# Cichlids Fighting



## Ty (Jun 21, 2013)

A friend of mine has had two electric yellow cichlids for a few weeks and around week three, the bigger one (she was told it is female) started picking on the smaller one (was told it is male) to the point his tail is tore up.

She took him out and all she had to put him in was a 1 gallon tank which I'm afraid isn't much better to his health. Any ideas as to what she should do?

Her tank is 29 gallons so she says. I'm not sure it isn't more like 20.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Im not a cichlid person but I believe a 29 is even too small for electric yellows, and having only two is an issue as well. I believe most cichlids are exceptions to the overstocking rule in that you need to pile them in ( with enough filtration and hides) to spread the aggression. 

I think she may need to rethink having them at all for the time being unless she can upgrade. MY opinion, but lets see what others more in tune with them to speak up.


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

if your going to have full sized africans in a tank, you really should have at least a 55. If you just have two in a tank, they will tear each other up. Either she needs to rethink her stocking, or get a bigger tank...
Bev was correct above when she said you have to pile them in to keep aggression down. If you put too many in, they can't establish territories, so the aggression is minimized.


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## Ty (Jun 21, 2013)

I did some research and this is what I concluded also. However her response to that was, "They weren't in a 55 gallon tank at the fish store." Her and her husband think that this fish store (in which they have been to once and have done none of their own research, they don't even know about cycling a tank) knows their stuff and won't believe much that I say.

She says the one in the 1 gallon tank looks like he's about to die...no joke, he's in a 1 gallon tank. Anyhow, I hate to tell her to get more to avoid the territory issue when I know she doesn't keep up with water changing, have great filtration, or test water parameters.

If the smaller one dies and it is just the bigger one in her main tank, will it live ok by itself?


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

I have always heard they need to be in groups.


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## rayray74 (Mar 19, 2013)

Everyone posting here is correct, overstock and add decorations to tanks. 
As far as your friend only believing the LFS guy. Put it to them this way,
who do you take produce advice from: The kid stocking the lettuce, or the farmer who grows it?


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

rayray74 said:


> Put it to them this way,
> who do you take produce advice from: The kid stocking the lettuce, or the farmer who grows it?


Awesome analogy!!


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

rayray74 said:


> As far as your friend only believing the LFS guy. Put it to them this way,
> who do you take produce advice from: The kid stocking the lettuce, or the farmer who grows it?



I agree, awesome analogy!


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## Ty (Jun 21, 2013)

Thanks every one! I'll definitely use the produce analogy next time I get annoyed enough with her responses to everything I try to do to help.


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## Jim Albright (Jan 22, 2013)

I have many african cichlids and absolutely need at least a 55g and I would even say larger than that. Everyone is correct that has posted. I have 4 yellow labs and have had no problem with them...they need healthy water parameters. I have over 25 different cichlids in my tank and i need more to help with some of the aggression and that is for my 125g. Your friends are way over their heads, imo, and should stick to something much easier to keep.


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## Ty (Jun 21, 2013)

I agree. They are the type of people constantly comparing themselves. They are too worried about being better than me than to listen or do the research themselves, admitting I was right. They had four goldfish in this tank for a year so since they've had fish longer, they automatically know more than me. Even though I'm the type of person that researches the heck out of things.

They got NINE goldfish after they moved the four into an outdoor "pond" and all nine of them died within a few weeks. That's when they decided to go to a fish store other than Petco (Petco, Wal-Mart, and this fish store are the only places in town). Which is where they got the cichlids. They were very convinced that "this guy definitely knows what he's talking about." Like I told my husband, when you know nothing about the subject yourself, a mediocre bullsh*tter could convince you they know what they're talking about.

Ugh, sorry for the rant....they've just gotten on my last nerve lately.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Hey my hubbs always says if you cant dazzle them with your brilliance then baffle them with your bull****.


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## StevenT (Jun 11, 2013)

Tell them to google "keeping African Cichlids". They will find a huge number of articles on the subject. That's about all you can do at this point.


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## Jim Albright (Jan 22, 2013)

They had 4 Goldfish in a 29g.....Maybe have them read articles on how to keep goldfish as well..Cichlids aren't the best type of fish if you have no background. Obviously, your friends must have won their 1st fish while winning a betta with a ping-pong ball at the local fair....


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## Ty (Jun 21, 2013)

Mmmmhmm....Every time she says something to me about it, I try researching and offering advice but it usually ends with me getting so annoyed that I give up. They have excuses for everything. I just feel terrible for the cichlid that she currently has in a 1 gallon tank. A tank that she had a betta fish in, she moved it to a vase in order to put the cichlid in it.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Often it is hard enough to give good info to people who seek it ,if it isn't what they want to hear(how do I know?).Possibly only sharing your sucess with them as they fail(seems to be sure thing),will turn the table in your favor.Don't tell them what to do,tell them how well your tank is and leave it at that.If they ask how,or what you do then so be it.Sorry to say for all of us who care about fish (even other peoples)that more fish are "lost "for lack of knowledge than kept sucessfully.
You really can't tell people if they don't want to listen,so possibly the trick is to get them to want to listen.Just tell them how well your tank is everytime they mention a problem?


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## tbub1221 (Nov 1, 2012)

coralbandit said:


> Often it is hard enough to give good info to people who seek it ,if it isn't what they want to hear(how do I know?).Possibly only sharing your sucess with them as they fail(seems to be sure thing),will turn the table in your favor.Don't tell them what to do,tell them how well your tank is and leave it at that.If they ask how,or what you do then so be it.Sorry to say for all of us who care about fish (even other peoples)that more fish are "lost "for lack of knowledge than kept sucessfully.
> You really can't tell people if they don't want to listen,so possibly the trick is to get them to want to listen.Just tell them how well your tank is everytime they mention a problem?


+1
Not sure what else I could add all these post seem spot on.
Im wondering , this friend with the 29g tank and soon to be 1 yellow lab , if she doesn't do water checks or change maybe bring up the fact that Malawi cichlids require a higher ph and that water quality alone will kill more fish if there not watching and buffering , if they want that type of fish tank tell them to keep guppies or better gold fish


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