new problem

[juanveldez]

well I suppose that the turf wars are continuing as my JD keeps trying to take over the whole tank as his own. I am going to my lfs on monday to get a tank divider just cause I don't want to lose my GT is there anything at all that I can do until then to settle this dispute?

 

[smb]

Not really. A wc and move all the decorations around will help. Sometimes it helps longer than others. Add some more decorations also if you have anymore you can add.

 

[juanveldez]

thanks man I will try the change everything around for tonight and tommorow then at least that may give me time to get the tank divider we will see eh?

 

[smb]

Should be ok. Neither of those fish are hyper-aggro in general. How bad is it? Like what is going on and for how long etc?

 

[juanveldez]

nither one is like really really putting the smack down on the other it is more like my JD is chasing my GT all over the tank, with his mouth wide open, and most of his shots have been towards the middle of his body but I am thinking that my GT has said that enough is enough and has been snipping back at him. but the WC and addition of alot of plants with a angle and position change of the pots has helped calm things down now they are more preoccupied with exploring than really doing much more. I am thinking that I am just getting a bit anxious as my GT is the most expensive envestment that I have made in my fish.

 

[smb]

Glad that helped. Like I said, sometimes it helps for hours and sometimes it's for a day or two. Just keep an eye out. The flanking you said the JD was doing can be very dangerous.

I think you should be ok tho.

 

[juanveldez]

well just an update... well the flanking continued so today I went to the lfs and got a tank divider. well where to start THEY MISS EACH OTHER!!!!! Bert is sitting there pouting like a little child.... and ernie is no better as he is doing the same thing. but while I was there I also picked up a power head as I needed to get more movement in the water as it was pretty much standing still.

 

[smb]

LOL, you can't win for losing can ya mate?

How bad was the fighting? I always let my cichlids fight and settle things on their own. IMO, this is always an ongoing thing with cichlids, whether it be the dominate one making sure the subdominates remember who's the boss, the subdominate one grows and wants to test the old guy out, or they just might be bored or having a bad day or just po'd about something in general. The fighting usually never amounts to much.

Only you know how bad it is when they fight but unless you think there could be some major damage I would let them settle it on their own. Cichlids are very hardy and it takes a lot to kill them.

The reason I think it might be best to let them work it out is because IME, with a divider, my cichlids would try to jump over the top or try to break it down (and sometimes succeeded) and would then kill the other fish if they had bad intentions. The fact that they are both sulking and not flaring across the divider or charging it leads me to believe that they were just being normal cichlids and should be fine.

Like I said tho, this is only IME and I'm not there and all cichlids are different, so if you feel differently by all means keep the divider up.

 

[juanveldez]

well the more I sit here and think about it. it wasn't I am seeing your point as it may have been just them sorting out matters... we shall see.

 

[smb]

Don't let me talk you out of what you think tho.

You know best because you are there and see it. It is impossible for me to know for sure w/o seeing it myself. Trust your instinct. I was just giving a bit of info from my own experience so you can weigh it all out and decide for yourself.

I would feel terrible if I was wrong here and you lost a fish because of it.

 

[juanveldez]

don't feel bad man it actually worked!!! I seperated them for 4 hours today and I was rewarded with them not even looking at each other till just 15 minutes ago. and then it was all the GS. he was actually defending his little corner of the tank and actually put the run to the JD.

 

[missyintx_99]

Glad you got it all worked out there. Sounds like they have been putting on quite a show for you.
When I moved all my fish around the other day to clear a tank for my late-Jag, I put the Green Sev in the same tank with my JD and pink con. I also moved my Turq. Sev in there with him because he was starting to get just a little to rambunctios with my Angels. They have all been flaring with each other and establishing their boundries. Quite a good show, but no damage has come of it so far.
It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

 

[juanveldez]

well so far the only damage done is that the JD has a missing scale on his back near the start of his dorsal fin, and the GS has some tears in his anal fin

 

[missyintx_99]

Time to break out the Melafix?

Hows it going now? Update! Update! Please?

 

[juanveldez]

well I was gone this weekend and my wife told me that bert put the beat down on ernie so I seperated them tonight and broke out the melafix and also a half dose of stress coat