musicalfish
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As the topic states, I'm new to keeping cichlids, let alone any fish since I got rid of my old tank a year ago. Anyways, I purchased a new 36 gallon, and decided to do a fish-in cycle, stocking it with a (male) jewel cichlid and a (female) peacock cichlid until the cycling was complete. It seems there has only been problems since.
First off, the LFS employee assured me these cichlids were compatible. I don't know if it's because of the difference of species, or the fact that one is a very territorial male, but the jewel cichlid displays huge aggression towards the peacock, and everyday I wake up to her fins a little bit more torn up. He has exiled her to the upper third of the tank, and even then pays her a visit every once and awhile to keep her on her toes. How can I re-introduce the peacock to the rest of the tank, and calm the jewel's agression?
The jewel is usually a bright orange with blue neon dots, and stayed that way for the first week in the tank. However, it suddenly seems that it easily gets spooked whenever there's sudden movement or noise in the room, and rushes to hide itself behind cover or in a plant. Upon doing this, the top half of the fish turns a grey-ish black colour. I'm assuming this is simply a defense mechanism, but upon sitting and observing the tank for awhile, the jewel will eventually come out of hiding and tone down the colour change, but will still remain a little lacking in colour. Is this because he is still aware of my presence and is nervous?
I test the water regularly and everything seems alright: (I change the water frequently to make sure the ammonia doesn't get out of hand)
ammonia - .25ppm
nitrite - 0ppm
nitrate - 0ppm
pH - 7.6
Temp. - 80°F
I've had the tank for about a week and a half now, any of you vets willing to share any knowledge? Any help is much appreciated!
First off, the LFS employee assured me these cichlids were compatible. I don't know if it's because of the difference of species, or the fact that one is a very territorial male, but the jewel cichlid displays huge aggression towards the peacock, and everyday I wake up to her fins a little bit more torn up. He has exiled her to the upper third of the tank, and even then pays her a visit every once and awhile to keep her on her toes. How can I re-introduce the peacock to the rest of the tank, and calm the jewel's agression?
The jewel is usually a bright orange with blue neon dots, and stayed that way for the first week in the tank. However, it suddenly seems that it easily gets spooked whenever there's sudden movement or noise in the room, and rushes to hide itself behind cover or in a plant. Upon doing this, the top half of the fish turns a grey-ish black colour. I'm assuming this is simply a defense mechanism, but upon sitting and observing the tank for awhile, the jewel will eventually come out of hiding and tone down the colour change, but will still remain a little lacking in colour. Is this because he is still aware of my presence and is nervous?
I test the water regularly and everything seems alright: (I change the water frequently to make sure the ammonia doesn't get out of hand)
ammonia - .25ppm
nitrite - 0ppm
nitrate - 0ppm
pH - 7.6
Temp. - 80°F
I've had the tank for about a week and a half now, any of you vets willing to share any knowledge? Any help is much appreciated!