Tropical Fish Forums

LPQ6xetr3 · Members Joined: 02 Oct 2006 Location: Portland, Oregon

I have a 29 gal with a 50 gal filter, no ammonia, no nitrite, 20 nitrate, and the hardness reads "200" on a strip (I added salt after a fight.) The pH is also 7.8. There was an electric blue, two hap muts, an auratus, an electric yellow and a snow white. The electric blue, yellow, and one of the hap muts were both nearly three inches. The rest are about 2-2.5. They were going to be moved in a 55, I was not leaving them in the 29 much longer.

My auratus decided to take down my king of the tank, my electric blue.. and he did about a week ago. The electric blue and my female mut hap were mates, atleast, considered by the female.

I did add some medication in for fungal problems, since the first fight the electric blue and the auratus had caused him to get cotton fungus when he was beginning to heal. I do not have a hospital tank, there is no room for two tanks to be set up at once. So sadly, he stayed in there. All seemed fine for a few days, no one bothered him. Then the auratus finished him off. The fungal medication was from a company called "Jungle" something. I added the right dosage and did not treat again. I put the carbon back in, but I did not change the water. I can't stand up long enough to take the third out of the tank, because I'm very sick right now.

This morning, I found my female hap mutt dead. I really don't know what could have done this. No one was bothering her, she was the most vicious thing in the tank even compared to the new king. She was eating great and was very active. Absolutely no one was fighting. Last night I couldn't stand long enough to keep trying to find her in the decorations, so I went to bed. When she did not come out this morning I searched everything till I found her body. Underneath her where it would look like her stomach would be, it was green. If that helps at all.

I'm really worried right now, so if anyone can please try to help me out, I'd really appreciate it.

fishlover888 · Regulars Joined: 20 Dec 2006

I think your auratus decided that the whole tank is his/her and anyone in the tank is an intruder. He/she is going to kill any intruder for sure. The tank is only big enough for him/her. You are better off taking all other fish out of the tank.

When the auratus get to mature size, they will start to get more agressive towards other fish in the tank. If there are enough space and hiding places for other fish, you may be OK. Otherwise, especially with small tank, you will end up with only one auratus in the tank.
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125 g discus tank 13 discus, 5 Sterbai cory, 3 clown loaches, 1 Albino BN pH 6.3 50% WC x2/wk
2 g nano tank 3 Danio, pH 7.6 80% WC/ 2 days

LPQ6xetr3 · Members Joined: 02 Oct 2006 Location: Portland, Oregon

That's really odd :/ He wasn't bothering anyone. I checked on them a couple times since I was last here writing, and he's just swimming around. I've never seen him go after any other fish except the electric blue, and once in a while he picks on the snow white.

The only time I really saw him acting mean was when he was after that electric blue. Do you mean by "only one auratus in the tank," meaning he'd be the absolute only fish, or just only one of his type?

CichlidKid

I don't have any experience with African cichlids but I have had a Blue Dempsey. It was far less agressive than my other cichlids including a JD, and a Salvini. He was killed in less than a day after holding his own for a month or two. I tried to get as much info as possible before I bought him, but there is not that much out there thats dependable.

I'm just thinking you may want to hold off on paying Big$ for another until you have a tank for one. IMO it would need at least a 55 but probably bigger. I would hate to see you spend that kind of $ on another to end up in the same situation.

Good luck
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"id rather have a full bottle in front of me than a full frontal labotamy"

LPQ6xetr3 · Members Joined: 02 Oct 2006 Location: Portland, Oregon

Oh, I don't want another one. I knew at the time I was buying it from reading around that having two of those in there would be a very bad idea. I really wanted a red zebra, but he apparently would've been far too aggressive for my snow white and electric yellow. Atleast that's what a few people told me.

The only way I know that I can get more fish in there is if I put in a lot at once.. which I don't have the room for. I'd need to make new decorations and such. Even then.. I don't know if they'd make it through with that fish. I just really hope that if he was the cause of my hap mutt's death, that he doesn't kill the others.