Cichlids at the library

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ElanaJoy

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Mar 14, 2016
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Hi, I'm sure I don't have nearly enough info to get good advice... and I will do my best to find out... but this is it for now.

Our local library has a tank of what I'm assuming are African Cichlids (about 4-6 inches long), but now I have learned there are "american" ones too (is that the same as "new world"?) so I honestly don't know what kind. I also don't know the tank parameters. But for general behavior, maybe this can be answered:

There is a bully in the tank. He/she is NOT the biggest by a few good inches, but the bully none-the-less. My 9 year old daughter observed the behavior and as novice fish keepers ourselves, we were concerned. We wrote a note to whatever librarian is in charge of the tank... but I'm just wondering whose bright idea it was to get this species to begin with, because everything I have read makes me feel like the are not low drama. SO, would taking out the medium sized bully help, or does that mean some other fish will rise to top bully status? Is it like taking out a dictator which gives rise to the rebels or some other dictator?

Other question, there is an albino one in that tank which my daughter is in love with. It's mutual, he follows her from one side to the other. He is lowest on the totem pole. He mostly goes from hiding spot to hiding spot and doesn't swim freely like the others. Would it be a step up or down for his well-being if we could rescue him and keep him in a 10 gallon... I know that is technically too small for them.

Any thoughts are appreciated. Or at least a list of things I should try to find out beside the obvious gallon/species/number of fish...

Thanks guys!
 
A picture would help out greatly! For the most part there is aggression everywhere but then theres the origination of the species that comes into play that involves the water parameters and if there are species intermingling, it may not be the right conditions... theres a lot to it.

I bet with one good picture or even a few, there could be TONS of help and advice coming your way!
 
I agree with Osci.
I'll add to his response however, if I may.
Most cichlids display a certain degree of aggression, but this doesn't make them all bullies. However, some fish, like some people, just can't help but be bullies. REmoving the bully means that another fish will step into it's role as the dominant in the tank, but the new top fish may not be a bully. There's a difference between bullying and asserting yourself. However, as long as no damage is being done to the other fish, and the bully isn't concentrating his attentions on only one or two fish, it should be ok to leave him in the tank.
As far as removing the submissive fish to a ten gallon, nearly all cichlids, especially Africans, are gregarious fish that live in groups in the wild, sometimes numbering in the 1000s of members. Even if the 10g was large enough (which it really isn't, except for the smallest of cichlid species), it won't be happy being in a tank alone, even if it doesn't outgrow the tank. Again, as long as it seems to be getting food, and doesn't appear to be suffering any damage, it's probably best to leave it where it is. Individual fish, like dogs, understand their respective rolls in the pack. Here's hoping that whomever set the tank up at the library knew what they were doing.
 
Thanks! Here are pics I took yesterday, I will get more later this week. I also hope the librarian reaches out to me. I had taken a pic of the bully and the albino. I can say that to me, with out a whole lot of knowledge on the species, the tank looks set up well, with lots of hiding places throughout, and looks to be about the right stock for the tank size. I also know that there was an original group of fish (the albino was in that group) and at a later point they brought in more. My daughter thinks the bully is from the second batch but isn't sure.
 

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They are both Africans, the albino appears to be an albino peacock of some sort. The blue one looks to be a female kenyii but not 100% as it still has yellow. Perhaps a kenyii mix, but definitely a mbuna
 
Again, I agree with Osci. The albino is almost certainly a peacock. The blue fish makes me think of a Kenyi/Acei hybrid, which I'm not sure is possible. If it's a Kenyi though, or a Kenyi hybrid, it would explain the aggression.
 
ok. Oh, forgot to mention, from what I saw, the aggression looks evenly distributed. I don't think there is a particular fish it has it's sights on. Also, none of the fish look to be in bad shape. The albino had a little tattering on the ends of it's fins, but not alarming to me. The bully just darts around, pushing fish out of their spot, and some nipping attempts.
 
Ive had kenyii before with my other mbuna. It works but its a very sensitive nature. I actually was able to breed kenyii, red zebra, acei, and rustys all in the same tank successfully!
It works but there is always a ranking in the tank...
 
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