passive side compared to Dempseys and would most likely take a beating unless you get one of the really massive ones like an Oscar


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## kurrency21 (Sep 18, 2017)

thornsja19 said:


> Jack Dempseys are Central America, not Southern. Once he grows out a bit and if u have a big enough tank you could try adding some Rainbow cichlids or maybe Firemouths. South American cichlids are more on the passive side compared to Dempseys and would most likely take a beating unless you get one of the really massive ones like an Oscar


Yeah i'm really not concerned about him, his tank is right next to my computer and he seems content with his own hideouts - I think its just as humans we think that these fish are "lonely" but he's happier in his own space then he ever was in the 40g


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## thornsja19 (Feb 4, 2017)

Just curious, is the 25g just a growout tank or is that going to be the Dempseys permanent home? He'll definitely outgrow it, so don't add anything else in with him and you're probably gonna need a bigger tank in the long run. Sorry, when I made my original comment I didn't realize he was only in a 25...


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## kurrency21 (Sep 18, 2017)

Yeah definitely just a growout, i'm looking at a 110 right now from my cousin - so then JD would takeover my 40 g...looking to do this after Christmas this year. Thanks again for the advice!


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## thornsja19 (Feb 4, 2017)

No problem, in that case I stand by earlier advice. In the 40 you could either get the JD a mate or a small group of rainbows. Or if the JD is the only cichlid you want could just have him and a school of dithers


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## kurrency21 (Sep 18, 2017)

thornsja19 said:


> No problem, in that case I stand by earlier advice. In the 40 you could either get the JD a mate or a small group of rainbows. Or if the JD is the only cichlid you want could just have him and a school of dithers


I'm headed to the fish store today to donate the auratus - any suggestions on what I should pick up at the store to take his place?


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