Managing aggression

[Oddball59]

Kia Ora team. Hi, hope all are well. Could someone tell me if it's even relevant? But should you introduce a fish known to stake out its territory aggressively (well semi aggressively hopefully) into a new tank first and let them make their home first and let them establish that area. Then add your other fish, dither fish or whatever. Or should you put all in at once? Let them have a little parliamentary discussion about who lives where. (Actually poor analogy.... we'd be there all week whilst they decided). Same question for multiples of semi aggressive fish? Thank you if you take the time to consider this. Kia Kaha. Phil.

 

[BettaFishGirl]

I find with my bettas (who are aggressive), to put the dither fish or whatever in first, them put the Betta (or said aggressive fish) In after. That way they don't feel like they have to protect their territory, since it's not theirs.

 

[Oddball59]

I find with my bettas (who are aggressive), to put the dither fish or whatever in first, them put the Betta (or said aggressive fish) In after. That way they don't feel like they have to protect their territory, since it's not theirs.

Kia Ora, Thanks BettaFishGirl. I suppose part of it all is the type of fish, maybe if you already have fish that are mid water, or fish that go to the surface a lot the question isn't so valid. Thanks for the reply.

 

[Byron]

The individual aggressive species makes a difference, but I suspect from what I have seen in past threads that most members would recommend leaving the aggressive species out until everyone else is well established. Territory is the issue. This does appear to work with fish that are not too territorial or "rough," at least sometimes.

 

[Wills]

Like Byron says it really depends on the species individually and collectively - bit of a game of chess (though I don't know how to play chess)

 

[Oddball59]

The individual aggressive species makes a difference, but I suspect from what I have seen in past threads that most members would recommend leaving the aggressive species out until everyone else is well established. Territory is the issue. This does appear to work with fish that are not too territorial or "rough," at least sometimes.

Kia Kaha and hi Thanks for the reply Byron. I really like the two quotes you've added. I think that whilst aquascaping, or even fish keeping per se can be classed quite rightly as an art, lets not get so caught up in the aqua scape that we forget were dealing with a sentient species... however low on the ladder... His Holiness the Dalai Lama once said at a teaching I was attending that a sentient species is one that has volition to decide it's movements, a lesson I really believe. We have a responsibility to put the fish ahead of our own sometimes vain desires.

 

[Colin_T]

What species of fish are you keeping or planning to keep?

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?

What is the GH (general hardness), KH (carbonate hardness) and pH of your water supply?
This information can usually be obtained from your water supply company's website (Water Analysis Report) or by telephoning them. If they can't help you, take a glass full of tap water to the local pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. And ask them what the results are in (eg: ppm, dGH, or something else).

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If you have a fish that might be aggressive, it is generally best kept on its own. If you plan on keeping it with more peaceful fishes, then add the peaceful fishes first, wait a few weeks (a month if possible) and then add the angry fish.

Try to get young angry fish so they grow up with the other fishes and are less likely to go nuts and kill everyone.

If you want multiple aggressive fish, buy them young, all the same size, and put them in the tank at the same time so nobody has the home town advantage. Make sure there are several hiding places for each angry fish, and try to have plants or something between them so the fish can't see each other as easily.

 

[seangee]

(Actually poor analogy.... we'd be there all week whilst they decided).

You really are isolated oop norf if you think parliament can achieve anything in a week

 

[Magnum Man]

Sadly a "time out" or a "spanking" do nothing to help in the way of naughty fish... when I was in the hobby before I had a lot of 10 gallon tanks, with single fish in them, as I figured it all out...

by "spanking" I mean this... I've had mean fish before... moving them to a meaner fish tank, only gets that 1st mean fish beaten up... but after getting beaten up, move him back into the 1st tank, while the other residents are doing well, & even though he's been beaten, he goers back to being tank boss... you can easily get lots of scared up fish, by playing that game... I found it easier in the long run to have smaller dedicated fish tanks for the scrappy ones...

I did have a buddy that had a big African cichlid tank, it was full of rocks & caves, & to keep the peace, he would rearrange the rocks every week, when doing water change... seemed to work pretty good for him, but involved handling almost 100 lbs. of rocks every week

 

[Oddball59]

You really are isolated oop norf if you think parliament can achieve anything in a week

Yeah true should have said between a year and never. The only man to enter parliament with good intent was Guy Fawkes.

 

[Oddball59]

Sadly a "time out" or a "spanking" do nothing to help in the way of naughty fish... when I was in the hobby before I had a lot of 10 gallon tanks, with single fish in them, as I figured it all out...

by "spanking" I mean this... I've had mean fish before... moving them to a meaner fish tank, only gets that 1st mean fish beaten up... but after getting beaten up, move him back into the 1st tank, while the other residents are doing well, & even though he's been beaten, he goers back to being tank boss... you can easily get lots of scared up fish, by playing that game... I found it easier in the long run to have smaller dedicated fish tanks for the scrappy ones...

I did have a buddy that had a big African cichlid tank, it was full of rocks & caves, & to keep the peace, he would rearrange the rocks every week, when doing water change... seemed to work pretty good for him, but involved handling almost 100 lbs. of rocks every week

Kia Ora, thanks for the reply... moving around your aqua scape you've spent months and money preparing and achieving sounds a nightmare. I think the answer maybe to layering your fish, ie top water dwellers, mid water fish and a hardier bottom dweller. The semi aggressive fish I'm thinking of are mostly Rams or cichlids which tend to stay lower in the tank. Don't know, want species to remain consistent with a biotope.