Why do fish suddenly fall out with each other?

[Crookster]

I have 2 golden koi angels in my tank in my kitchen. They are normally the best of friends, they hang everywhere together. However, every now and again the smaller of the 2 starts attacking the larger one, in a big way too. The big one hides behind the filter looking really stressed out. They did it about a month ago, so I took the offending fish and put him upstairs with the 'big boys', to see if he would try and throw his weight around in there.

Unfortunately he got a taste of his own medicine, someone took a chunk out his top fin, so I promptly put him back downstairs. This seemed to solve the problem though and they were back to being best buddies.

He started it again yesterday though, constantly pecking at the sides and fins of his 'buddy'.

Any Ideas why or do all Cichlids do it? I have 2 blue discus that do it ocassionally, but nowhere near as nastily and persistently as the angel.

Oh, and why is it the little one being nasty? You'd think the big guy would stick up for himself.

 

[Crookster]

Will a mod please move this to cichlids section.

 

[aloaring]

My two angels do this all time so much so they are now seperated. Its all about domination and having a pecking order the only way to solve it is to get more angels so that the agression is dispersed. I can't do this as my angels are fully grown and i need to get others of an equal size , which is rare !! so they are seperated btu they both have keyhole cichlid buddies that they hang out with !! Sorry i can't be of more help!

 

[Fawke]

I have the same problem with my Gouramis (different species and family i know)...... but same theory i guess...
I have 2 and one continually pests the other....

It's worst time is just after feeding and just before i turn the lights out....

I have them seperated at the moment but im not too sure what the best solution is either..... they are only seperated cos one is recovering from it's most recent battering..... this is the first time iv had to hospitalise it tho and its making a full recovery

Il be interested to know how/if you resolve this issue

 

[Crookster]

btu they both have keyhole cichlid buddies that they hang out with !! Sorry i can't be of more help!

Funnilly enough, My two angels shar their tank with a few cory's and 2 keyhole cichlids.

I don't really have room for more angels, I think I will have to get a hospital tank and just keep a close eye on them.

 

[gto_cowgirl]

How old are your angelfish? One of them may be ready to breed and the other isn't. I would say if they are around 9 months to a year old, then they have reached sexual maturity.

Otherwise, I had this problem when one of my angelfish was about a quarter size and my other was a 50 cent size. The 50 cent size angel picked on the smaller one for quiet a while. I divided them for a while until the quarter size angel was almost the same size as the other one, then i would drain the water and change the plants and everything around so no one had any territory and added them. I also added Melafix ( natural wound treatment) while they worked it out. It was hard at first, my angelfish did the exact same thing but after a while worked it out.

I really think it is sexual maturity though because they use to be friends unlike my angels. If it is the case of maturity then i would divide them for a while, obviously one angel is not ready and still needs some time to grow.