Holy crap!
So I have a beautiful tank set up with 3 diff types of cichlids, The 4 brachardis have paired up and are on brood number 4 of fry. The 2 blue hap mooris are doing beautifully and just groovin' along.
And then there were my "docile and tranquil" yellow labs.
I've had these stunners before and never had an issue...EVER! My 3 labs are seriously showroom brilliant yellow with big bold black finnage.
Well as of 2 weeks ago the story turned. First it was 2 alright with the 3rd now hiding in the corner by the heater, next it was another up in the corner hiding by the spray bar. both of them losing colour and one (the 2nd to go hiding) had half eaten tail fin. The remaining fish still astounding colouring enjoying a tank to himself. So, I quarantined in the tank the damaged fish and let him recoup while I was noticing the "shimmy" of the remaining big male in effort to seduce the other lab (the one by the heater)...problem is this moron doesn't get it that he's a dude to, so obviously no dice there! His harassment was enough for me to isolate him into the floating quarantine cell once I could release the damaged male back into the tank.
Now it was all good...the two males were getting along great, while 3rd big frisky male cooled off. The tank was harmonious once again until tonight.
The little bugger knocked off the lid of the floating seclusion box and jumped back into the tank to battle the repaired male!!!!!!!!!! 1000% full on fish face off!! They were swirling on each other so fast that it was not NOT POSSIBLE at times to distinguish the shape of a single fish! It was simply a yellow and black blur!!! Two 4" brilliant males going off on each other was turning the entire tank into a panic. The remaining yellow male started fighting with the bachardis for a hiding space in the rocks which happened to be their breeding spot. Flared gill plates is amazing to see but not best for the harmony of my tank!
In the end I quickly managed to scoop up one of the fighting males (quite easily actually because they were so distracted with one another) and put him back in the isolation box with an elastic band around it this time and shut the tank down for the night with hope to let everyone chill out.
Unfortunately when I got these guys as 3/4" long babies I got 3 males. :( I am 99% sure that at least 1 has to go but I was wondering if there was any other suggestion that someone might have as a resolution before I put these seriously prime breeding stock beauties up for sale?
Thanks everyone in advance for your help!! :D
Doc
Could you provide some more info. What size is the tank?
Just read some of the other posts you have. Sounds like you have tanganyikan brachardi. Unfortunately they will take over any tank. Each generation will help the family in defending the tank, shrinking the real estate until there are no other fish left. The agrresion is likely due to the shrinking tank space.
Thanks Mike :D
I've systematically taken out all fry to a rearing tank so there are no others to join in the clan wars. ;) The two yellows that are fighting are just that, fighting. All the tanks is in harmony except for these two going into battle. Even in the clear quarantine tank they are after each other. The brachardis have not in anyway terriorialized the tank other than when the babies first emerge they make sure that they go in hiding if another fish comes around.
I think that it might be a personality thing with the two labs....sometimes in fish life, like with people sometimes two just don't get along.