Cichlids territory?

Question

When cichlids claim their territory, how much are we talking about?

How many inches of soil or water they claim and fight for...

Only one cave, one rock.. a couple of rocks.. or certain ammount of gallons?....

Thanks

Answer 1

Depends greatly on the ambition of the particular fish and the presence of rivals and competitors. I once had a pseudotropheus socolofi claim one-third of a 125gal tank as it's exclusive territory. I've also other mbuna claim and brutally defend smaller areas.

A hyperdominant mbuna species (such as certain melanochromis and metriaclima species) can be ambitious and capable of claiming entire tanks if adequate space is not provided and restrict the rest of the fish to one of the upper corners of the tank (and severely punish them if the venture from that area).

With mbuna you'll want to have ample hiding spots and rocky areas which will serve as both territory and retreat areas. Many breaks in line of sight works. 55-75gal is considered the minimum tank size for these types of fish (and larger is even better). Having a decent sized group of them and more females than males will also help ease some aggression.

Some african cichlids are just dominant and don't really acquire territories. My zebras aren't territorial but are the most dominant fish in the tank (and tend not to bother the others unless challenged).

Answer 2

It depends on the size of the fish, the size of the tank, and the amount of hiding space they have available to them. Basically they'll take as much territory as they can get away with, but it is dynamic, changing with each spat and fight.

You can help them out by providing more hiding spots for them. Stacks of rocks with spaces between them, small flower pots half-buried in the gravel, and other similar spaces will allow each fish to claim a spot to live in. Cichlids are wonderful fish to raise, but if you have breeding pairs I'd recommend keeping them together in smaller tanks with hiding spots to spawn in. Yoiu could add a couple Cory cats to help keep it clean, but I'd not add more cichlids to a breeding tank other than the pair.

Answer 3

sry dont know