I'm A Home Wrecker...

[twodoctors]

I went to Wharf Aquatic for the first time yesterday (and for those of you who live near Mansfield, it's definitely worth driving there). Was looking to add either a firemouth or a pair of Bolivian rams to my tank (see signature). Spoke to the keeper (probably the owner), and got chatting. He reckons that my T-bars would not tolerate another cichlid(s) in the tank and I might be better off with other type of fishes. Gave me a few recommendations (zig-zag eel, senegal birchir, leopard bushfish, various catfishes etc) and in the end I got myself a Liver Catfish. Love the barbels.

Anyway it went in yesterday. Was hiding all day. Today saw it coming out for the first time, but as soon as it appears it was chased away by Mr Sajica (my t-bars were paired up before I bought them from the shop). Normally he only chase his tankmates away from its territory (right hand corner), but he was chasing the new catfish back to its hiding place (back of the tank, behind the bogwood). So I thought I should rearrange the furnitures to break up its territory. As soon as that happened, Mr and Mrs Sajica were quarrelling and fought for a bit. Now they have vacated their corner and have "separated". It looks like they are no longer on talking terms. Mr Sajica is trying to woo her again but she seems to be having none of it. She is now hiding a lot and is back to her old colour (paler, vertical bars visible, fin orange). She was darker, and almost black and white fins when she was "normal". Everytime he approaches she runs away as if being chased. I don't think the chase is aggressive as it is fairly low speed by their standard.

I supposed I should wait a day or two and see what happens. Hopefully they will re-establish their territory and unite again...

 

[snowflake311]

They will work it out. I seperated my angles for a week and put them together they did not like each other. But after a month I think it was they are in love again. It feels so bad when you break up your pair. give it time.

 

[hamfist]

Yes, they should find the "love" again.

Some species seem to pair up more loosely, and therefore are easier to break up, than others. You find this loose pairing more with shoaling cichlids, like geos, though.

Sajicas are not a strongly shoaling fish and, I would think the chances are definatley with you that they will pair up again.

 

[twodoctors]

Thanks guys.

Mrs Sajica had been guarding the family home for the past 2 weeks, and she didn't seem to have eaten much. I did noticed that she was passing motion, so she must have been eating something. It's a real fight cleaning their house, with both of them attacking the hose.

They seemed ok this am. I don't think they have made up or decided to move back into the same corner yet. We shall see. Hopefully they won't be as aggressive now and that I don't need to move them on in future either.

Adrian

 

[twodoctors]

Mrs Sajica is now in hiding most of the time. Mr Sajica isn't looking for a territory either... he just swim around and push the corys around if he's bored. He never did bothered the barbs or rainbowfishes. When Mrs Sajica does come out, he would stalk Mrs Sajica, and she would swim away, and stay hidden for a long time.

What other options have I got? Should I take them out for a few hours and put them back in? Would that help? Initially I was thinking about putting them in a bucket for a day or 2 so it would leave the Liver Catfish alone, but I don't have a spare heater or filter, so doing that for more than a few hours is out of the question.

Any suggestions welcomed.

Adrian