What do I do now?

[Cheapeeper]

ok yesterday all was good in the 30 gallon tank with my pair of Convicts. Today the female is hiding underneath the water flow of the HOB filter and the male wont let her swim about without chasing her back into hiding. She looks all beat up on the side.
Will they calm back down? Or do I need to remove one of them? They were both put into the tank at the same time so no prior territory was established.
What is going on? This is my second male being a bully. I'm getting frustrated.

Sharon in Minnesota

 

[Lager]

How much cover do you have? Maybe provide several caves so she can hide. Watch them he will kill her if he keeps attacking her.

 

[Menagerie]

Couple possibilities:
He wants to mate--she doesn't
He decided the tank isn't big enough for both of them

You say this is the second male. Are there two males in the tank or has this happened in the past? One reason for sudden displays of aggression is sexual maturity. Most fish are juvies when you buy them and their temperament is one way, a few weeks--months later it's as if another fish has replaced your formerly docile one.

 

[Cheapeeper]

Well I say second male because I do have 2 males but each in a different tank, I had switched them around because the other was in the tank with the femlae at one time and he was doing about the same thing, chasing her around, ramming into her, nips at the fins.
There's plenty of pots and caves in the tank. I know I need more but money is tight right now, hoping I can go rock hunting this weekend. I looked at slate at the LFS and was like dang almost 3 dollars for 1 lb of rock? I can pick rocks at my parents farm for free.
This morning all was fine for the female because there were like 4 little juvies in the tank for him to chase. But dumb me took them out and gave them to Oscar for breakfast. Now she is the target.
That's why I asked what do I do now?

 

[Menagerie]

In a 30 gal, you can put all the caves/hiding spots, but there is just not room for both of them if he is being aggressive. I don't recommend adding other fish, but that would disperse the aggression. What happens if both males are in the same tank with no female to fight over?
BTW~if the female keeps laying eggs and breeding, you need to give her a break. That is physically demanding for her. Aside from a varied diet, a break from the boys will greatly improve her life span.

 

[Cheapeeper]

Well for tonight I just went an observed about 10 minutes and then I took him out and put him in a bucket. I mixed up the decorations and pots and caves AGAIN and added melafix to the water for her. As she is lookin a bit frail. I dont have 2 males in there just 1 male and 1 female both were put in at the same time yesterday. he is in a bucket now waiting to cool himself down overnight.
I do have another male in with the Oscar that is the same size, he was being the bully yesterday hense all this moving them around. I could put him back in the 30 with the female again tomorrow and see if it goes better for her, but I'm not really sure at this point what to do.
I got her from a friend who doesn't want her back. I really wanted to have a pair but the boys dont wanna pair up with her they just want to harrass her to death.
Will keeping him in a bucket overnight calm him down at all or should I put up the divider in the 55 gal Oscar tank and keep him alone for a while while she heals back up?
Advise wanted in Minnesota

 

[Menagerie]

I'm suggesting putting both males in the same tank for now. If there's nothing to fight over--no female, no great territory, they may be fine. The female should be okay with the Oscar.
Putting him in a bucket overnight will give her much needed rest, but he will likely be aggressive again tomorrow.

I don't know the history of this tank. You recently received the female? The males were together before this?
Are there any LFS willing to take an adult convict?

 

[Cheapeeper]

Well no the males have always been seprate. 1 or the other have always been with the Oscar in a 55 gallon, never together. 1 male had a female before this in a 20 gallon Long and they were a pair and got along nicely. I recently upgraded from the 20 long to a 30 gallon. Well the next day she was found on the carpet dried up. Due to a space from the ill fitting cover I had. Fixed that and a friend said he would replace my female. that's how I got her.
So what I did was I switched the males around and took the one from Oscars tank and put him with the new female into the 30 gallon and put the male who's mate jumped ship in with Oscar.
Female was fine overnight because I had also added 4 juvies in the tank with them and male had the juvies to chase about. Well this morning I took juvies out and gave them to Oscar for breakfast and new female has been the agression target ever since.

 

[Menagerie]

The 20 long may have been a better fit for these fish. Often tanks get taller before they get wider or deeper from front to back. I'm sure they are made this way to save precious floor/counter space, but the fish really need the surface area. Few fish hang out at the tops of tanks for fun. You may want to try going back to the 20 long.

 

[Cheapeeper]

Well from observing this fish alone in the 30 gallon now for about 4 to 5 days I dont think it's a female at all. It has no orange coloration to it on the tummy at all not even 1 scale either side, and the tail fins are quite long and look shorter due to have been harrassed and possibly having the fins nipped.
It has recovered nicely since I have been doing Melafix treatments to the water and is no longer hiding from us.
I have another 1 inch female with beautiful colors she might be over 1 inch but she paired up with my other 3 inch male when she was in there before and I'm thinking of doing another switching and putting male and her together in the 30 and giving away the odd one out.

 

[Menagerie]

Good luck with the switching. Keep in mind that males can turn on their mates even after being together for a long time. I'll cross my fingers for you that this is a match made in fishy heaven and they are a mate for a long time!

 

[Cheapeeper]

Thanks I guess all i can do is try