Mbuna Tank Suggestion

[morpheus]

I have kept various africans for a while now, and am well aware that they can get rather aggressive. my tank is 75 gal and is usually under stocked, because my filtration is more basic. just two whisper 60 HOBs. i want to upgrade to two canisters.

the tank has been calm point for a while. nobody has been abnormally aggressive, just the typical "stay away from my area" chasing. no injury or loss of fish.

the only oddball in the tank, in terms of species location, was my 5 year old JD which died yesterday. stopped eating 3 days prior, and already gone so it was a bummer. she was the boss of the tank. some of the lesser dominant fish kept by her side and never got bothered. since the JD got sick, the dominant mbuna noticed and has amped up his aggression. things have gone into a power struggle.

the dominant male mbuna (a hybrid yellow lab if i had to guess) can be very territorial. the JD kept him in check. not actually biting, but there is a pure male yellow lab that is cowering in the corner of shame under the HOB. the stawberry peacock is also now focused on chasing the male bumblebee cichlid a bit as well.

what are some suggestions going forward? adding more mbunas to try and stem the aggression? maybe 4 medium/large? or just ride it out for now?

the colony is right now 11 fish. and add in the 2 plecos

Thanks in advance

2 pure yellow labs (M ~4-5 in / F ~3-4 inch)
1 hybrid yellow lab male (dominant ~5 inch)
2 bumblebee cichlids (M ~5 inch / F ~4-5 inch)
1 red zebra (~5-6 inch)
1 blue lab (~4-5 inch)
1 strawberry peacock (~5 inch)
2 plecos (~6 inch each)

Following I am unsure of classification, sold as assorted mbuna, but its my guess
1 elongatus variant (~3 inch)
1 OB blueberry (~4-5 inch)
1 OB red zebra (~3 inch)

[Austy16414]

You can try adding more fish, adding more hiding places, or adding a power head to create more current. If none of those work, remove the troublemakers


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[morpheus]

thanks for the suggestion austy. any recommendations for the brand/size of powerhead to add for a 75gal? current is something the tank has lacked, so the mbunas would probably appreciate it more.

hiding places are a little scarce too. lot of artificial plants, but only one flower pot in there. only the central piece of driftwood allows to swim under. i can create more caves with rocks, pots and more driftwood pieces

[Austy16414]

I would try either one on each side between 400-500 gph or just one between 700-800 gph. They will appreciate the hiding places as well, so each can have their own spot to call home. I'd imagine part of the aggression is stemming from the unavailability of multiple hiding places


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[ptran]

More rocks is better if you don't want to invest in more equipment.

[ptran]

You can try adding more fish, adding more hiding places, or adding a power head to create more current. If none of those work, remove the troublemakers


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Agree with all but one. Problem with removing the troublemaker is: there will be other trouble maker lol.

[morpheus]

yeah i agree one fish will always become the alpha...so i think i will go with the hiding areas and more current first. powerheads dont seem all that expensive on amazon. i have never had need for them to this point, but after the GHAC meeting on saturday listening more and comparing to my setup, i probably should invest.

right now there are only a few rocks, and they arent meant for hiding. they are large chunks of limestone to buffer pH, and at the same time anchor the central driftwood. the fry use those coral rocks often for hiding until i fish them out.

i will take a trip down a garden center, home depot, etc. and see what rocks i can find.

[Austy16414]

The only reason I mention removing fish is that if you try all the other options and you still have aggression issues, you might have a hyperactive male on your hands. Removing him will bring another fish to dominance, but you will be relieved of the worst. Definitely a last resort option

[morpheus]

yes, i wouldnt want to remove any fish as a first option. i will defintiely consider it if he continues to give trouble after some rescaping of the bottom and the powerheads.

ever used the Super Aquatic VP series? on amazon they have a 800 GPH rating for $9. majority of the reviews say its just as good as more name brands.

http://www.amazon.com/VP-110-Aquarium-Circulation-Wavemaker-Powerhead/dp/B00CXDOQWA/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1429551722&sr=8-4&keywords=powerhead+for+aquarium

[Austy16414]

Never heard of it but for a price like that I might just have to give it a shot


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[ptran]

Wow very good price for sure.

[morpheus]

i ordered one last night. should be here on thursday at the latest and will let you know how it works.

reorganized some things last night in the tank. there are now 5 areas after moving some of the artificial plants and driftwood around. also added an ornament i had lying around as a temporary solution. a few fish were swimming in and out of each, so will see if they settle in one spot or they keep kicking eachother out continually.

[Austy16414]

Nice! Keep us posted on the aggression and the powerhead

[ptran]

Post a picture when you can.

[morpheus]

Here are a few pics of the tank as it looks now. I think powerhead will arrive today...but shows the full view of tank and pics of each third of the tank. each corner now has a hiding spot...and there are some flat rocks leaning against the back wall for smaller fish to fit. dont know if they will use it or not.