How to deal with aggression?

[slicksta]

ahh... the long gone days of African Cichlids. If that doesn't give you a a lesson in aggression and hierarchy
Mother nature can be a real *****.

[danotaylor]

ahh... the long gone days of African Cichlids. If that doesn't give you a a lesson in aggression and hierarchy
Mother nature can be a real *****.

Oh so true mate!!

[danotaylor]

Daniel , are you sure the two bullied discus are not sick or weak in some way. When a fish is bullied by all the rest it may ussualy mean that they are sick or weakened .
Not saying they are , but just something to consider .

I don't think so Filip, though I guess anything is possible. They do try to eat, it's just the others don't give them any space to move or est well. I bought the group from the same importer. He got them all from the same farm in Vietnam. I have no other fish in their tank. The fish in question are the 2 smallest fish, both 4.5". The rest are 5-5.5". I am going to try a divider I think and try to feed them up a bit.

[danotaylor]

As I mentioned in my "finally" thread, I came home to a dead red panda last night. I was too slow getting the divider in sadly. I also discovered at the same time that my royal yellow/red melon pair had wigglers. The panda, already stressed by being 8/8 on the pecking order must have gotten to close as it was laying on the floor of the tank about 4" away from the wigglers. A truly happy/sad evening of discovery. I placed an egg crate divider today a little less than 1/3 of the tanks length with the proven pair now isolated from the rest of the group. The remaining pair and the 23 singles seem to be occupying the space without too much pushing & shoving...I do pray that peaceful cohabitation continues...

[danotaylor]

Strangely enough, since the death of the Red Panda, and the addition of the divider, all is calm & well in the tank. Even the other Panda has now found it's place in the mid water column, and is eating and holding his own...I am SO glad I didn't buy more than 8 adult fish as I feel if i had gone with the 1 fish/10 gal it would have been an expensive & possibly disastrous experience, phew...

[Second Hand Pat]

Glad all is calm now Danny. Not a happy price to pay however.
Pat

[danotaylor]

Glad all is calm now Danny. Not a happy price to pay however.
Pat

So true Pat...emotionally and financially...
The proven pair laid again this morning after a big wc yesterday...well see what comes of this spawn...