Odd Cichlid behavior

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Fishyfanatic

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
Messages
11,964
Location
Illinois
I have noticed some odd behavior coming from our cichlid's. It's only the Ice blue, Aulonocara OB Peacock's, and Red Parrot. They aren't fighting. Two of the fish, at first it was the Male Ice Blue and Female Aulonocara OB Peacock, swim towards each other and "kiss". They look like they are kissing by putting their mouths together and sticking to each other. They do this for about 5 seconds then swim away. The Female peacock then did this with the male peacock and I think it made the Ice Blue mad beacuse then the ice blue started chasing the male peacock. Then the Ice Blue started doing it with the Parrot. What the heck is going on here. They are all pretty big, size wise, could they be "dating"?

My fiance thinks I'm nuts and being a match maker because I am hoping that the Peacock's get together and mate. But then that Ice Blue had to screw it up by kissing the female peacock. What does this behavior mean?
 
they aren't kissing, they are feuding. whether it be for dominance of the tank, or it could be to show off to the other gender. keep an eye on them. if the fish aren't hurting each other than you are ok. If you notice a torn lip, or a scratch, then they either have to be separated, or try adding a few caves so that each cichlid can claim it's own space.
 
They aren't hurting each other. There doesn't seem to be any agression except for when the male will chase the other male after it gets done "kissing" the female. But they don't "catch" each other. The ice blue chased the Peacock until the peacock swam into the ship. Then they stopped and went their own seperate ways. This didn't happen until after we moved them into the 150. You would think that it would have happened in the smaller 55 gal tank. Actually, we have added more hiding places in the 150.
 
In a tank that size, you shouldn't have a territory fight, they could just be playing around. cichlids have huge personalities, and are always suprising us with new quirks. I wouldn't worry.
 
Thanks. I was kind of hoping that we would be having babies soon as the fish were "dating". Oh well.
 
This is a sign of aggression, as said before, watch them because something will happen even if right now they aren't hurting each other. Cichlid's can be odd sometimes, sometimes they just want the same area which could be why they didn't show this before in the smaller tank. I would just keep an eye on them for now, luckily you have a large enough tank that there is room to escape aggression.
 
We are going to add another larger cave in the tank when we come across rock that we like and that isn't expensive like at the lfs. I'm just weary about adding rock into a tank that didn't come from the lfs because of what it can do to the water (pH and hardness) and the cleanliness of it. We've been looking for limestone to help increase the pH but since we converted over to the 150, the crushed coral must have REALLY done it's thing because it is now at 7.8 and has been stable. We really don't want to raise it any higher than that. Are there any other rocks that we can put into the tank that won't raise the pH?
 
I read this post right after you posted it and dug into my books and printouts. And as everyone above said it is proably agression, from what i understand when we have talked the Ice Blue is the King of your tank, and he might have had a rival for a little while. Lava Rock or Resin Rock will not affect your ph. Back to what i said easrlier most african cichlids mouthwrestle as i sign of agression and they may have been getting close to the point of mouthwrestling but not actuyally did it. If they stopped just watch them and make sure everything is ok.

JMHO

Dan
 
Thanks Dan. They aren't hurting each other and they have stopped doing it. They did it one day for quite a while but have stopped. It was kind of funny to watch beacuse it looked like they were kissing. But I don't want them to get hurt. Hopefully they don't have to get seperated because we don't have a tank to send them to. Oh wait, i guess the Ice Blue can always go back to the lfs (silently excited). I'm sorry, it's just that the Ice Blue will chase after fish for no reason. He never nips at them, just chases. He's my fiance's favorite fish but I can't stand him. He's the one as the pic below my name.
 
Crowding is one way to keep agression down. When you moved them into the big tank agression kicked up. The Ice blue was able to set up a territory he didn't have room for before. Now he doesn't want anybody in it. Becareful he dosen't get hyper-dominant. :roll:
 
Yeah, I figures aout the ice blue in your pic, I definelkty would tak him back but i would add some more fish or you will probably have this proablem again porabbly even if yoiu get rid of the ice blue i.e. the "rival peacock" that was going against the ice blue will proabbly try to assert his domiance on the other fish and history will repaet itself. I would add another 5-7 fish to dampen aggression.
When are your Acies coming in?
WHat exactly are you planning on getting to add to the tank.
Keeping Mbuna at high desnities prevents any serious fighintg becasue king of the tank dosent have ssuch and big turf and more importantly, say king of the tank chases a rival and "another fish bumps into him"lol and he starts chasing that fish. if you have a lot of them two wont get into a serious fight between each other MOst of the time, thier are exceptions to this rule as with every rule.
I would add another 2-3 electric yellows and re-arrange the rocks and do a water change that way everyone will be trying to regain a perspective and you can slip some more fish in unoticed.

JMHO

HTH

Dan
 
Back
Top Bottom