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Rainbow cichlids

It doesn't matter what you or I or anyone thinks the fish should be doing, or how they should be behaving, or how much room they should have. The simple fact is that those fish are fighting in your tank, and the reason seems obvious. Denying it is futile.
 
jjohnwm said:
It doesn't matter what you or I or anyone thinks the fish should be doing, or how they should be behaving, or how much room they should have. The simple fact is that those fish are fighting in your tank, and the reason seems obvious. Denying it is futile.
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That's a fact. I just don't like to let them kill themselves like that- It's looking like that's going to happen though. I wasn't trying to create 2 species only tanks for a peaceful fish. More should be written about them . They don't do well in a smaller tank
 
I had 5 in a 60g cube (24in). These turned into 2 pairs with simultaneous spawning. The odd single and one pair had to be removed.
Peaceful is a relative term when compared to other CA cichlids their size.
H multispinosa
 
They are a relatively peaceful cichlid...which is to say that they aren't looking to pick a fight with anything that swims (as some cichids do...) but they are still cichlids and will still interact with others of their species like most other cichlids...as you are witnessing.

edited to add: ...as stated just above by @fishguy1978 a moment ago. Come on, guys...does everyone type faster than I do? :)
 
Teejg said:
That's a fact. I just don't like to let them kill themselves like that- It's looking like that's going to happen though. I wasn't trying to create 2 species only tanks for a peaceful fish. More should be written about them . They don't do well in a smaller tank
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I would have thought it’s pretty common knowledge that 8 c/a cichlids could never stand a chance of working in a 40 breeder.
I would re home those fish quickly and maybe try a pair of apistogramma or something similar.
 
With almost all cichlids, keeping more than 1 pair in a puddle just doesn't work, no matter the species, and a 40 gal in basically a puddle, or no more than a rut in the road .
You could probably house a pair in a 40 gal with non-cichlids, that are large enough to not be swallowed.
An example
About 3 years ago, I received a dozen 2" Andinoacara coerleopunctatus, they normally mature about 4-5", and males sometimes top off at 7".
I put them in a 180 gal tank.
They did well for a little over a year.
At that point the alpha male matured, and started killing off all other males, and a few unreceptive females.
He allowed 3 females to live in that size tank with him, for the next couple years, and spawned with each one regularly.
When I received the Andinoacara, they also came with local tetras, and a local Panamanian pleco.
The alpha has always ignored all the non-cichlids, because they posed no territorial threat.
I do a lot of collecting myself here in Panama, and for every cichlid I find, it is usually surrounded by at least 10 times more tetras.
One of the most common mistakes cichlids keepers make is thinking they can keep large numbers of cichlids together in inadequate size tanks.
 
duanes said:
With almost all cichlids, keeping more than 1 pair in a puddle just doesn't work, no matter the species, and a 40 gal in basically a puddle, or no more than a rut in the road .
You could probably house a pair in a 40 gal with non-cichlids, that are large enough to not be swallowed.
An example
About 3 years ago, I received a dozen 2" Andinoacara coerleopunctatus, they normally mature about 4-5", and males sometimes top off at 7".
I put them in a 180 gal tank.
They did well for a little over a year.
At that point the alpha male matured, and started killing off all other males, and a few unreceptive females.
He allowed 3 females to live in that size tank with him, for the next couple years, and spawned with each one regularly.
When I received the Andinoacara, they also came with local tetras, and a local Panamanian pleco.
The alpha has always ignored all the non-cichlids, because they posed no territorial threat.
I do a lot of collecting myself here in Panama, and for every cichlid I find, it is usually surrounded by at least 10 times more tetras.
One of the most common mistakes cichlids keepers make is thinking they can keep large numbers of cichlids together in inadequate size tanks.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I'll buy another tank I suppose. I'm pretty sure I can get by with another 75 and break up the pairs.
 
Stanzzzz7 said:
I would have thought it’s pretty common knowledge that 8 c/a cichlids could never stand a chance of working in a 40 breeder.
I would re home those fish quickly and maybe try a pair of apistogramma or something similar.
Click to expand...
Well, I got what I wanted and they bred. I don't know what you're talking about.. common knowledge... I just didn't think they'd breed within 3 days
 
You guys are acting like I'm keeping fish that will get 10+ inches in a 40 .. at best they will get 4 inches.
 
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