Quiet Jewel Cichlid

[Dieses Madchen]

So, I have a Jewel Cichlid that has been living in a 75g with two severums and 3 rescue viejas. She almost killed one of the Viejas today.

She is only about 4 inches. So what I did, I acclimated her to the Mbuna tank. I know its not ideal because the water parameters are different, although the pH in both is pretty close. I did a drip acclimitization as there is .6 difference in the pH. My Mbuna are 5+ inches. They looked at her, she looked back. I was waiting for a fight. Nope, she went the other direction, and the Mbuna went back to what they were doing. Now she is swimming with them and there is no violence. Finally, I tamed the wild beast.

Now to monitor for any problems. If she can't get along with the Mbuna, then it looks like I will have a 6th tank to set up

 

[Liam2368]

ahhh the calm before the storm i can't see this ending well in that tank, if It can take out a vieja mbunas won't be a problem but the mbunas are also likely to heavily defend there territories so it might turn into a war zone.

 

[snake007]

I thought it calmed down in your 75g

Ive seen jewels in my lfs they never seem to be aggressive, I was thinking about getting one but not so sure now, if they can take out viejas then

 

[Dieses Madchen]

It is slightly rowdy in the mbuna tank at the moment. But my 6 inch Socolofi don't take no crap. After some lip locking a tail slapping, the Jewel has retreated and the Socolofi went on about her business.

I have done a lot of research and have seen many counts where Jewels are successfully kept in Mbuna tanks. And for the record, the Vija is a juvies and only 3 inches.

I am going to monitor the situation for a little while. So far no nipped fins, just smoe territorial swatting. If it doesnt simmer, which i anticipate it will, I will buy a 30g and the Jewel will live alone.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Well, I have just checked in on my new arrangements, and everything is going smoothly. The tight-knit community that the jewel has entered has proved to be exactly what she needed to be in. Where as in the other tank it was everything for themselves, in the Mbuna tank, its "You jump, I jump." The jewel made several passes to excerpt dominance over my Socolofi, but the others were not having it. Next thing you know, poor jewel has 3 mbuna on her, ready and willing to make her their toy. After a few go arounds (with surpisingly no damage to any of the fish) the Jewel seems to have decided to weild and submit to the harmony that the mbuna like in their tank.

 

[Malawi MaD]

Just be careful with the mbuna especially if your adding the saulosi soon, when they start to breed they can be agressive little things. Glad everything is going ok for now though

 

[Dieses Madchen]

That is the nature of Cichlids though. I can handle a little aggression. Its normal in a Cichlid tank, expecially Mbuna. What I can't handle is a cold blooded killer, and the Jewel is lucky I don't feed her to my cat at this point in time j/k

I think it will be okay. I have done a lot of reading where people have kept Jewels in Mbuna tanks and it working out. I am keeping a close eye on the situation for right now. I have a spare tank, so if it gets wicked crazy, I have a place to put her. I just would really like her to quit being a turd and learn to have roomates.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Just an update for anyone interested (and i am not posting these observations to prove it works. What I have done solely depends on the individual fish, and I was lucky enough to have this work for me)

The Mbuna tank has simmered down. Ironically, with the amount of hell the Jewel has caused me, she is finally in her place, where she should be. I hate that she got a little beat up, as she is my favorate, but I needed to tame her. I cannot keep setting up a tank everytime a fish wants to get rowdy. My three Mbuna are fine. None of them have a single ding or scratch on them. My poor Jewel, has some scrapes around her mouth (i think from the liplocking) a slight nip in the tail, and a missing scale. This really depresses me, although the Vieja that I am trying to get healthy so I can rehome, is in much worse condition. I have moved that little guys to a 10g tank and are treating his wounds, although I fear for the worst for him. His tail is half gone and he is missing a buttload of scales. He is in really bad shape. I really don't think he is going to make it, but i am going to try my heart out to save him.

As for the Jewel, yeah, it sucks she got beat up. My Mbuna are a tight-knit group that have been together for a while. She messed with Big Blue, which always seemed to be the leader, and the other two came to Blue's defense. But now the Jewel is swimming with them. She seems to have accepted her role as the underdog. But I think I would too if I didn't even get a hit in during a punkout.

Here are some pictures of the poor Vieja. If anyone has any ideas on what I can do to help the little guy, please let me know.


DSCN3587 by s

[url=http/www.flickr.com/photos/74069771@N06/6675643467/]
DSCN3584 by sainzja3, on Flickr


DSCN3581 by sainzja3, on

 

[Malawi MaD]

So the jewel did this to your Vieja? Wow i didn't know they were so aggressive.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Yeah, she is crazy. That is why I felt comfortable putting her with the Mbuna. I knew they could stand up to her, plus she is smaller than they are. She has a little bit of battle wounds, but they are all swimming together now.

 

[Malawi MaD]

That is crazy, never knew they had so much aggression. She should be tamed a little with the mbuna as tank mates hopefully. .. When do your pseudo saulosi arrive?

 

[Dieses Madchen]

I got outbid, so I am watching the auction. If the bid doesnt go up to high, i will place on 15-20 minutes before it ends Then I will set up the 65g as a grow out until they are closer to the Jewel's size, assuming I do not feed her to my cat before then....j/k

I think she will calm down. The Socolofi has already made it clear that she is the boss (the socolofi is female, I actually think all of my mbuna are female) and so far the only one getting injured is the Jewel. I am treating the tank with Melafix to promote healing and monitoring the water for cleanliness.

 

[Malawi MaD]

I got outbid, so I am watching the auction. If the bid doesnt go up to high, i will place on 15-20 minutes before it ends Then I will set up the 65g as a grow out until they are closer to the Jewel's size, assuming I do not feed her to my cat before then....j/k

I think she will calm down. The Socolofi has already made it clear that she is the boss (the socolofi is female, I actually think all of my mbuna are female) and so far the only one getting injured is the Jewel. I am treating the tank with Melafix to promote healing and monitoring the water for cleanliness.

Ahh hopefully you will still win them then .. I know what you mean, she will probably attack the cat lol (she sounds that aggressive) that's the frustrating thing with malawi's they can suddenly have a rant with one another and one always ends up worse of. Melafix should do its job pretty quick, works wonder's that stuff.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

yeah I use it religiously when there are injuries. I feel bad for the Vieja. Everything was going really well. She just snapped. But then again, she is african, everything in the tank with her was SA, even though jewels are more commonly kept with SA cichlids than african. Do you think the Vieja is savable?

I think the part that is frustrating is that she is my absolute fave. I don't know if its cause she is as strong headed as me or what. Despite the hell she has brought on me, i cannot bring myself to get rid of her.

I knew this was the difficult part of having cichlids. But i was prepared for aggression, and now I get to deal with it. I really think everything will be okay. She is the smallest fish in the Mbuna tank, and my other girls do not take crap.

And yes, the Jewel would mutilate my cat.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Sadly, the Vieja succumbed to his injuries this afternoon. little guy.....