demasoni cichlids and the lfs.

[molliwopp]

Just got back from a shocking experience from the lfs.

They had a bag of 4 cichlids obviously ready to put into a tank. There was a demasoni cichlid in the bag savaging 2 other cichlids to the point of were it was eating them alive and just taking chunks out of them. Their fins almost completely gone. I said to one of the guys 'this demasoni is attacking the other 2 cichlids in the bag badly, thought id tell you' and his response was 'yeah it will do' erm... shock horror. yeah it will do!?? I said ok well i thought id tell you.... I mean what the actual *%&*#?!

 

[Fallout801]

Hard to say what was going on unless you were there from the start. More than likely fins looking like that didn't happen in the few moments that the fish were in the bag. The lfs was probably re-homing the fish from a tank where the Demasoni was already bullying the others, the owner didn't didn't know how to deal with the aggression so there for traded the problem away. The bag floating was acclimating the fish where they could soon be separated into different tanks

 

[molliwopp]

I know why they float bags... Im not foolish and know demasoni are aggressive. I saw it with my own eyes the other 2 fish were getting savaged to death right in front of me. And it was the respose that shocked me the most.

 

[Fallout801]

I wasn't saying you we're foolish. But the fact is that a person working at or running a fish store probably gets the "hey this one is beating up that one!" Comment a hundred times a month about fish outside of bags probably more than inside of bags. So I think the reply back of "yeah they do that" although its lazy, doesn't necessarily constitute abuse and is the truth, being that a Demasoni picking on other fish in a bag is circumstantial. No matter what, one fish is going to keep another fish in check. That Demasoni once in a tank will find his spot either hiding amongst deco or beating up on other fish. The ones with their fins nipped will grow back and continue being picked on by dominant fish or mature as males and pick on others

 

[molliwopp]

I know you werent calling me foolish, sorry.
Ok maybe your right. I just got/get over passionate about it. It was just so horrible to see and ive never seen a fish so in such a confined space it was just relentless.