Please help me!

[michelle5012]

Help! My johanni is horrible!

I have a 55 gallon tank with 8 cichlids. All but two are mbunas, the other 2 are haps. I have 2 Johanni's and the bigger one is trying to kill the smaller one. Should I put the smaller one in a MUCH smaller 10 gallon until I can get another tank or will he evetually stop bullying him? I am really worried because he seems relentless!

 

[Andrew McFadden]

If it is stressing it out separating the two is almost you can do. When and if you try to add them back together up the amount of them to spread the aggression out between them all.

 

[michelle5012]

Thank you! I put 2 other posts on here asking for help and no one would help me! He seems to be hiding really good right now, so I may let him stay in the tank tonight. I have the other tanks up and cycling but the 10 gallon is closest. I am actually thinking about getting rid of the bully tomorrow. He is beautiful but now he is terrorizing the entire tank!

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Thank you! I put 2 other posts on here asking for help and no one would help me! He seems to be hiding really good right now, so I may let him stay in the tank tonight. I have the other tanks up and cycling but the 10 gallon is closest. I am actually thinking about getting rid of the bully tomorrow. He is beautiful but now he is terrorizing the entire tank!

He is just the dominate and more than likely if you remove him another is going to take his place. You're telling me I missed two other post hmmm I'm going to have to look into that. But I'm sorry to.hear sometimes it just takes a little time to get answers.

 

[Wy Renegade]

IME Johnanni tend to be very agressive and as you stated they become the dominant fish in the tank. If you remove the larger, then the smaller will eventually take on the same rolll. If you leave them in the tank, chances are good the big one will kill the little one and then start picking off your other fish as well. Personally, I would remove both of them.

 

[isiah1820]

Or you could add more spread the aggression. What other fish do you have with them

 

[michelle5012]

1 colbalt blue, 1 auratus, 2 johanni, 2 demason and 2 gentle haps. I know all about not having less than 12 demasoni and how aggressive they all the fish are but I think I am going to put the haps my other tank with some peacocks. I was so in experienced and my friend who has a house full of cichlid tanks never told me about mbunas until I got them. They were fine until the female demasoni started holding eggs. If I remove any of them except the haps, it's going to continue. The colbalt blue and the auratus, along with the demasoni stand up to him and he stops. The auratus is about the same size. This morning all is calm. I have been keeping the light off. Thanks for any help!

 

[Andrew McFadden]

1 colbalt blue, 1 auratus, 2 johanni, 2 demason and 2 gentle haps. I know all about not having less than 12 demasoni and how aggressive they all the fish are but I think I am going to put the haps my other tank with some peacocks. I was so in experienced and my friend who has a house full of cichlid tanks never told me about mbunas until I got them. They were fine until the female demasoni started holding eggs. If I remove any of them except the haps, it's going to continue. The colbalt blue and the auratus, along with the demasoni stand up to him and he stops. The auratus is about the same size. This morning all is calm. I have been keeping the light off. Thanks for any help!

55 gallon: these guys should be in a bigger tank because of stocking numbers, but maybe this will work.
3 colbalt blue,
5 auratus,
5 johanni,
5 demasoni

I'm not sure about the cobalt but the others can be very aggressive. However they all are so they should be above to take somewhat of a beating from each other. If you get the chance to upgrade the tank size I'd go for it. You could probably get away with young the numbers a little more but your water quality is going to suffer. Another thing if it was me I'd get rid of any and all females. When they breed they become super aggressive which in a 55 I'm not sure I'd want to take that chance.

New tank : you need to get them out
2 gentle haps

 

[michelle5012]

Really? Upgrade? I was told to overcrowd! I have a canister 403 fluval for a 100 gallon tank and a 50 gallon filter on the back. Plus I do 25-50% water changes weekly, depending on test readings. The fish are around 1.5-2". Except the demasoni, which are smaller. I am moving the haps, as soon as the other tank cycles. Thanks for your help.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Really? Upgrade? I was told to overcrowd! I have a canister 403 fluval for a 100 gallon tank and a 50 gallon filter on the back. Plus I do 25-50% water changes weekly, depending on test readings. The fish are around 1.5-2". Except the demasoni, which are smaller. I am moving the haps, as soon as the other tank cycles. Thanks for your help.

By upgrading the tank size you'll be able to keep a few more depending on the size of tank. Also they will have a.bigger foot print witch is always better with aggressive cichlids. The more space the better because if one needs to get away from another it has the space to do so. The amounts of hiding places will need increased and spread threwout the tank to try.and keep them away.from another a little. If they all clam a territory close to each other it can cause problems.

Overcrowding can help at times and is why our stocking numbers are higher then other types of fish. You can still have to.many or to little and by overstocking it doesn't always help any. I've seen it go bad being under and over

 

[isiah1820]

1 colbalt blue, 1 auratus, 2 johanni, 2 demason and 2 gentle haps. I know all about not having less than 12 demasoni and how aggressive they all the fish are but I think I am going to put the haps my other tank with some peacocks. I was so in experienced and my friend who has a house full of cichlid tanks never told me about mbunas until I got them. They were fine until the female demasoni started holding eggs. If I remove any of them except the haps, it's going to continue. The colbalt blue and the auratus, along with the demasoni stand up to him and he stops. The auratus is about the same size. This morning all is calm. I have been keeping the light off. Thanks for any help!

Like Andrew said juts try to add more and remove females, that's what I'm in the process of doing because my cobalt is always trying to mate with my last 2 females lol. And I only have one demasoni had him since I started he is aggressive but nothing serious. Also try to up your rock work for cover. Also the cobalt should be fine he and my red zebra are the 2 most dominant.

 

[michelle5012]

Thank you! I just went out and got A LOT more rock and I was going to do that now! I think my johanni shares dominance with the cobalt! They even have the same cave in the rock! Thanks again!

 

[isiah1820]

Haha yeah, you will see a lot of intresting things with these fish good luck though.