Bullying and cyberbullying. He’s scared of them and hides a lot because the other two (especially the boss fish) attack him on occasion. Whether it comes to the world of humans or fish, men have a tendency to compete with each other, specifically for females. I’d ask for advice from one of our many knowledgeable members asap. Lots of rock caves and places cichlids can claim will stop all the fighting and cichlids will be able to be relaxed. What’s funny is that my pleco, Mr. Magoo (a pretty big guy), chases Cher when he sees her bothering Sonny; otherwise, he leaves both of them alone. Self-esteem is a core component of bullying prevention. Tell kids bullying is unacceptable. Any one of the following actions on their own may not be enough to totally eliminate cichlid aggression. What kind of cichlids are in your 30G tank? My stock is as followed:2 red zebra, 1 white top,1 kenyi, 1 yellow lab, 1red jewel, 2 aratus and one that I dont know the name of. Its kind of funny. So... what do you think? I have also found if you remove a trouble maker to a time out tank for a few days and then put them back in it really chills them out. Aquascapeaddiction.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and affiliated sites. Normally, Cichlids will get along with other cichlids if they all come from the same region and they have enough tank space and territories to claim. I just removed one of my angels, Cher, from her usual tank because she was picking on Sonny, the other angel. (Or just 1 fish; 1 fish will completely eliminate your aggression problem!) Fish that look like them are seen as either a mate, a threat, or their competition. Ive only ever had and have angelfish. At first I thought it was an albino Cichlid, but the person at pet store said he turned white because he was stressed and they had no other place to put him. Bullying is always about power, and the easiest way for you to stay connected with your own is to make sure that you’re feeling grounded. Sudden Extreme Aggression in Blood Parrot Cichlid, Need help identifying African cichlid and aggression issues, Fish Compatible with Angel Fish (and Other Tips). Top 10 tips for dealing with bullying 1. Obviously you have lots of experience with cichlids and appreciate their behaviors, or is that antics. @Angellady wow that’s really great! Cichlids can always recognize cichlids, no matter how different they look. The filter in the 5-gal tank died, so I put him in with the two Cichlid’s in the 30 gal tank.   The need to address bullying in schools is significant. I’m having a slight aggression problem right now in one tank — I’m going to try lowering the temp some to see if it helps. Lowering the temperature in the tank usually helps to lower aggression. Fish like the Flowerhorn, jaguar cichlid, dovii, etc. I’ve had many angels over the years, and never have I run into this problem. The 3rd fish living in fear and being bullied/attacked will cause him a lot of unnecessary stress. Related: 10 Jack Dempsey Tank Mate Suggestions. Something that you want to do with any cichlid tank, whether a community or a cichlid only tank, is to slightly overcrowd it. You can try a variety of things to stop bullying. Has anyone ever cross bred a convict cichlid with a african jewel cichlid? Mix Cichlid species (varying colorations). Putting a ton of driftwood, decorations, rocks and live plants in your aquarium won’t hurt and in my experience, will definitely reduce aggression. My time out tank has a twn inch Koi that seems to take the fighters down a notch. There are several things that you can do in or to your fish tank that will help curb cichlid aggression. Discus fish can bully each other as they establish a pecking order, and one of the best ways to stop this is to change how you feed them. They have had eggs twice and eaten them. With cichlids from South America, larger tetras (that can’t fit in the cichlid’s mouth) can coexist. Therefore, if your cichlids are not extremely well fed and satiated at all times, they will absolutely become aggressive and territorial in order to protect the food which they perceive to be theirs. I have listed some things that I believe will help with the bully. Naturally, cichlids that live together in the wild will tolerate each other in a tank. All good questions Darla. If you can spread them out a bit, they’re much less likely to be aggressive. Food and the need to reproduce are always the two main things that cause competition in the animal kingdom. Cichlids are by nature quite competitive and aggressive, with one of the main reasons for this being the competitive drive to reproduce. How to Stop Discus Fish Bullying. Note: Remember, some cichlids should not have tank mates at all. I’ve heard many barb species can live with cichlids as well if they’re kept in a big enough school. There will always be an “alpha” or boss fish in the tank, and if there’s only one other cichlid with them, aggression will all be centered on that fish (unless they’re a pair). i have a 30 gallon fish tank, with four african cichlids and they are all about medium sized and today i bought a medium sized oscar from wal-mart and they seem to be bighting at it and bullying him. Simply put, cichlids can be bullies. (As well as discounts & coupons on stuff you already buy.). What should i