# I think this wold be an interesting experiment. Am I insane?



## jgrillout (Jan 9, 2018)

I finally had aggression under control by adding 6 fish to my tank 6 months ago< I was surprised how well this worked.But recently,the Blue Cobalt picking on my favorite fish, the Star Sapphire. I put the Cobalt in a isolation tank for 2 weeks. I needed to move my 75 gallon because we were painting. So I took all the fish out and drained it. I kept the water. moved the tank. after we finished painting we moved it back and added the water back.It occurred to me this would be a good time to put the cobalt back. I rearranged the ornaments move the aquarium back and refilled it with the saved water. I put all the fish back. For about 8 hours the cobalt behaved but went back to picking on the sapohire. I came up with a bizarre idea. My wife thinks this is crazy and cruel but her solution is even crueler. My idea is to trim his fins. I think I can use finge nails clippers or sissors to do what the fish do to each other, temporarily hobble him by trimming off part of some fins. My wife says that's too cruel and said just flush him down the toilet !! Of course the most humane thing to do is give him back to my local store. But I do want to keep him, he is pretty.

I think this wold be an interesting experiment. Am I insane ?


----------



## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

I think it is cruel and can open up the fish to potential infection. Do not flush the fish! If you want to keep him, set up another tank if possible otherwise rehome it to the store or put him up for someone else to take or buy.


----------



## cyclonecichlids (Sep 7, 2019)

Don't do this. Make a divider in your tank, keep him in a separate tank, give him away, or just add more fish.


----------



## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Yes, you would be insane to do so, not to mention animal cruelty. The problem is simply that you've put incompatible fish together, in too small a tank. You need to rethink your tank stocking, and re-arrange things one way or another.


----------



## BlueSunshine (Jul 13, 2014)

Why did you save your water and reuse it?

As has already been said, your fish selection isn't compatible.
Just kill the fish in question and be done with it. Don't torture it.


----------



## jgrillout (Jan 9, 2018)

I saved the water because the parameters were acceptable. And I wanted to have the beneficial bacteria. Is there a better alternative ?
I'm surprised who many responses mentioned cruelty. My thought was, this fish was torturing my favorite fish. These fish are always cruel to each other to the point of killing each other and eating them. Also I didn't mean to cut all there fins totally off. I thought the fins wouldn't have more feeling then our finger nails to. I thought they were similar because they grow back.

Obviously I am wrong or I'm insane


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

There is little beneficial bacteria in the water, it lives on surfaces like filter media, substrate, etc.

The fish are not being cruel, they are trying to survive. You have better options than fish have. Including separating the fish so incompatible species are not trapped in close proximity.


----------



## 01722 (Mar 25, 2018)

Rehousing the aggressive fish is the best answer here but you may have luck introducing a different Blue Cobalt in the future. I had a male yellow lab that I introduced that was a terror with my Peacocks. I rehoused him shortly after he became aggressive. The next time I added fish I tried another male yellow lab and he's been fine for two years now. If you really want a Blue Cobalt try another one. You can always rehouse that one too if doesn't work . Trimming fins is bad for that fish and could create stress that could risk diseases to all the fish in the tank


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

While a yellow lab with a hap might work...a Metriaclima callainos (blue cobalt) is a more aggressive fish. And among haps, the star sapphire has a rep for being on the timid side...even for haps. Just a very high risk combination that is proving to support the odds.


----------



## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

I think you were advised in the past that you would likely have problems with rowdy Mbuna dominating the Haps/ Peacocks and hurting their looks. I find the experiment bizarre and the logic flawed that you would intentionally cripple a fish just to keep him. Why would you want to keep that fish anyway?


----------



## jgrillout (Jan 9, 2018)

At the time my German red was harassing all the other peacocks. I learned my tank was under stocked and that adding more stock would reduce aggression. My thinking at the time was the Munba would keep the German red distracted and reduce how much he can pick on the other peacocks. That worked for a few weeks. Then the Munba turned it's attention on the sapphire and then I realized i made a mistake. When I added stock i should have avoided Munbas. I still new to this hobby and learning something often. I'm grateful we have this forum.


----------



## BlueSunshine (Jul 13, 2014)

jgrillout said:


> At the time my German red was harassing all the other peacocks. I learned my tank was under stocked and that adding more stock would reduce aggression. My thinking at the time was the Munba would keep the German red distracted and reduce how much he can pick on the other peacocks. That worked for a few weeks. Then the Munba turned it's attention on the sapphire and then I realized i made a mistake. When I added stock i should have avoided Munbas. I still new to this hobby and learning something often. I'm grateful we have this forum.


Saving your tank water, for its bacteria, is a waist of time.

There is definitely a learning curve in this hobby. What makes it so interesting/challenging, each fish even of the same type is different. Hang in there, a balanced tank is well worth the wait and very enjoyable.


----------



## sir_keith (Oct 30, 2018)

jgrillout said:


> I finally had aggression under control by adding 6 fish to my tank 6 months ago< I was surprised how well this worked.But recently,the Blue Cobalt picking on my favorite fish, the Star Sapphire. I put the Cobalt in a isolation tank for 2 weeks. I needed to move my 75 gallon because we were painting. So I took all the fish out and drained it. I kept the water. moved the tank. after we finished painting we moved it back and added the water back.It occurred to me this would be a good time to put the cobalt back. I rearranged the ornaments move the aquarium back and refilled it with the saved water. I put all the fish back. For about 8 hours the cobalt behaved but went back to picking on the sapohire. I came up with a bizarre idea. My wife thinks this is crazy and cruel but her solution is even crueler. My idea is to trim his fins. I think I can use finge nails clippers or sissors to do what the fish do to each other, temporarily hobble him by trimming off part of some fins. My wife says that's too cruel and said just flush him down the toilet !! Of course the most humane thing to do is give him back to my local store. But I do want to keep him, he is pretty.
> 
> I think this wold be an interesting experiment. Am I insane ?


Yes. Totally. You cannot change genetically programmed behaviors by mutilating an organism somatically. You need to alter his environment so that it allows species-typical behaviors to play out in way that is less offensive to all concerned. Root of the problem here is that the Cobalt should not be kept with the Sapphire. That's your fault, not his. Interesting experiment? That is insane.

You say you are new to the hobby and still learning. Fair enough. Buy some books and learn basic cichlid husbandry. If you're not willing to do that, you have no business keeping fishes, They are your pets; you have an obligation to see to their welfare.


----------



## jgrillout (Jan 9, 2018)

Geeze, I was never really serious about this. I just wanted to see what the responses would be. stuck at home and bored. Have a good day.


----------



## BlueSunshine (Jul 13, 2014)

jgrillout said:


> Geeze, I was never really serious about this. I just wanted to see what the responses would be. stuck at home and bored. Have a good day.


Sombody say SASHIMI !!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Don't sweat it man. At the end of the day there're your fish. If you want to grind and sprinkle them over scrambled eggs for breakfast....it's your call. Just try not to get to bored sitting around. :thumb:


----------



## jgrillout (Jan 9, 2018)

BlueSunshine said:


> jgrillout said:
> 
> 
> > Geeze, I was never really serious about this. I just wanted to see what the responses would be. stuck at home and bored. Have a good day.
> ...


HaHa. I googled SASHIMI. thanks for a giving me a laugh at the end of the day


----------



## ken31cay (Oct 9, 2018)

jgrillout said:


> BlueSunshine said:
> 
> 
> > jgrillout said:
> ...


Yeah your first idea wasn't that cool but don't sweat it. If you had to ask the question here then something tells me you probably wouldn't have done it.


----------

