Restored thread - Texas Cichlid.

[missyintx_99]

Well, there's been trouble again in my tanks. I tried once more to put the 2 Texas cichlids I have together. Left her in there with him and for 2 days everything was just fine. The 3rd day, I hadn't been in to feed them yet and Matt hollers at me to come here and the larger, I believe male Texas, had beat the holey crap out of the smaller (i'm thinking female) Texas.
She is TORN UP!!!!!
I had just moved all the guys in my 20L into one of my 30's and was going to do a spring cleaning on the 20, so I just happened to have that tank empty, but not in a mess yet and put her in there. Did a 50% water change and put some Melafix and salt in the tank. Two days later, she's swimming around the 20, but still has a long way to go before she'll be anywhere close to healed.
I'm probably gonna end up taking both the Texas' back to the LFS. I can't keep either one of them with any of my other cichlids, they beat them up too.
And I already have the Jag that I can't keep anything else with. I just don't see that I really have a choice since getting tanks big enough for them for life to be alone in just isn't an option.

It bites. I can't believe she got torn up as badly as she did. And I feel like the evil mean owner who put her in with the big bad fish that nearly beat her to death.
UGH!

 

[thecichlidaddict]

Don't feel bad, you tried and hoped for the best, and seperated them as soon as you saw trouble. That's the problem with these big tough new world cichlids, they take up so much space, and need huge tanks even for just pairs!

Keep doing those big water changes, she'll heal up in no time. For now you can look out for some more suitable fish for your aquarium

 

[Changes-In-Latitude]

I can't say how because I just don't know but I've read many accounts where people have claimed that seashells can, not always though, raise the pH of a tank.
Probably has something to do with the shells leaching calcium into the water. If the tank is to be a RiftLake or such tank this wouldn't be a bad thing.
You could(?) put the shells in an empty tank with similar conditions to the one you want the shells to decorate and take before and after readings of pH, kh, and gh.
HTH

 

[KellieFishEggs]

A few seashells won't hurt anything. What you don't want to do is have seashell or crushed coral substrate, that will alter the water properties.

 

[living_dead]

Is it normal for a Convict cichlid to beat up on a Texas thats bigger than it? Cause thats whats going on in my gfs tank. The largest convict if king.

 

[missyintx_99]

Is it normal for a Convict cichlid to beat up on a Texas thats bigger than it? Cause thats whats going on in my gfs tank. The largest convict if king.

I don't think its neccesarily normal, but its not unheard of either. With both of my Texas', I can't keep them with any of my other cichlids. They have been tried and both start beating up on the others including my very much beloved Cuervo, a Green Terror who is the same size as the larger Texas, a Green Severum(the little Texas was messing with him), and my husbands gorgeous Jack Dempsey Hercules.
Its been my experience that Texas are some pretty aggressive fish and difficult to find tank mates for.
But as with all cichlids, your mileage may vary!

 

[Lateral Line]

Thread restored from ghosts.