add more cichlids decrease aggresion?

[jonny5]

so i had a electric blue ram for a month, then decided to add a GBR and double red cockatoo. All males

The electric blue started to show heavy heavy aggresion toward the GBR and sometimes the cockatoo. I have him on "time out" in a breeder net right now.

I asked the guy at the local fish store and he add more rams. I dont plan to get any females cause i know pairings would make the situation work.

But whats everyones advice on adding more rams? or should i just add some more caves and stuff?

[Jeddi]

I'd say more caves. What other fish are in the tank? Some fast dither fish would help the aggression since they'd be focusing on chasing them instead of the other cichlids.

[WhiteDevil]

rams dont use caves. dont waste your money.

they use flat stones for territories and breeding grounds.

what size tank is this? adding more semi aggressive fish to an already volatile situation is asking for trouble.

[Lab_Rat]

Agree that we need to know the tank size before making recommendations. You can add more plants to help break up line of sight.

[William]

Also how is it decorated. There need to be natural teritorial boundries that divide tank into sections if you want to minimize aggression.

[coolingeffect]

territorial boundaries are the most important part. And tank size.

[jonny5]

ah gotcha, ya its only a 20gallon long but i have a 30 gallon just waiting to get set up.

the tank has a good sized fake rock rock in the corner/back right side (which the golden gourami, featherfin cat and pleco all squeze behind and chill throughout the day)
and i have a piece of driftwood in the front right corner with heavy java moss and anubis coverage on it.

the left side of the tank has two sagitaia ground plants(i know i spelled that wrong, and a hydro stem plant....it is the more open side of the aquarium.


the electric blue chills in the open side but so does the GRB and red coockatoo. Its basiclly divided into two halfes, i was hoping that would help solve the issue.

also the GBR and red cockatoo show almost no agression to each other.

other tank residents are golden gourami(a pussy cat to everyone but the featherfin cat) who has become noctornal, a featherfin catfish and a generic pleco.

[Lab_Rat]

A 20g (even a long) is not enough for 3 male dwarf cichlids. The electric blue ram has claimed it all as his and will not welcome newcomers. You are better off leaving him in the 20g and setting up the 30g for the GBR and apisto.

The generic pleco is concerning in a 20g.

[jonny5]

ah gotcha, ya the pleco i know can get huge but by the time that comes i will be ready for him. He has grown 1inch in one year and is 2 years old cause he was a hand me down. Ya i will probably half to split them up when i establish the 30gallon.


Just out of curiosity then, how come at the fish stores where they really overstock fish. You can have like 10 rams in a 15 gallon and they arnt overly aggressive like mine is.

[promise]

Because the fish usually are not in the tanks long enough for it to be an issue. and the overstocking causes them to disperse the aggression onto every fish in the tank not just one so its less noticeable

[Lab_Rat]

In addition to what promise said, the dead bodies are also removed (or should be). In a LFS show tank you will not see fish kept like they are kept in the sale tanks.