# Bully Bumblebee



## jessikarabbit (Aug 9, 2010)

I have a tank with three african cichlids. A bumblebee, red zebra, and an african acei. (blue w/ yellow fins). We are new to this, and have had some serious issues with the bumblebee.
At first the bumblebee was the one being picked on. So we separated him from the other fish at the time, and that fish ended up freaking out and dying . 
We read the library article about dealing with the aggression, bought two fish, cleaned, fed and rearranged. At first I thought he was just being dominating and would chill out. Not the case. I think our zebra is stressed out. He is missing parts of his fin and stays down in the bottom of one of our props, rarely coming out. I havent seen him eat in two days either. The acei pretty much swims around untouched. Any additional help would be much appreciated.. Im getting stressed out for our zebra


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## shane2sweet1 (Aug 4, 2010)

You could try adding more fish so your bumble bees agression gets spread out and he can't focus on picking on just one or two fish.


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## shane2sweet1 (Aug 4, 2010)

You could try adding more fish so your bumble bees agression gets spread out and he can't focus on picking on just one or two fish.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Tell us about your aquarium. What are the dimensions?


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

of course there are going to aggression issues with a bumble bee. solutions will depend partly on tank size, but getting rid of the bumble bee would probably be a safe bet in any scenario


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## jessikarabbit (Aug 9, 2010)

We have a 10 gal tank that we purchased from petsmart. We are very much beginners when it comes to this, and I stumbled upon this site in hopes of looking for some answers. We checked out our local fish store and are planning on upgrading our tank in the future.

Our zebra is still alive though now he is just laying on the bottom of the tank, and the bumblebee doesnt seem so interested in him.. We have thought about getting rid of the bumblebee and have until the 19 to do so.

Is there another type of african cichlid that isnt so aggressive and will do well with a zebra and acei?


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## ridley25 (Jan 5, 2008)

Hi,

You absolutely can not keep Malawi mbuna in a 10 gallon aquarium. For beginners it's best to have a 4' aquarium - a 55 gallon is a good size for three species (Bumble Bees (Pseudotropheus crabro)) not being one of them.)

Are you in a position to get a bigger tank in the very near future? Either way I would return the crabro as soon as possible - it's not a beginner fish.
Nor are:
Metriaclima lombardoi (Kenyi)
Anything that starts with Melanochromis (auratus being the most common)

Your Red Zebra and Acei could stay and be built around with a third species in a four foot tank.

kevin


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## jessikarabbit (Aug 9, 2010)

we are looking to get a 55 gallon tank, and plan on taking crabro back asap. I guess we will just keep the zebra and acei together until we have done more research.


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## ridley25 (Jan 5, 2008)

That's a great plan. Start here:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/c ... er_55g.php

If you want to keep the zebra (Metriaclima estherae) and Acei (Pseudotropheus sp. "acei") you could add more of each in the hopes of attaining a 1m/4f ratio.

Sexing monomorphic mbuna (in which the males and females look the same) is not always easy. Some LFS (Local Fish Store) employees are able to vent them:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/gender.php

If you ever see one holding, it's a girl! It's usually not too hard to establish a relationship with an LFS whereby you return unwanted males for cash or credit. To get 4 females you may need to buy 10 juveniles and watch them grow if you can't have them reliably sexed.

Some other species to consider (in 1/4 ratios):
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... hp?id=1371
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... php?id=707 (a great beginner species with unique colouration)
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... php?id=713 (maybe the most common species out there. Beware of many poor strains, and they will likely cross breed with your Zebra)
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... hp?id=1911
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1 (males are black/blue, females are yellow)
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... hp?id=1786

kevin


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

i don't know why, but i knew it would be either a 10 or 20 high


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## jessikarabbit (Aug 9, 2010)

Thanks Ridley for the suggestions and links. Very helpful :thumb: 
I checked out the cookie cutter for the 10 gallon, and plan on going to my LFS and talking to someone.

My zebra didnt make it  but am hopeful about the future of my other with plans to get a bigger tank!


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## pgreptom (Dec 5, 2009)

jessikarabbit said:


> Thanks Ridley for the suggestions and links. Very helpful :thumb:
> I checked out the cookie cutter for the 10 gallon, and plan on going to my LFS and talking to someone.
> 
> My zebra didnt make it  but am hopeful about the future of my other with plans to get a bigger tank!


Don't stress it.. when I got my first 55G, i lost the very first fish I bought - a blotched red zebra. Since then I've only lost.. two fish, one was a red tailed shark that got swallowed in one bite - and one was a ghost knife.


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## torin32 (May 24, 2010)

research people find fish you like then research.


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