Lost Cause?

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shannalanai

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Mar 16, 2009
Messages
1
I have a 20-25 gallon tank. We did the measurments but I can't remember at the moment which it turned out to be. I have had an Electric Yellow/ Yellow Lab for a few years now. Its been about 4 years probably. He was part of a crew. All died but him and a light blue striped one and the bottom feeder. those two shared a tank for a long time and they would switch back and forth on who was the "alpha" it seemed. One would be more aggressive for awhile and then the other. Then the blue died and it was just him and the bottom feeder. He would chase the bottom feeder around but never did anything other than be annoying to the bottom feeder....never destructive. A month ago the bottom feeder died and so he has been alone for about a month. He had gotten sick so we were trying to get the water straightened out before we added another fish in. Well he got to where he hid all the time so I wanted to add something in with him to bring some more activity. They said as long as I got one close to his size it should be ok. He is about 4-5 inches. Well we decided it was high time to get another bottom feeder so we got one of those...starts with a P..Pluer something....its leopard print looking in a way because that was recommended to me and an Electric Blue because it was in the same kind as the Electric Yellow. I was thinking that the Blue was close to his size but he is only about 3 inches I think. Didn't realize just how huge the yellow is until I brought the blue home. Anyhoo....so we set them up in the tank wth a tank divider until i could read more on how to introduce a new fish in with a cichlid. What I am reading and what happened today is not too optimistic. Silly me I left the aquarium the same thinking it would be more comforting to the yellow that his home had not changed, only a new "friend". I put the bottom feeder and the blue on one side and him on the other until I felt like it would be ok to try them out. Well apparently either the yellow knocked the divider loose or the blue jumped over the top somehow and they messed it up while fighting. I came in and blue was in the yellows side and my yellow was visciously attacking the blue(they are both males from what I have read up on). He nearly killed him. He has white spots on the side of his body now that were vivid blue. I managed to seperate them and the blue is no longer drifting to his side a bit like he was so i am hopig he will be ok and that he was just stressed and is calming down now.

Here's the question....if I totally get all new decor and introduce them to it at the same time is there a chance or is this going to be a suicide mission for my blue? Is my yellow now going to be satisfied that he has beaten the other one and he is alpha or hold a grudge? Is the tank too small for 2? AND if I have to take the blue back will the bottom feeder be able to stay or will the yellow most likely go at him since he is little? I really want to keep the blue...he is beautiful but maybe mine has been alone for too long. I am nervous about keeping the divider thing going for too long cause now I am paranoid that today's incident will happen again.
 
In that tank your yellow will most likely be aggressive to any other cichlid you add. I would return the blue. Generally african cichlids should be housed in a minimum 55 gal tank if you want more than one.
 
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