what should i do about my aggressive cichlid?

Question

I bought a male cichlid about 2 months ago and he has kill everything in his tank. I put oscars, more cichlids, and catfish in there and he just keeps killing them.

Answer 1

beat his butt!!!! like a redheaded step child!!

Answer 2

Cichlids are tricky. I have been trying to make a peaceful tank with them for a few years now and sometimes it works, sometimes not. I can tell you that cichlids and Oscars do better apart . You need to try to match your cichlid with the same kind. and remember that they are territorial and need there own space. Make sure they have lots of caves, caverns, plants, whatever to hide in. also I highly discourage feeding live food. That is fun to watch, but will only make your fish more aggressive. Stick to pellets and frozen. Sometimes when mine start fighting I will go and clean out the tank and rearrange everything. Sometimes I will remove items and put in new ones. Whatever it takes to make it an even playing ground for all the fish. Sometimes that still doesn't help. Sometimes you have a fish that is antisocial and just doesn't like friends. Then I suggest taking it to the pet store and trading it in. If they don't want it you can either keep it alone till it dies, or send it to it's watery grave, or just keep wasting money on fish that it will kill.
I wish they could all just get along.

Answer 3

There is one trick that sometimes works. Cichlids tend to be very territorial. So, if you rearrange the tank frequently, moving rocks and plants around, this will make it difficult for him to identify the area as "his territory." Sometimes, this reduces aggressive tendencies, but this will also increase stress levels, which could lead to illness.

There may be no answer but to get him a larger tank, or let him live alone. This is the only sure way to eliminate fish killings.

Answer 4

It is hard to get a good balance with cichlids. I've had 4 in my tank for about 3 years now, but before that they killed each other off regularly. If you don't want to trade that one in, look on cichlid websites and find others of equal aggressiveness. Eventually they will strike a balance. Also you can put logs or rocks in your tank that will provide separate territories for each fish. They will defend their area, but not mess with another fish in it's territory.

Answer 5

I think you have to have an aquarium with one fish, your Cichlid. My old aquarium book says Cichlids are commonly not good community fishes. While a few of the Cichlids are peaceable citizens, most of them fight, especially with members of their own species and more especially with the opposite sex. No doubt feeling confident of taking care of themselves in open battle, most of the larger species tear out plants as possible hiding places for enemies. The species not only fights its own kind, but is unsafe among other fishes. Did you know their generic name is Tilapia.

Answer 6

find out what fish are proven to be compatible with him, you may have to use a boundary net or a plexiglass special separator to maintain water circulation in your tank to separate him from new species that are compatible with him to see how he reacts to them , that way he wont kill any more that you introduce.he is very Territorial and wants his own territory and will usually attack unjustifiably to any trespassers big or small so make sure there is lots of hiding places for him. if he persists in attacks with new compatible species then you may want to ask the shop where you got him from to take him back . or keep him in a separate tank all by himself. p.s he might also be upset with the water so do some homework on bacterial levels and p.h levels ect ect

Answer 7

Whatever you put with him, make it at least twice his size and make sure it is a fish with a generally aggressive attitude. Not sure what you have, but Red Devils and Convicts are both really assertive- try those. So are most Mbuna.
Good luck!

Answer 8

its believed of the existence of animals with mental problems
aggressivity your pet seems to have an ordeal going on
try to place him in a small tank by himself for a bit

or exchange him talk to your veterinary he might recommend something to do
good luck

Answer 9

either put him in a tank alone or but more plants in your tank so the others have places to hide. are you putting gfish in there that are his size or smaller? if they are smaller hes automatically going to pick on them

Answer 10

First grab it by the fin, and then take it over to the toilet, release the fingers from the fin, flush the toilet and say hasta la vista baby.

Answer 11

Keep it in a tank alone.