My poor Acei! Help!!

[KreativJustin]

Ok, so I have a mixed African Cichlid tank. Around 13+ Cichlids in there with 2 pleco's.

However, I noticed that my Acei (1 of the 3 biggest) was getting his fins and sides nipped to hell and back. He was fine yesterday, noticed this around noon today. Came home from work and he was even worse, swimming on his side and very sluggish.

I moved him to my back tank which holds fry, and a few fry bushy noses. He barely ate and is hardly moving, still rolling to his side .

I do think he will cover, well I'm praying he will recover. I have two main cichlids that were doing the nipping, both of them are the same size as my Acei (and all three are the biggest in the tank), a male Auratus and a psuedo socolofi.

They have a very good amount of hiding places, which the Acei tried to use, but the other two were going out of there way to find him. It was very disturbing to watch.

What's the deal? I want to eventually put him back in there when he recovers. I just don't know why they suddenly targeted him. Is it a dominance thing?

 

[slayer72]

Ok, so I have a mixed African Cichlid tank. Around 13+ Cichlids in there with 2 pleco's.

However, I noticed that my Acei (1 of the 3 biggest) was getting his fins and sides nipped to hell and back. He was fine yesterday, noticed this around noon today. Came home from work and he was even worse, swimming on his side and very sluggish.

I moved him to my back tank which holds fry, and a few fry bushy noses. He barely ate and is hardly moving, still rolling to his side .

I do think he will cover, well I'm praying he will recover. I have two main cichlids that were doing the nipping, both of them are the same size as my Acei (and all three are the biggest in the tank), a male Auratus and a psuedo socolofi.

They have a very good amount of hiding places, which the Acei tried to use, but the other two were going out of there way to find him. It was very disturbing to watch.

What's the deal? I want to eventually put him back in there when he recovers. I just don't know why they suddenly targeted him. Is it a dominance thing?

I have both Auratus and Socolofi, they are highly aggressive at times. What is the comparison in size between the aggressors and the victim?

 

[haleybeth30]

I'm having this same problem. I hope your acei will recover! I am looking for a divider now, my tank boss is terrorizing my red jake and ob peacock (Graffiti) They both hide or stay up at the top and meanie seeks them out.. I've rearranged with each wc and again tonight adding new places to hide sometimes... not working.. I have the lights off often. I'm getting a divider and separating the bully. I know it's a sucky option to rehome.. I don't want to get rid of him, but I will if time out doesn't work

 

[KreativJustin]

The agressors and the victim is the same size! I do not want to relocate, as they are all tank mates from the start (except the male, he was added 2-3 months later after stocking).

But I do a bumblebee, kenyi, and lab that are just a bit smaller. The Lab can be a brat at times too.

The Acei is doing better today! He was actually watching a few of the lab fry just playing around... very cool to watch

 

[haleybeth30]

I'm glad he's better