pysching out the bullies...?

[judy]

have ten fish-- two of them a young spawning pair, but not very big yet (less than six inches) and not very aggressive (and the male is not yet up to snuff on what his job is), and the remaining eight in various stage of grow-out in my 78 gallon. The 20 gallon is planned for the breeding pair, but I have noticed that three of the middle-size guys (about 3.5 to 4 inches) are a little too pushy towards the smallest ones (about 2.5 to 3 inches).
I have in mind temporary jail terms for these three by putting them in the QT for a few days or a week, then re-introducing them to the main tank, where I'm thinking they may become a little less pushy because the others will have re-shuffled their social structure and these ones will now be the new guys, lowest on the totem pole.
Is this a good plan?
Main tank is planted BTW.
They're fed at least six times daily, get a lot of filtration and WCs and are growing well but the smaller guys I think maybe need some time without being pushed around to grow better... they all started off the same size, except for the two new blue diamonds, who are, on introduction to the tank, the same size as the three smallest earlier residents.

[White Worm]

You can never tell. It may be a good break for the smallest but then you have to worry about the three turning on each other since they are small in numbers. It may work and it may not. You could try and just keep an eye on them to see if aggression re-focuses on others. I find you will always have these problems with cichlids no matter what you do. :o Maybe just a temp seperator in the tank so they can see the others still but not interact?

[Don Trinko]

I just moved a small fish to a different tank. He was the lowest in the pecking order. Now it is chasing the other discus in the new tank. He thinks he is #1 at the moment! They are the same size as it is. I have never had any do actual damage, they just chase each other and some times the last fish in the pecking order will hide.
Don T.

[judy]

Yeah, I'm thinking I will have to keep a very close eye on the three of them in the 20 gallon, since all three are pretty feisty guys. If need be, I can place one of the thre back in the main tank and keep the other two separated and glaring at each other. I have a divider in the QT I can use.
*sigh* I always wonder how these fish that look so peaceable and serene can get so savage with each other. I once ended up with a mated pair and two others out of six in the tank because two got driven literally out of the tank-- I came home to a dead discus on the floor. Should have know it was coming-- the male in the pair would drive the other fish at high speed into the end wall repeatedly. Vicious!
At the time, I just couldn't deal with the violence, so everyone got re-homed (to differnet homes, of course!).
But now, of course, I know about egg crate! Hah!! Take that, you foul-tempered territorial beauties!

[White Worm]

Yep, I have a huge beautiful Male of a pair that was getting rough with the female so i put them back into the community and now he is still the beast to everyone but at least he doesnt just pick on one now. He also guards the cubes of beefheart to himself when I drop them in. Gotta wait till he is busy eating and then drop other food in different places so everyone can eat. Some are brave enough to fight him for a few bites but he usually shoves them out of his zone. You just never know and can never guess what is going to happen next with these fish. The timid female from the pair is now pretty aggressive herself to the rest also. Its like they came back to the community and took over presidency in the rectangle office. :D I could just imagine if i had some smaller ones in there. Luckily they are all adults and can pretty much handle their own and move on after a little spat.

[judy]

You know you're getting a little too involved with it all when you find yourself yelling "you stop that! Leave him alone, or you're gonna get one great big time-out in the tiny tank!"

[White Worm]

Yep, I find myself pointing at him (telling him to knock it off like he can understand me) to just get his attention long enough for someone else to steal some of his food or to stop him from picking on someone else. It happens more during feeding time. Try keeping the lights off or dim, it seems to calm their behavior.

[Don Trinko]

If you think discus are mean try angelfish! I had one kill another and a male rip a hole in the side of a female because she wasn't in the mood! Don T.

[judy]

tell me about it. I have two male angels in a small tank right now, seperated by a divider, sold and awaiting pickup. Had to separate them, or they would have torn each others to sushi--- and there wasn't even a female to fight over!
angelfish-- now THERE's a misnomer!

[judy]

I have put the three tank bullies into the 20 galllon QT for a week to cool their fins and think over their behaviour... they don't seem to be bugging each other at all, and are eating and enjoying the peace and quiet... and I will be watching the main tank to see how the smaller ones manage without the pestering...

[judy]

Interesting main tank response to the absence of the bullies... the new fish are much more up front in the tank and are competing more actively for food, the other fish seem more bold as well. The three bullies are enjoying their vacation mightily as well-- no big conflict so far (except at bloodworm time).

[crazie.eddie]

You know you're getting a little too involved with it all when you find yourself yelling "you stop that! Leave him alone, or you're gonna get one great big time-out in the tiny tank!"


LOL