mean cichlid

[hockeydude15]

I have had 1 yellow lab and 1 electric blue for a while i just purchased another set of 1 yellow lab and 1 electric. But the first electric is a bully, Since i put the 2 new fish in he attacks everyone. The yelow labs get along w/ eachother and w/ the new electric. But the old electric just attcks everyone that comes near the bottom of the tank. The elctric johanni's are both males.

I tried many things including arranging the tank to break up territories and built new hiding places. But he thinks that he owns everything

what should i do im afraid someone is going to be killed in this tank and i dont have a hospital tank. All i have is a fish breeder(a 4" by 4") net.

Tank
_____________________________________________________________
38 gal.
sand
2 labidochromis yellow
2 melanochromis johanni

 

[Menagerie]

The bully needs to go. You also NEED a hosptial tank. Cichlids can get pretty rough with each other. The first electric blue is probably more mature than the other male and therefore has established a territory. Keeping cichlids can be heartbreaking at times, but you need to do what's best for all the fish.
The other thing to try is to fully stock the tank and put in plenty of caves. I would buy 2 females and see if that settles the fish down. However, my guess is it will give the dominant male more of a reason to bully.

 

[deli_conker]

I have both of the fish you have and here is my experience with them...

I used to have two johannis (electric blue). One would bully the other big time. Eventually one died (not related to the bullying). I still have two yellow labs. The more dominant one bullies the other less dominant one more than any other fish in the tank. All are/were males. I think that males of a species are more aggressive against males of the same species AND against males that look simular to their own species; my johanni and socolofi are always at odds with each other.

As far as terrain in a tank goes, I've recently found that there is a very fin line in having too much and too little terrain. Too much and you end up with a bunch of warlords around the tank and a bunch of battered fish. Too little terrain and everybody gets beat down by the baddest fish. I have finally found a balance (I think) where everybody is happy (even the second yellow lab).

Also (keep in mind that this is just my personal opinion) you have too few fish in your tank. A 38 can support more than what you have in there. In my experience being on the borderline with over population with africans will minimize aggression. In a nutshell the bully has to spend more time watching his back if there are more fish in the tank.

HTH, let me know how it turns out...

 

[xray]

I agree with Deli. You need more fish especially females. Did your Lab have any trouble before you added the other two fish. Mabey the labs are just getting caught up in the middle of his domination of the other male. Try replacing one of the males with a couple of females.

 

[hockeydude15]

sfd

After about a week the new johanni has made an effort to move around a bit although he still gets chased.

My lab did have a little trouble before i got new fish but not enough to hurt him,

now he is getting his fins bitten when he goes near the other labs area

 

[deli_conker]

Make sure you have adequate hiding places and IMHO add a couple fish; bullies that have to watch their back can't bully the ones in front of them.

good luck