Solo cichlid wet pet not so happy

I have a nice little male Red Isletas that I got from madness a while back who just does not want to be a solo wet pet. He wants to be a community fish!

I originally had him in my 72g bowfront and he did OK but did not seem like he really ate very much or acted like a typical amphilophus cichlid. His tankmates were bichir and some Australian rainbows. He really hated one of the bichir in his tank and would flare at it all the time. Strange how he singled out the weeksii for this.

Due to ordering some fry that were way to small and bringing in a sick fish, I ended up putting him in my 210g with my big Pearsei. His little personality really opened up and he became quite the eater. (Also stopped flaring at the weeksii in the 210g) Due to his aggression toward a new fish (Regani) I pulled him out and put him temporarily in a 40B. But I notice he just does not have the personality. Kind of has become shy again. So I am questioning if he is able to be a solo wet pet.

So my dilema, should I try and put him back in the 210g and see how he does with the regani? Should I put him in the 72g with the heterospilus growouts? Not really sure what to do with him now.... maybe in the future I should have him in the 72g with a couple of convicts or something.

Any ideas from the cichlid people?

How long has it been since you pulled him from the 210?

About a week. My fear is that even though the Regani has size on the isletas, he just has no attitude.

I would keep the RI in time out for another week or 2, then reintroduce

Was never planning on him to be in the 210g but he is lots of fun in there for sure. I will wait and see then, thanks for the help.

The final stocking then for my 210g would be:
H. Pearsei x1
Paraneetroplus regani x1
Red Bay Snook x1
Paraneetroplus heterospilus x1
Amphilophus sp. red isletas x1

Might work?

Should work well. Lots of contrasting colors. When are we shooting the video?

Madness wrote:When are we shooting the video?

Tanks are clean, porkchop is ready.

THe regani will be fine with the isletas..... After pecking order is established, I'm sure they will all back down to porkchop.....

I would wait another week like madness said.... That way the tank has a solid order already established. If the regani is flourishing I'll bet that he will be just fine and all three can live harmoniously . Speaking from experience, the mix I currently have shouldn't in theory get along, but they do.... Keep us posted

I have never really done a cichlid tank till now so a bit of getting used to the pecking order and them having to work things out.

It only takes a few hours or a day... And a few flare ups .. If you see ripped fins , or. Bite marks in the body,, then they aren't working out..... Ie you've got a jerk on your hands. I don't personally like to watch this pecking order either, which is why I leave them alone for a day and come back once they work it out.... Or I would end up putting fish on time outs/ getting rid of fish prematurely

It really was not fair to the Regani to get the double whammy from the pearsei and red isletas, so I pulled the isletas since it was doing more of the hard core attacks. The Regani is super peaceful and does not even flex its muscle toward the other fish at all. I hope it will stand up for itself when the isletas goes back in....

You can also try adding this fish at night before lights out. This way once they all get in and "go to sleep" they might decide it's all good and no issues. Just a thought...

Denizaari wrote:You can also try adding this fish at night before lights out. This way once they all get in and "go to sleep" they might decide it's all good and no issues. Just a thought...

This was the technique I used to introduce the Regani. The Isletas went after him in the morning when he barely have enough light to see, so I pulled him out since he was biting. The Pearsei went after him (chasing) when the lights came on. When I turned the overhead light off the Pearsei calmed down. Something in the color triggered it for the Pearsei. So I turned off the LED's and just let natural light come in for a few hours. When I turned the lights back on the Pearsei went at him for a very short period of time and it was done.

My concern with the Isletas is his stubborn determination. If he does not like something he lets you know.

Enough talk.... Let's see some pics! Lol

lloyd378 wrote:Enough talk.... Let's see some pics!   Lol

I just might have to do that...

Going along with this...

What about moving him into my 72g bowfront with the heterospilus and L114? These will eventually share the tank with him if I put them all into the 210g. They are big enough that he wont eat but not sure if he is an outright killer, although he did spend time with the rainbows in the tank and had no issues with them.

Put the red isletas back into the 210 and its a bit of a stand off between him and the regani. They are flaring a lot and it surprises me how spunky the little Isletas is. He just will not back down to the regani who is quite a bit bigger. Will see how it goes, worst case the Isletas has the 72g bow as his home.

