Dedrick wants to know:
I have 3 African cichlids. Can anyone tell me how to tell if they are fighting? And if they are what should i do?
I have 3 African cichlids. Can anyone tell me how to tell if they are fighting? And if they are what should i do?
August 13th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
They chase each other and establish a pecking order. Just make sue you lots of rocky hiding places.
August 14th, 2009 at 4:30 am
are they wearing gang colors or are they wearing boxing gloves. these are key signs. look for them. If they are check the tank for stereriods. you know todays atheletes…Good luck
August 17th, 2009 at 1:24 am
Chasing each other like mentioned, especially if one ventures into the other’s “territory” or near it. Some fish will “lip lock”, though that can also be a sign of mating in some fish. Any frayed fins or injuries? That’s usually a sure sign. Like the first guy mentioned, make sure there’s enough plants, hidey holes/caves, rocks for them to each establish their own area. That’s important with cichlids. If it gets bad, you can take all the decorations out, and redecorate the tank. That way they need to reestablish their territories, and sometimes that will help. Kind of like knocking them all back down to the same level in the chain of command lol.
August 18th, 2009 at 12:01 am
I found that you should have your cichlids in a tank thats 29 gallons or larger. If they are the same size they would probably have less chance to fighting. But this breed of fish is aggresive + territorial, which could result in fighting amongst themselves.
Read some of the tank info on the link below + see what you think. : )
2) “Cichlids fight. Even the tiniest of cichlids will fight.
Cichlids fight for a reason. Fighting may be over space, over mates, or over food. If we understand fighting, then we can attempt to control it, and our fish will benefit.
Fighting is dangerous. The loser may forfeit scales, fins, or eyes. All too often, in the confines of a small aquarium, the loser may be killed. Fighting is also dangerous for the winner. A lucky strike to the eye by a small opponent could debilitate even the largest fish.
HOW THEY FIGHT :
“Rivals spread their fins to make the body look as large as possible. If neither is deterred, they may progress to lateral displays, also called tail-beating. The opponents line up side-by-side and push water laterally at each other, attempting to show their strength. If the encounter escalates, the combatants may engage in face-to-face combat. They display flared gills and open mouths, which usually precipitates jaw-locking (also called mouth wrestling and lip-locking) and “carouselling” in which the fish rapidly chase each other in a tight circle, each attempting to bite the other.
Jaw-locking is dangerous because the jaws are essential for so many aspects of a cichlid’s life.
Jaw-locking is dangerous because the jaws are essential for so many aspects of a cichlid’s life. A dislocated jaw could be a prelude to death. However, jaw-locking is also the ultimate way for two closely-matched fish to determine who wins and who loses. It is so important that in cichlids many species have incorporated jaw-locking as part of courtship: potential mates lock jaws and test each other’s fighting ability. A partner that cannot fight is a partner that will not be able to protect the fry adequately.”
3) What to Do ?
“I would try to return one or both of the males and replace it with a female. Also, if both are males, the largest one is the dominant one. You can tell because he is able to bully his way to more food than the smaller one. Again, having an environment where they can establish territories will go a long way to solving this problem.” (larger tanks)
2 Video links on fighting cichlids
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could it be that 2 are males + 1 is female ? they could be fighting over the same female.
August 21st, 2009 at 1:26 am
To reduce the fighting you need a big tank, Whats is their tank size? Usually they need 20 to 50 gallons each for their separate territory.
August 22nd, 2009 at 2:18 pm
check to see if they have any splits in their fins or if they have any scales missing and also any injuries around their mouths from lip locking.
hope i could help.
August 24th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Most mbuna will chase each other around the tank to establish a pecking order. When the order is set the chasing should subside.
The key to keeping them is to have a large tank and provide lots of hiding spaces. Mbuna prefer rocky tanks and do well with a lot of caves and crevices.