# Aggression Problem



## acesnick (Oct 4, 2017)

I have a 56 Gallon tank http://www.petsmart.com/fish/tanks-aqua ... d=36-17294

I have 2 Adult Acei, 1 duboisi and 8 Giant Danio as a dither fish. I also have 2 bichir.
I have a problem with my duboisi. Everytime I try to put a new cichlid, he always end up killing it. Now I tried to put a juvi red zebra and hes camping to kill it. I know I will have a problem with my bichir hunting that juvi but I'm more concern on the aggression of my duboisi. He never bother the giant danios probably its too fast for him but all other cichlids he has no problem. He already killed 5 cichlids all at least his size or larger. I can see his eyes like hes hunting for a kill. I hate to donate it to a shop. Hes my fav on the tank but I want to at least add more tankmates for him preferredly cichlids. I tried overcrowd and change water temp but hes still on a killing streak. What else am I missing? Please help Thanks!! 

Filter: Penn flax cascade filter 1000 with UV light.


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## james1983 (Dec 23, 2007)

How big is the tank? It looks rather small in the picture.


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## Old Newbie (Feb 18, 2017)

Checked the link he provided; it's 30" long x 18" deep x 24" tall.


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## james1983 (Dec 23, 2007)

You're having problems because the tank is too small. The acei and tropheus but need at least a 4ft 75 gallon and more of their on kind to spread the aggression around. The tropheus sees the whole tank as his.


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

You're definitely going to need at least a 75 gallon to make that work... Tropheus tend to do better in a single species setting also.


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## acesnick (Oct 4, 2017)

I was thinking of getting some cichlid rocks maybe that will help with territorial problem. Also I failed to mention that when I started setting up the tank, they are overcrowded bunch of cichlids around 12 juvis. I have red zebra and yellow labs, auratus and kenjis. They all get along but mostly died due to bloat and filter can't handle the loads (I used to have the overhead filter thats why I switched to canister with UV which is a big upgrade in terms of maintaing the water clear).

BUt now they are once that is left and they are all adult now. I have attached a full size pic of my tank. Do you think my tank is overcrowded already? Should I buy like 3 move juvis to spread agrression? Thanks all for your help.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I think you decide whether you want to keep the fish or the tank, but they will not work together.

No I don't think adding fish or rocks will be helpful.


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

Nothing short of getting at least a 75 gallon would even give you a chance of it working long term. No amount of rocks or fish could change the fact that your tank is just too small for your stock


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## acesnick (Oct 4, 2017)

Allright I guess I'll keep whatever I have until I get a bigger tank. Thanks guys for your help.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

You have done what many people do! You have taken the standard advise and not moved further from it. With the somewhat small tank and lots of fish who do not match well, you did start with overstocking. 
So if that were done with humans, it would be like this. 
You set a up a small area, like a prison or ghetto, perhaps? You gave folks no place to hide and totally get away. 
And it is not surprising that there was a bully in the random group chosen to put in the confined space. 
In the confined space, you did not watch carefully and let things slide so that some became sick and weak so that they were easy to kill. 
Now you have a bully who has found he has lots of victims who have no way to hide so he feels it is his right to kill everybody! 
An almost certain way to fail in keeping cichlids is to not treat them with respect to how they may behave.
You have followed the path that many who fail at keeping cichlids have followed. 
They even write lots of books on how to fail at the game. All you have to do to deal with aggression is add lots of fish and lots of dithers! 
Is it maybe time to ask if that works for any other animal?/ 
At this point, it is quite likely that you have trained a fish to be a killer and it will be very difficult or impossible for him to live with other fish.


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## acesnick (Oct 4, 2017)

Just an update. After 2 days he just left it alone. I bought another juvis 3 to be exact and now the aggression has been divided. He chased it all the time, but from time to time, but I think he got tired of doing it. So he just chase them and whenever he sees them. I bought 2 kenjis and another blue one and everytime he tries to chase them he got lost with giant danios school due to color probably. So I guess hes attracted with red zebra color thats why hes chasing them. All in all it all ends well. Aggression ceased (or decreased) and I hope everything will be fine. Thanks for all your help. 

Now my problem is I noticed my bichir is on a hunting spree lol. :-?


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## acesnick (Oct 4, 2017)

PfunMo said:


> You have done what many people do! You have taken the standard advise and not moved further from it. With the somewhat small tank and lots of fish who do not match well, you did start with overstocking.
> So if that were done with humans, it would be like this.
> You set a up a small area, like a prison or ghetto, perhaps? You gave folks no place to hide and totally get away.
> And it is not surprising that there was a bully in the random group chosen to put in the confined space.
> ...


I remember when he was a juvis back then. He was the last one to grow up. He's brothers and sisters all grew up and his growth is slow. He got chased most of the time by the adults but now I think he learned to be the bully this time


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

Why did you buy more fish? Please don't ask for advice and waste people's time if you don't intend to stop doing the same thing that has ended in failure, time and time again.


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