Merging Colonies - Tropheus Ikola having aggression issues

[Chris Derrick]

I got rocks everywhere lots of places to hide but there is three fish's acting funny to me. One female goes all the way to the top back corner of the tank and hides above the magnet cleaner where only she can fit untill the big male spots her and runs her off all over the tank nipping etc... I have another fish I think a female or small male that stays top front of tank on other side! Same thing he gets popped by agressive male and takes off but comes back to top of aquarium over and over. All of these fish eat and feeding time no bloat Is this just agression and these fish are timid or scared? You guys see this very often? There is no chunks missing or fins eaten off just harrased! Thanks CD

[TaTeR ToT]

sounds like that male is just being overly aggressive.
i will let the more experienced keepers advise further,lol

[gotticgs]

sounds typical one of my trophs territory is the cleaning magnet because i always place it in the same place

but i think you need to give us more info

how long you have had them?
tank size?
rock layout?
flow?
f1? or w/c
m to fm ratio

there is alot of things

[myjohnson]

You treated the new Ikola you got from chip yet?

I treat w/ metro most of the colonies I get.

Keep an eye on them. If they don't eat or you see white poo then you might need to hit them.

[Chris Derrick]

No Chip said hell no to treating but I am watching them no white poo, most are eating the NLS but some give me that what in the heck is that 1mm pellet doing look and go on! I always hit em with spirlina flakes after and they ALL munch down on it even the few females holding go for a bite or two. I am not fan of treating just to treat if ya know what I mean. No white poop, and fish still eating we are ok right? Fish just acts scared hell the two I am talking about get chased from one end to the other then under rocks then behind filters then do 180degree turns on a dime untill male stops hounding em! I got rocks both ends in piles, 13 ikola are wild caught I purchased in febuary, and 26 from Chip Wild Caught that have been in tank 11 days. One 6 month old fry also! There is 12males and 26females all wild caught!

[Lifeguard6t9]

They are working out the hierarchy. You will probably have a rejected fish or two.

[myjohnson]

So you got the males we talked about right?

Sounds like they are just re-ordering the colony. They need to fight it out to see who is boss. If the males are the ones being corner then good reddens.

How long did you keep the rocks out? I always found it hard to add new fish to a long established colony.

I feel you on treating for no reason. It's just that when I get a colony I see reasons to treat. But I also don't get fishes from Chip and if he tells you they been on QT for a while then you might want to judge for signs of blout on your own. Remember Chip is not the one looking at your fish every night.

[myjohnson]

They are working out the hierarchy. You will probably have a rejected fish or two.

Padawan Peter?

Or is this Jedi John?

[Chris Derrick]

I honestly can't tell if they are males or females that are hiding, but the fish doing the chasing is the largest fish in the tank and for some reason the left side is his side and one other fish (one above the magnet). This male will swim up pop one of the fishes on there side and chase them all over the tank lol, then go back to his side. On the other side I have a female holding on the bottom she minds her busisness and if a male comes up she does a quick shake to get him to go on and they leave her alone. It is amazing that that on fish has his side and all others are on the other side hu? As for how long did I keep rocks out, they were kept out for two days then put in and redone three times now! (I am never happy with the way they look) Thanks everyone. CD

[myjohnson]

I know you don't want to hear this....

But if you want to keep the ones that are singled out then you might have to remove the rocks again. I've kept rocks out for as long as a month.

Biggest male holding down rock piles are new or they from the old colony?

[Chris Derrick]

old colony big male he is a stud!

[Chris Derrick]

My Bristle nose will not be to happy with this idea of yours!

[geoff_tropheus]

Aww..the joys of keeping Tropheus...sometimes it may take iteration after iteration of rock remove, rock re-do, more rock, less rock, waterchange, net out, replace, waterchange, do rocks again, before they settle out.

I have not had problems as long as the new fish are smaller fish. Sounds mostly like your old dominate male is overly hyper right now,sometimes you got to net those guys out for a while then re-arrange rocks and then put back...

sort of like shampoo...rinse and repeat..

[cichlid1409]

sounds like an aggression problem...like everyone else has been saying...if you want to keep the outcast fish then a re-scape needs to be done. if that doesn't work, i really like geoffs idea of taking the big male out and reintroducing him after a re-scape.

[Chris Derrick]

Ok this morning I am sure fish are not sick it is agression. My male that has been here sine febuary has the whole left side of aquarium and has no problems going all the way to the right side and pounding on the other fish. He does this all day long. I noticed this am I have a smaller fish missing 1/4 of its tail pretty sure it was from the male attack's! I get home at 4 pm I have a 10 gallon aquarium do you all think I should put the dominate male in the 10 gallon for a few days or just pull him and rearange then put back? If he stays out for few days will this do more good then just pulling and rearanging? I am here with open ears on what you all think is best to do. I feel fish will start dying in weeks or days to come if things are left alone. Thanks CD