# Why is my tropheus duboisi killing YELLOW fish?



## LAcichlidgirl (Apr 18, 2011)

I have had one tropheus duboisi in a tank with other African cichlids for a few months. He (or she?) is about 3.5". He has been acting fine, occasionally chasing around other fish but that's expected. I have quite a few different types - kenyi, yellow labs, venustus, peacock, bumblebee, red empress, and auratus. I had 3 male kenyi (the yellow striped ones) and within the past 2 days he has killed ALL 3 of them. I know it's the tropheus killing them because he kept chasing them around. Now that they are all dead, he has started chasing the yellow labs, so I assume they are next. I just put him in a breeder net in the tank until I decide what to do. Is it strange that everything he has killed/targeted has been yellow? He is dark blue with a white/yellow stripe so he looks nothing like them. I don't know what to do with him. I have two other tanks but they are not as aggressive (one tank is south american cichlids & one is fry) so I can't put him anywhere else. Any reason why he is suddenly turning into a killer?


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## Creepy85 (Aug 26, 2009)

how big is the tank?

keep tropheus in groups...not alone...

kenyi are Pseudotropheus lombardoi, right? I donÃ‚Â´t know, but they are also agressive to each other and they can kill each other.... :roll:

Youre fish stocking is horrible sorry...venustus, diffrent Aulonocara, Melanochromis auratus...and let me think, a small tank too....no wonder to kill each other....


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## dielikemoviestars (Oct 23, 2007)

Tank size? Can't tell you why your tropheus suddenly decided to become a killer, but soon your bumblebee, auratus, and kenyi will follow suit.


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## LAcichlidgirl (Apr 18, 2011)

90 gallons is not small. As for the stocking, the tropheus is alone because the fish store only had one. And all have gotten along fine until now. Just wondering why the sudden change in behavior and why he is going after only yellow fish?


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## Creepy85 (Aug 26, 2009)

90 gallons are in the US big, but in european is it very small sice to keep east african cichlids....

keep tropheus in group of 15 pieces or more, and more than 90 gallons...

venustus, lombardoi also needs bigger tanks...

no comment more just from me...this is very worst...i cant hold my fish in a toilet too.... :roll:


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## LAcichlidgirl (Apr 18, 2011)

You are seriously comparing a 90 gallon tank to the size of a toilet? Wow. I had no idea German toilets were so large.


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## flyn dutchmn (Mar 1, 2011)

Venustus would be fine in a 90 gallon, I've had them in smaller with no issue.


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## dielikemoviestars (Oct 23, 2007)

Venustus might work in a 90. If it's a 5', sure. If it's 4', eh. Either way, the advice you're getting is good, and you should take it. That stocking list will not work in the long-term, even if your tropheus stops being the aggressive one. Once those mbuna hit maturity, it's lights out.


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## LAcichlidgirl (Apr 18, 2011)

dielikemoviestars said:


> Once those mbuna hit maturity, it's lights out.


What size do you consider them to be fully mature?


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## dielikemoviestars (Oct 23, 2007)

Once they change colors, they're generally considered a time-bomb. If the tank has "worked" for less than 2 years, it's not considered a success, is the rule of thumb.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

You know I have had this and in a Tropheus group (over 30 other Tropheus) and in a big tank 200g being big by anyones standards?
One male 6" Troph turned mean and started grabbing just the yellow tail of coloured up Cyps. Then shaking em to death. Never did bother the females. Old bull Troph can turn real nasty. Once the Cyps were removed he started hasseling other cichlids. Who knows why but they can. I guess its like many things as you get older you do not feal so great so you get nasty sometimes. :wink:
Or maybe it is slightly unwell makes most things cranky.

Thing is it may be a searial killer. Just needed to settle before starting to kill again in your tank. Why do you think it was on its own in the shop?  :wink: Yep these nasties are often traded in. :wink:

Yep the set up is not ideal but I have seen Troph in worse mixes caursing less problems.

You may want to trade it in or pop it in a tank with stuff like N.brichardi and N.leleupi that it will not be able to catch and damage.

All the best James

PS oddly enough I have a single yellow lab in one of my Tropheus tanks that beets up Troph that come into his rockwork but then he is 5" and a cantancerous old fish. :wink:


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## LAcichlidgirl (Apr 18, 2011)

I think they are mostly mature. They are all around 3-4 inches (a few even larger). I have even had 4 batches of fry. Anyway, still not sure what to do with the tropheus. I'll probably rearrange the rocks/territories and see if that helps curb his aggression.


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## LAcichlidgirl (Apr 18, 2011)

24Tropheus said:


> You know I have had this and in a Tropheus group and in a big tank 200g being big by anyones standards?
> One male 6" Troph turned mean and started grabbing just the yellow tail of coloured up Cyps. Then shaking em to death. Never did bother the females. Old bull Troph can turn real nasty. Once the Cyps were removed he started hasseling other cichlids. Who knows why but they can. I guess its like many things as you get older you do not feal so great so you get nasty sometimes. :wink:
> Or maybe it is slightly unwell makes most things cranky.
> 
> Thing is it may be a searial killer. Just needed to settle before starting to kill again in your tank. Why do you think it was on its own in the shop?  :wink: Yep these nasties are often traded in. :wink:


That's interesting, sounds just like my issue! Nice to know I am not the only one this has happened to. As for him being alone in the fish store, that is what I said to my husband yesterday - someone probably returned him because he was a killer.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Yep basically you have gone for some real nasties and they need to be crowded to stop em killing each other. But with these types of guys I find you need a time out tank or just accept losses as par for the course. Many of the commoner Mbuna and Tropheus are potential killers. I guess thats why some folk say yep you can keep and breed em in 4 foot tanks and others say Troph and agressive Mbuna are better in bigger tanks. Strangely both are true. Your mix needs very skilled handling and a lot of fish crowded together. Yep moving the rocks may well give a respite to the current agression but it will solve nothing long term.
If this distresses you then I would trade in the nasties and get less agressive fish.
You want about 24 fish in a tank to reduce the agression of any one of these nasties to any one fish to managable levels.

All the best James


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## LAcichlidgirl (Apr 18, 2011)

24Tropheus said:


> Yep basically you have gone for some real nasties and they need to be crowded to stop em killing each other. But with these types of guys I find you need a time out tank or just accept losses as par for the course.


How long do you keep them in the "time out" tank? I'm thinking of making a larger breeder net container that could be used as a time out tank. All the breeder nets I've seen for sale are so small.


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## eeztropheus (Jan 10, 2010)

I have a large male t. brichardi ulwile in a mixed mbuna tank. He is there because he was getting constantly beat on in the troph tank. He is very peaceful but, if one of the mbuna tries to nip at him his true nature emerges, and he becomes relentless in his chase. My point is adult bull trophs can be very nasty.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

eeztropheus makes a good point. Mbuna that bite Tropheus often get a nasty suprise bull Troph can be very nasty esp when bitten.
I use tank dividers rather than nets for time out, as then the fish has a territory when released. Prob with nets is the one given time out in a net often gets beat up when reintroduced as it has no "safe place". Yep not found a commertial trap big enough for these fish, so yep you prob could make your own. I have always made my own tank dividers too (most makes being way to small for Tropheus tanks) but I see someone in the UK has spotted this gap in the market.
http://aquariumdividers.co.uk/default.aspx
Dunno if you have something similar near you?

All the best James


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