Lost 2 in 2 days.

[Marconis]

About two weeks ago, I lost one of my Yellow Labs that hasn't grown since February (I don't know if you remember me making a thread about that). Anyway, yesterday, I lost another one of those Labs. He was showing signs of illness because he was "resting" in a plant for about a week, and would only come out when there was food. I wake up this morning to find my bumblebee dead. I am assuming he died because of stress and being abused. My other bumblebee would always have him pinned in a corner of the tank. That same bumblebee never bothers any other fish...for now. I am going to check water params in a bit just to be safe. What should I restock with? I currently have 2 Yellow labs, 2 Red Zebras, 1 Blue Zebra, and 1 Bumblebee.

 

[TCTFish]

Please post numbers of the water test results. Also note the size of the fish, order of introduction to the tank, and how the environment in the tank is set...such as caves, rocks and other decor. Also describe the filtration the tank is fitted with.

Without knowing any of the above, I would guess someone in the tank is feeling cramped, making them agitated for more territorial space. You will need a bigger tank if you plan on keeping these guys happy for years to come without them killing each other till you have just one. AND...if this turns out to be the case and water quality is OK and no diseases suspected, then I'd point my finger to the bumblebee being the culprit of the sudden antzy behavior. Out of the ones you have listed here, the crabro is certainly a CRAB when the animal wants its way and they usually get their way. That is just a guess on my part. Lets see what the water parameters have to show.

On observation, note to see which fish in the tank does not have any ragged fins or darkened coloring. Usually, though not always, this individual fish is the one doing the bullying.

 

[Marconis]

Parameters:

pH- 8.3 or 8.4
Ammo-0
Nitrite-0
Nirtate-5
Water Temp- 78.2*

All of the fish are around 2 1/4- 2.5 inches, with the exception of the bumblebee who is slightly bigger, and one of the labs that just won't grow (which is about 1 1/4 inches). In February, I introduced the 3 Labs, and 1 Red Zebra. (These are the 3 Labs that never even grew). In the first week of March, maybe last week of February, I bought another Red Zebra, and 1 Blue. In mid-March, I introduced the two bumblebees. In June, I added another Lab without any trouble. My tank has plenty of caves .I will post a photo at the end of this post. The only fish with a torn fin is my smaller Red Zebra, where there is a tiny piece missing on the top fin. Like I have said before, aggression in my tank is minimal. Aside from the death of the bumblebee, I am pointing to illness at the Labs. It is hard to see, but there are at least 8 caves or passageways within those rocks.

 

[TCTFish]

Well...water parameters are certainly OK and all the fish have been in there for a while. I would suspect aggression unless there's an oddball source for contaminates (like an air freshener plugged in too close to the tank...in which case you'll see more die soon).

Though it may seem there's 'rarely any aggression', when you deal with African Rift Lake cichlids...especially Malawi species (they are much more brutal in their attacks) in an enclosed system (the tank) anything can happen at any given time. It's almost like the aggressions of African cichlids is a science all its own...lol. Gotta love them fish...

Keep an eye on the tank. Maybe spy on them at night shortly after the lights go out for a while to see if there's any noticable aggression then. Considering the water parameters are good, it is safe to add more, but I'd suggest adding a small school of zebra danios (up to half a dozen or so) at the same time. Danios act as 'target' fish and helps spread aggression so a single fish isn't picked on. If you opt for more labs, get ones that are at least the same size as the bumblebee, so they can hold themselves against the bumblebee, but also the red zebra.

My analysis of the information according to order of introduction:

The red zebra seems to be the most dominate in the tank, but with the bumblebee being bigger, that one may show over dominance in trying to maintain his or her dominance over the red zebra. Labs are almost always lower on the heirarchy against the zebras, which is why it's best to go for bigger labs to introduce into a populated tank.

The size of your fish are at the size for maturation. Yes...even when they are that small, they will breed or at least establish a breeding heirarchy and that's when the bulk of aggressive behavior comes out.

The tank looks good, but try placing some 'shelving' with flat slat rock to produce caves to add for cover. Though the rocks you have are well placed to allow plenty of alley ways, there is a lack of cover.

And again, just to note...you will eventually need a bigger tank for them.

HTH...good luck and keep us informed.

 

[Zagz]

I remember the thread about the fish a while back. I agree that your labs may have been sick for a while and the end result finally came about. I think some danios as dither fish are a good idea. I would add more labs myself. Adding more zebras or bumblebees is sure to increase aggression. I would also watch closely the 3rd yellow lab to see how he fairs. It may have been the stocking of those 3 from the beginning, since as we know they didn't grow very well.

 

[Marconis]

Thank you both for the very informative posts. TCT, I have been told Africans can live happily in a 46 gallon tank.

 

[Marconis]

So how many more labs should I get? Should I buy them as large as the bumblebee?

Are there any other species I can get currently? I like having variation in color.