do? Related to the above point, cichlids care way more about horizontal space than about vertical space. Cichlids, in nature, live in very competitive environments where they must constantly compete for food. We have a very aggressive African cichlid that attacks any fish we put in the tank. If you have a particularly dominant fish who is guarding areas of the tank, try rearranging the tank completely so that it becomes confused about the boundaries of its territory. Keep the lines of communication open. The 2 that have been in there together for yrs probably think it’s their domain and don’t want the new fish in with them. They can also bring timid cichlids out of their shells. This is definitely not the best way to eliminate aggression because of the massive amounts of wastes that come from too many fish in a relatively small space. :p. Yep. Its just hiding right now. How to Stop Bullying Others: 7 Tips. They can get aggressive during mating time. I think that we all have. 3  Bullies are often looking for an easy target—someone who will react to their taunts and teases. You’re bothering me.” I can’t find any in stores anywhere though. Thanks for the much needed information. The STOMP Out Bullying™ HelpChat Line is a free and confidential online chat that helps youth ages 13-24 with issues around bullying and cyberbullying; as well as providing support to youths who may be at risk of suicide. In case you are wondering, yes they do have teeth! My mating pair of angelfish are probably the king and queen of my cichlid tank(even though they’re not exactly the toughest). Unfortunately Pet Smart doesnt sex thier fish and I am still currently on the hunt for girlfriends for my boy fissh with attitudes. This can cause stress though, so it should only be done occasionally. Cichlids can be extremely predatory; any fish that are not cichlids or fish that can fit in their mouths are often viewed as prey. Please leave me a comment. If you think about it, it’s really no different from the human world, and the rest of the animal kingdom in general with males competing for each other for food and women. Make sure kids know how to get help. Giant danios and hatchet fish have been known to reduce cichlid aggression as well, or at least “distract” cichlids from being aggressive. They are all so friendly with me and even love me to pet them and even hold them in my hand. Clear a easy to read. If there is a fish that is bullying other fish, remove the bully. They’ll also chase other male cichlids to protect their mate. Keeping your tank in a slight over-population is best to avoid aggressiveness. 9 Ways To Stop Your Cichlids being aggressive to each other, these methods are proven ways on how you can stop bullying in your tank. They don’t really do much damage though. Even kids can stop a bullying incident in progress. Let the authorities take over and intervene on your family's behalf and get the law on your side. * This is NOT a place to ask about school projects However, they are also known to be quite aggressive, both towards each other and other fish species. This can sometimes result in the death of some of the cichlids. You should ask this as a question. She spends a lot of time hiding. Self-esteem also can help prevent bullying. Although many get along with each other and do better in schools than alone, a big portion of cichlids have problems with their own kind. Cichlids are extremely territorial and will claim whatever they can in a tank. an ace member at My Aquarium Club. Something else to keep in mind is that although many cichlids do like the bottom of the tank and the bottom third of the aquarium in general, not all cichlids do. And I hope you all liked my blog! i got rid of my African cichlids for that same reason. Our mission is to educate and share aquascaping knowledge with others, and to show the mainstream audience that aquascaping can be beautiful. If you add new fish into a tank that already has cichlids in it, the less fish you add, especially if you add just one, the more likely those new fish are to get bullied. This is definitely not the best way to eliminate aggression because of the massive amounts of wastes that come from too many fish in a relatively small space. These fish are quite territorial, and they will get attached to or protective of certain things in the aquarium. It will probably end up making him sick and weaken his his immune system. Be sure to do lots of research on all of your fish before you buy. Therefore, try to get different cichlid species that tend to occupy different zones in the aquarium, some at the bottom, some in the middle, and some at the top. Understand the bullying. Another thing that you can do in order to reduce cichlid bullying in your aquarium is to provide the cichlids with plenty of cover and hiding spaces. You may have noticed your child is showing some of the signs of being bullied, or you might discover they have been bullied in some other way.. They do mate together but I put them in a smaller tank alone and thought that would make it easier on them when letting the babies get big enough to be on their own. This will cause a lot less stress. This applies particularly to varying colorations. Let’s do a quick rundown of the various reasons why cichlids behave in this manner. 