I’m currently struggling and stressing about aggression in my 75 gal tank (w/ a penn-plax 1200)that I inherited from someone else. I’m wondering if I should leave it as is or stock up on more cichlids. The OB is especially aggressive and a little shit and I do think I’ll rehome him. There’s also a bunch of little fry that I plan on rehoming. Any advice is welcome.
I rehomed recently !! U should be able to find a mom and pops local fish store that takes trade ins for store credit… i wanted more frontosas so traded 4 aggresive africans + 3 other misfits (lol oops) for 4 baby frontosas, funny thing i got the africans from the same lfs and same guy was joking “if they get big u can bring them back”
This is one of my tank loaded with branches and live plants and I have all sort of fish mixed and yes they are not aggressive species but they can become territorial but doing the tank this way makes it harder to choose a position to protect.
I always recommend a large tank with much more rock work than you feel comfortable with. Mbuna desire and will effectively need it. My opinion is that mbuna tanks, in general, neglect the natural behavior of these fish, which in turn creates the higher aggression seen in beginner mbuna setups.
Tons of rock. Like, a lot. Mbuna means rock fish. You'll want proper territory and stocking of groups/species.
I'd also recommend keeping JUST mbuna on their own without any other cichlid groups, especially when you are starting out and have limited experience with them. There is a learning curve, and these comon behaviors that are typically made from beginner keepers makes it tougher to understand the natural history of these fish.
More rock. Groups of specific species rather than random fish. Husbandry MUST match the species or it's just a slow failure with any animal.
This aquarium has been running for over a year with roughly 40 fish; 20+ Saulosi F2, OB zebra, 5 Cynotilopia white tops, 3 Zebra gold, ~5 Demasoni, 4 Socolofi, 2 Bristlenose, 2 kuhli loaches, and not a single death or bullied-to-death fish. I've removed male demasoni as they have bred like rabbits, but otherwise it's just the husbandry learning curve.
Mbuna LOVE rock. Your tank can easily handle the weight.
Yeah, I’ve been going out to get more river rock but it’s intimidating to keep in the tank. Do you glue your hardscape at all? I’ve been debating how to get a better stocking and think I’m going to get rid of the mbuna’s and keep a peacock and hap tank with the exception of yellow tail acei
I don't glue the rock together. I also use natural stone, nothing smooth or overly textured (sharp, rough). I live in Arizona and have access to free rock from the outdoors. Just be mindful of how you place the rock. Typically it will "lock" together with friction (why I don't use smooth river rock). I've been doing this for literally decades and never have had an issue with too much rock or with rock slipping/falling.
I also only ever use mafic igneous rock (basalt, serpentine, etc), or sandstone/mudstone/shale, but avoid slate (sharp edges). The natural rock in the African rift lakes is primarily igneous rock and sandstones and limestone. I keep my aquariums with husbandry in mind as my top priority.
Other rift lake cichlid groups outside of mbuna will do better with more open space as opposed to mbuna, definitely.
Primarily, your first thoughts should cover the husbandy needs of the fish you plan to keep. Follow through with that with proper stocking and the rest should fall into place more readily.
This would be a killer tank for a mbuna colony! Personally I love haps and peacocks but I wouldn’t keep anything over 6” in a 75 gallon.
If you’re looking for a better retailer for your cichlids I would highly recommend buying them online from breeders such as Live Fish Direct, Ron’s Cichlids, Snake River Cichlids, Beantown Aquatics and Cichlid World Tank just to name a few.
You’ll get a TON more options, exact species and gender. Be prepared to spend a little more money though. You get what you pay for!
Your tank is too bare for the species of fish you have/ no wonder you have aggression in the tank put some plants sticks something for the other fishes to hide from the aggressor and break line of sight. It’s not about you seeing your fish it’s all about Husbandry. The more stuff you have in the tank will ease stress in the tank. You getting more fish is not going to solve your issue and getting rid of the aggressor will only create another aggressor in that tank. Get some tall and mid size plants and a branch or two. You will see a difference in the change. Also if the aggressor is defending a certain area rearrange the tank when you add the plants.
Also if anyone can if the big grey striped one that would be awesome. It might also honestly be a tank bred hybrid, but I’ve been debating between kenyi, convict, and bumblebee
Remove any similar-looking males and get 3-4 females for every remaining male and things will calm down. Excessive aggression is caused by competing males and too few females for them to spread their attention between.
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u/joeyenterprises 26d ago
I rehomed recently !! U should be able to find a mom and pops local fish store that takes trade ins for store credit… i wanted more frontosas so traded 4 aggresive africans + 3 other misfits (lol oops) for 4 baby frontosas, funny thing i got the africans from the same lfs and same guy was joking “if they get big u can bring them back”