# Aggressive Acei



## TedL (Feb 1, 2009)

I have two Acei that I bought a couple of days ago. One is constantly pestering the other. It goes up to the other, flutters its entire body and then chases it around the tank biting at it. The one being picked at can't get any rest. I'm new at this so any info would be appreciated. I'm assuming that it is either a male chasing around a female for a little "fun" :thumb: or two males, one trying to establish territory. Your thoughts and suggestions are appreciated.


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

Mbuna do much better in groups to stave off the aggression. Adding more Acei would be best, if the tank size and stocking levels will allow an addition.


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## TedL (Feb 1, 2009)

Can't seem to find another Acei in the Chicago area right now!


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## ridley25 (Jan 5, 2008)

+1 to what Floridagirl suggested. These are not pairing fish, so (assuming you have a 55+ gallon tank) you need two or more acei to spread that "love" around.
I just checked this site's trading post and there aren't any for sale there, but look here:
http://www.gcca.net/classifieds/index.php/cat/2

kevin


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## srook23 (Feb 21, 2009)

Is it a male and female? Both males? Both females?

It would be helpful to know so you know whether to get more females or males...

Most people say Acei are docile little fish, but I find quite the opposite. In my tank my Acei is a little bit of a bully and I have several friends who have had similar experiences with Acei bullies.

You can normally tell male from female on their dorsal fin from what I have heard. Most males will have a 3/4 blue fin with a yellow tip on the back of the fin while females will have a completely blue dorsal fin.


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

yeah it sounds like the one is trying to court the other and when he gets blown off he gets pissed...you need at least one more acei


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## MattH (May 23, 2009)

just bumping what ever one else says, you cant keep cichlids in pairs, theres too much direct aggression in that case for territory and control, need at least 3, around 5-6 is best. or if you have smaller tank just 1 will do, its wut i have right now, planning on expanding on the groups i have right now as well


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## TedL (Feb 1, 2009)

Thanks for the replies! I have two Acei right now. Both have the yellow dorsal fin so both males?

What is the body flutter thing? Is that mating ritual or is that aggression / showing off?

I think I am going to take the more aggressive one to my LFS and trade for a different Cichlid. Stick w/ one Acei and maybe one each of others as I add. I have a 55 gallon so I don't want to add too many. Maybe 10 or 12.


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## ridley25 (Jan 5, 2008)

You can't sex acei by the colour of their fins - as a monomorphic species, males and females will look alike. The fluttering could be showing off, aggression or both.

You should read this, since one of each species will only work if they're all males:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/a ... malawi.php

Much easier, cheaper and faster would be one of these combinations:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/c ... er_55g.php

kevin


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## TedL (Feb 1, 2009)

I like the all male idea. Kind of like a fraternity house!

The article talks about keeping the dominant male? In my case, I was thinking about getting rid of the aggressive one and keeping the one getting picked on. Any thoughts?


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## srook23 (Feb 21, 2009)

ridley25 said:


> You can't sex acei by the colour of their fins - as a monomorphic species, males and females will look alike. The fluttering could be showing off, aggression or both.
> 
> You should read this, since one of each species will only work if they're all males:
> http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/a ... malawi.php
> ...


I have heard the thing about the dorsal fin color before and most males I have seen had a mostly blue dorsal while most females I have seen had a solid yellow dorsal fin. Maybe coincidence, but it could be something.


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

Venting is the only sure way to tell and even then, difficult. I was sure I had 1m, 2 F, then it looked like 3 Males. I just had one of my males hold...lol. A male Acei will usually show off more and his dorsal fin will be usually more prominently displayed. Usually being the operative word. If you keep groups of 4-6, the sex really doesn't matter with the Acei.


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## TedL (Feb 1, 2009)

As an update, I originally bought 7 African Cichlids from a lady on Craigs List. An ok mix. But as my original post said, one Acei was beating up another. And, I had two striped albinos in the original seven. So, I took one albino and the submisive Acei to Aquarium Adventures and they gave me $25 in store credit for the two fish! How great is that! So, I picked up two others, males, highly colorful and the tank is looking great.


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

Glad to hear that your problem is solved!


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