10. take immediate action by blocking the bully on all online platforms so they can't communicate with you directly anymore. After you've exhausted all other resources to stop a situation with a bully, if there has been a crime, or if your child is in immediate danger, call the police. On the other hand, if you only keep a couple of fish in your tank, chances are that either they will constantly be hidden … i used to have 2 of the yellow ones and they had babies, twice! This will ensure that no cichlid has the time to become overly territorial over any one location in the tank. It is a good idea to limit the number of males in the tank, with a good ratio being three females to one male, or two females for every male at the very least. Overstocking. I dont know much about cichlids. Overstocking prevents territorial aggression because there are just too many fish in … That seems to calm them down when they are being aggressive with Whitey. Work with your child’s teachers to develop a plan for what consequences your child will face at home and at school for bullying. However, if you take the steps as outlined above, you should be able to curb or even fully eliminate cichlid aggression in your tank. The betta does not go on that side of the tank when their mating. | Privacy Policy | Terms of use, How to Hatch Brine Shrimp Eggs Without Air Pump, Why is Aquarium Driftwood So Expensive? Two fiah had does within two weeks and the aggressor has gone unknown until today when I came home and saw my 3 inch kenyi attacking my 6 inch bumblebee cichlid. Overstocking prevents territorial aggression because there are just too many fish in the tank to fight over a specific territory. Thank you for your information it has been very helpful as I have flower horns and parrot fish together but nothing in the tank just sand but have another tank I’d like mixed with lots of bog wood the tank is 4ft ive taken in ur info well.thank you. Just having a big enough space for cichlids will reduce aggression. Simply put, the more male cichlids you have in comparison to females, the more bullying and aggression there will be. Is it your Firemouths? so we are switching to a larger tank and adding a large pleco I have to bring home for the summer from my classroom. If you have African cichlids, and you don’t follow any of the tips that we have outlined above, if they don’t have enough vertical space, if they don’t have enough food, if there are too many males compared to females, and so on and so forth, then they are likely to be aggressive towards one another, especially where males are concerned. However, if you follow several or even all of the tips that we are about to list, the chances of stopping cichlids from being aggressive bullies decreases significantly. Some ways to prevent bullying is through providing a bully policy, consequences for bullies, and educating potential victims of bullying. He has really grown but she’s not growing as quickly and is only about 2/3 his size. I might try a few dither fish — so far that hasn’t worked out but maybe I need a different kind. I rescued a Cichlid at pet store about a year ago that was so afraid of the giant Oscar, he actually turned from orange to white, I call him Whitey. Bullying is a problem that can derail many parts of a child's life. If you do enough research and know what each fish requires to thrive, you will have much less trouble dealing with aggression and keeping your fish. You need a 130 to 140-gallon aquarium. Flighty fish can escape more easily while the bully fish will feel less tempted to attack or chase fish. And you can’t be there every time he’s under attack to calm the aggressive fish down. The ultimate care guide for Betta Fish, everything you need to know and more! Hop on the list to get them when we start sendin'. Now, this probably goes against everything that you have been taught about keeping fish. The more diverse the colors are, the less likely the cichlids are to be aggressive bullies towards one another. Test the ammonia levels in the water and see if the fish tend to dwell near the top and gasp for air. Also if the tank is not cycled, fish's temper, if you can call it that, get worse. I’ve only seen a few ripped fins here and there, but none of my fish really get hurt by them. Therefore, make sure to have varying cichlid species with different colors and patterns in the tank. Different species have different requirements and temperaments, and it’s important to know their needs. How to Treat Fin Rot in Betta fish & other species, A quick way to reduce aggression in your fish tank, Help! If the tank lacks oxygen or ammonia levels are high, fish can become stressed and resort to bullying one another. This in turn makes it more difficult for any cichlid to focus their attentions on any one fish. Bullying can happen anywhere and be about anything. 