New Acei is a Bruiser

[Dirt Diggler]

Got a few new fish yesterday, among them was a Acei that was a bit larger than I had wanted but since I read they were peacefull guys, I got him anyway. Over the last 24 hours, he's killed 4 fish, and was running a 5th raggedy. A Kenyi couple, a Cobalt blue male, and an Eye Biter were all killed, and he was about to kill the electric yellow. All 4 kills happened overnight. I've netter him (that took some effort) and put him in a breeder net in the tank in hopes that it will A: give the other fish some time to relax and heal B: reestablish new territories as he took over EVERYTHING and C: break him from his aggression. I doubt C is gonna happen though, and I'll probably have to return him. When I put him in the tank, I added some feeder guppies as target fish, and there are quite a few ghost shrimp for them to go after. Is putting him in the Penalty Box the right thing to do?

45 gallon mbuna tank with 12 mbuna 1 cat, and 1 new pleco

 

[erikmoseley]

He's too big for that tank. I'd being him back.

 

[PockX]

Aceis are sometimes more peaceful, but can just be as aggressive as any of african. Maybe cuz of his size being larger he is trying to be more territorial. You can try to add more territories or take him back.. by the sounds of it though, you sound pretty stocked..I would maybe just take him back.

 

[MMantelli]

Acei can be pretty aggressive a lot of the time. And they git kinda big

 

[Jakepen]

Even if he was peaceful 45 gallon is too small a tank for an acei. They can grow pretty large, and are free swimmers, meaning need a lot of room. That's probably why the aggression

 

[LaCichlids318]

He needs more of his kind to calm him, I have 4 acei in my tank and they school great and stay calm, when I take all but one out (for breeder reasons) the one will start getting an attitude. That's just how mine are tho

 

[MMantelli]

He needs more of his kind to calm him, I have 4 acei in my tank and they school great and stay calm, when I take all but one out (for breeder reasons) the one will start getting an attitude. That's just how mine are tho

That's most mbunas my johannis and fuellebornis are like that. My male kenyis though are always going at it.

 

[Big Tex]

Even if he was peaceful 45 gallon is too small a tank for an acei. They can grow pretty large, and are free swimmers, meaning need a lot of room. That's probably why the aggression

x2 on this acei's are +7" fish and need alot of room, 55g minimum on them IMO and they are constantly in motion, therefore claim alot or all the territory.

 

[kjacks]

x2 on this acei's are +7" fish and need alot of room, 55g minimum on them IMO and they are constantly in motion, therefore claim alot or all the territory.

I agree although i was told when setting up my 55g acei really needed more swimming room and not to get them which i understand why now that i have 4 1.5acei in my 125g and they stay making laps around the tank so to speak and swimming in the filter current i can only imagine when they get bigger how much they are gonna swim

 

[MMantelli]

I agree although i was told when setting up my 55g acei really needed more swimming room and not to get them which i understand why now that i have 4 1.5acei in my 125g and they stay making laps around the tank so to speak and swimming in the filter current i can only imagine when they get bigger how much they are gonna swim

Yes good choice in not getting them untill you had the proper hole for them. That's y I don't have any. They definatley need a minimum of a 6 foot long tank.

 

[Dirt Diggler]

It's good to know about these fish now. What I had read did not do them justice. I took the big guy back and there is some harmony in my tank now. Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences with this fish.

 

[MMantelli]

No problem.