As the night wore on the fish mellowed with the Isletas having a ton of battle scars but a really defiant attitude still. Tomorrow will be interesting....

He will mellow even more today..... Will probably still try to flex from time to time, but with no real threat to anyone until he bypasses their size.

There was a calm in the tank this morning, lots of scrapes on the regani and isletas but no more outright brawls. They all ate like nothing happened.

I think that when the time comes to add the heterospilus, I will add all four at once so that no single fish gets the brunt of it and then when they are all adjusted I will remove the three I do not plan on keeping. The het's are growing fast but I think they need at least another three months to hang with the fish in the 210g.

The Isletas came back with a vengeance and schooled the regani. Totally can not get along. He will chase the poor thing into a corner and make it stay in one spot. Not sure which one to move out, but one will have to come out.

So to all the cichlid psychiatrist out there... What do you think?

The Regani is not being beat on any more but is very submissive and will get chased if it ventures in the 'wrong area' of the tank. I have not seen it eat anything in the past two days, so I know it is stressed. The Isletas is much more interactive but a bully for sure. Even when the Pearsei nips at him to keep him in check, the Isletas is very defiant. The Isletas was slated to be a solo wet pet in the 72g bowfront but is a totally different fish when no other cichlids are present. He gets very shy and does not have that outgoing personality like when in the big tank.

Will the bully lessen his dominance on the Regani and the fish will start to eat and settle back in or does the Isletas need to come out?

Any thoughts?

Leave it. It is a phase,

I feel sorry for the Regani having went through the treatment process and then having to deal with the aggression.

When it comes time to add the heterospilus, I am thinking to add all four to spread aggression and then after everything is calm 9few weeks time) remove the three that I was not planning on keeping... good idea? Or just add the one I plan on keeping and let him figure it out?

I would all of them, and pick the best tank mate

Yeah, I would do the four ... several targets are better than one.

Cool, not just yet but soon they will be ready to go in.

Hey D, one way to curve aggression is objects blocking line of site. Give the Regani a place to call its own. Like a large piece of wood, or a plant wall, something to give it more of a safe feeling.

Madness wrote:Hey D, one way to curve aggression is objects blocking line of site.  Give the Regani a place to call its own.  Like a large piece of wood, or a plant wall, something to give it more of a safe feeling.  

Yeah I need more stuff in the tank. I have been working on a large piece of mopani trying to remove the tannins. I might just have to put it in there sooner.

I finally had enough of the stress and bullying from the Isletas and moved him into the bowfront with the growouts. The poor regani looks haggard and the stress has made him poop all stringy and his color is really off. Stupid cichlids and all their bickering!

The Isletas is totally lame as a wet pet in the bowfront. He hides a lot in there and just has been a community bully so long he just does not know how to act. At least he does not bully the small growouts.

The red isletas could always take a break with my umbee pair.... A short break, but still a break....  Just kidding of course!   I have a few fish I am going to be getting rid of soon that would pair nicely with the red isletas..... I have a couple of female flowerhorns ( the one that faded would be a nice tank mate for him as she can hold her own and will top out at about 6-8" I think.).  

I have a few other fish that also came from my classroom that he may like to live with too.  Free to you if you want to bring out his personality.

I also have a 4" red isletas (extra one that I think is female)

Let me know, maybe one of these will bring out his extrovert side in the 72g

Oh and I also have a 6-7" Gorillus blue ( not black) umbee. I think he would be a worthy tank mate too, but would worry that they would spar quite a bit

The Isletas is just strange by himself and too aggressive with tankmates. I might just have to get rid of him. He had an awesome hump going and now its all little again. I think he needs to be in an aggressive  community tank and he would do just fine. The Regani is a great fish in the 210g but almost seems like its emotionally damaged from the trauma of being with the little bully. So not sure what to do with any of these little monsters.   

The regani will come out of it.... I'm sure! Maybe you could pick up those regani from madness too and let him get a little confidence

Better decide fast on that idea, the Regani I have are going to APFP in the morning

What size on the Regani? Any confirmed males?

I saw your post madness that they were 5-6". Just too tired to get over there. Actually worked my buttocks off today.

You cant sex Vieja by looking at them, venting is very difficult at this size