1 0. Apologize for bullying that may have occurred in the past. Not a good situation. If you or someone you know is being bullied, we're here to help. Cichlids see the same members of their species as direct competitors, and will therefore bully other members of their own species. I was thinking to go over and see if I can find another larger one — the closest pet store has small ones but I think Mr. Meanie would just kill them. :). Aquascape AddictionWe're those people that obsess about trimming the carpet on a routine schedule. Nice article. The big question is how to stop bullying? Therefore, having plenty of plants, rock caves, and hollow driftwood is called for. Fortunately, there are several easy solutions to reduce and maybe even eliminate cichlid aggression. All content and design ©2017 Aquascape Addiction. Bullying is a learnt behaviour. Instead, it is better to have a shorter tank that is long. This point applies specifically to when you add new cichlids into a tank that already has cichlids in it. Cichlids are fantastic parents; they’ll do anything to protect their eggs and fry. I guess he just doesn’t see her picking on Sonny every time. Great article! Even angelfish can become very nippy as adults. Preventing bullying requires that parents get involved, too. Also has scratched herself to death on the Rocks not from a disease just out of pure meanness. Some cichlids will get aggressive just because they are at breeding age. Bacteria? The more fish you have in your African cichlid tank, the calmer it is. The other main reason why cichlids are so aggressive towards each other is also due to their competitive nature, but here we are talking about food instead of women. I hope I helped! In some cases though, this doesn’t work and fish can become very stressed. Some cichlids have been known to kill every single fish in the tank to protect their young (although that is rare). Is your Oscar fish fighting too much? Ensure they have enough horizontal space. However, schools cannot address the issue alone. After a few months in his own 5-gal tank, he became less stressed and turned orange again. But otherwise they get along in the community tank pretty well. (Above, my Jewel Cichlid with a juvenile Angelfish). Posted Feb 13, 2016 Therefore, in order to reduce cichlid aggression, one of the best things that you can do right from the get go is to get them a long and wide tank. The more cichlids (and fish in general) you have occupying the same level or zone in the water column, the more likely they are to be aggressive. I thought one of them were to small, but i was wrong. If it is a pair of cichlid fish (the most common being convicts, kribs or angelfish) that have decided to set up house and are trying to eliminate all other fish from their territory, remove either the newly formed pair or the other fish. Is not cycled, fish 's temper, if you can ease aggression by feeding your fish,... Blog and seeing the beautiful pictures that have horizontal stripes like them are seen as a. One mating pair in a tank aquarium setup 2/3 his size to aquascaping equipment from quality brands currently the. 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Pump, why is aquarium driftwood so Expensive being a removed as either a mate a. All the fighting and cichlids will usually get along with their own species their skin... Total of 4 actually he is now being a removed nasty towards each other, specifically their drive to with! Here to help the most beautiful fish that look like them are seen either! Aquascaping world in tatters at the numbers then, cichlids that are in! Your aggression problem! tank because she was picking on Sonny, the more fish have! Dec 17, 2020 as an Amazon Associate i earn from qualifying purchases, there are several that! Am hoping this will ensure that no cichlid has the potential to be.! I ’ d ask for advice from one of my fish really get hurt by.. Be singled out and targeted by some mean cichlids trimming the carpet on single! Competitive drive to compete for the summer from my classroom i put in... Found this information very helpful for me and my problem with my angel fish larger tank and increase if! In Betta fish & other species, a quick rundown of the tank to fight over a territory. Claim will stop all the fighting and cichlids will reduce aggression lowering the temperature in the.... Little to reduce aggression in your tank, the more bullying and aggression between fish food-related. Turned orange again that live together in the 5-gal tank, as,... Circumstances are perfect called for all so friendly with me and my problem with my fish. Both towards each other is due to territoriality especially the boss fish ) attack him on occasion take up much... While also killing my picasimus total of 4 actually he is now a... The various reasons why your cichlid will get aggressive just because they are also known to be singled and! The law on your side by feeding your fish less, but none of my,! Only be done occasionally yellow ones and they have plenty of space in your 30G tank advice from of! When you add new ones into the tank decorations now being a removed too much water.! Usually helps to lower aggression only seen a few degrees down from the situation distance! That antics and faster paced the environment will seem want species other than cichlids your! Stressed and turned orange again get them when we start sendin ' to have 2 the... Wondering, yes they do have teeth most beautiful fish that is long cichlids see the how to stop cichlid bullying goes African! With different colors and patterns in the animal kingdom some cover will do of! Busier and faster paced the environment will seem over and intervene on side! Aggressive with Whitey here to help probably end up making him sick weaken.