Green Terror Cichlid!?

Question

My GT(Green Terror Cichlid ) is acting strange, I have it from six months, its a male (about 4") & is very healthy. Earlier it was too shy to come out. Now it is shy (not much), a bit change in its attitude is observed. When someone watches it closely, it is flaring its gills and trying to scare the viewer charging at the aquarium wall (like it usually does with other fishes). I dont understand what it is trying to do. So I think any aquarist who has an experience in keepng GT can explain me about this behavior.

Theres only a single male!

Answer 1

Cichlid’s in general are aggressive and can be territorial fish and need to be kept with there own kind and give them places in the aquarium to hide Rocks and plants and such, as the fish matures such as yours they become adults and there true personality comes out as they mature from a adolescent to a adult fish and there personality changes. Humans don’t have a monopoly on being screwed up.

Answer 2

In the wild, fish are not confined to a small space, and people cannot always stare at them, whereas fish in aquariums are forced to deal with humans. Each fish I have usually reacts in a unique way, but there are a few different general responses I have observed.

One response is hiding and trying to get away when someone gets near the tank. My Oscars are a good example of this. They are some of the most aggressive fish I own, but when I approach the tank they go berserk,hitting the sides of the tank at high speeds trying to get away. If I put my hand in the tank they become even more timid (the feeling is mutual!) and get as far away as they can. They only swim in the back of the tank, so as to stay away from people who might be in the room. They only eat when nobody is in the room, but then (and only then) they will devour anything I put in the aquarium.

There is almost a complete opposite reaction when it comes to Black Piranhas (Serrasalmus niger). I have studied various species of Piranhas for a number of years, and in my studies I never once could mentions the slightest timidness when Piranhas are around people, which could be a reason for their illegality in Oregon and several other states.

Another reaction altogether is demonstrated by the way one of my brother's Pacus (refer to "Size of Fish") goes to a certain spot in the tank when he puts his hand in the aquarium. That Pacu enjoys being stroked, and in this way my brother is able to always pet him (Miller). These Pacus will even come to the front of the tank as though they want attention any time someone enters the room.

Some fish, however, try to attack their owner from inside the tank. One man found that wherever his Jaguar Cichlid (Cichlasoma managuense) could see him, no matter the distance, he would attack him by hitting the side of the glass very hard. When he put other tanks next to the one with the Jaguar in it the Jaguar would try to go after the other fish. His owner finally moved the other tanks away in fear that the Jaguar would break his tank, because he hit the glass so hard (Freshwater and Marine Aquarium Magazine).

I experience this same kind of behavior in Balboa, the Green Terror I have. If I put my face up to the tank he flares out his gills to make himself look bigger, shakes, and charges the glass. I do this back to him and he continues to do it until I leave, or at least back off. He displays this same type of behavior with the other fish, an Oscar, that lives in the aquarium with him. The Green Terror is not big enough to damage the tank, but in the future I may need to take precautions so he does not destroy the aquarium.

Answer 3

by potential of electric yellow, i assume you advise yellow labs, or labidochromis caeruleus. Yellow labs are from Lake Malawi, Africa...your others are from south u.s.. maximum cichlid fanatics does not blend the two. The temperments selection, some species being fairly aggressive. Yellow labs are not an particularly aggressive species tho, even yet it fairly is troublesome to assert precisely how they'll work together. i might bypass with something else.

Answer 4

it. being territorial thats all ciclids are that way are there other fish in the tank or is it all alone? if it,s not alone do you have 2 of them? is there a shallow depesion in the gravel? if so it's possible you have a female guarding eggs they carry them in their mouth after they hatch tho

Answer 5

i have convict cichlids, another south american variety. what you have described is very similar to behavior i have observed with mine. check out this link: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=2218&N=0 i know that warmer water temperatures stimulates breeding, which can cause aggressive behavior

Answer 6

you are right it is trying to scare who is looking at him they are named terror for a reason