Agassizii trio aggression - should I reduce to a pair?

[otoflow]

If it was a parasite the only ways of getting rid of that is running the tank without fish for a while (2-4 weeks without a host and most parasites are done for) or medicating the fish still present.


Indeed they are.
For hard water the best choices are fish from Central America, East Africa, Myanmar/northern Thailand, the Middle East and Europe.

Would a rainbow cichlid be an appropriate choice for my tank? I'm seeing that they're relatively peaceful for Central American cichlids. I would probably keep just 1.

 

[anewbie]

you have hard water ?

 

[otoflow]

you have hard water ?

Yup - I actually just tested my water hardness with the API liquid test kit, and my tank water is about 107 ppm KH and more than 214 ppm GH (took 15 drops to turn the water green).

My tap water is 125 ppm KH and even more GH (took 18 drops to turn the water green). Not sure why my tank water is a bit softer. My tank pH is 7.8 and tap pH is closer to 8.

With these parameters, I guess it makes sense that my apistogramma didn't do well

 

[anewbie]

Here is the seriousfish page for the fish - i'm too lazy to convert ppm to degree but i think 107 is around 8 drops since 214 is 15; so it sounds like these fit y our ball park. I've heard of several people kept them - there is a also a nice geo like fish from central america that folks frequently keep with them but it depends on your aquarium size of course as I've gotten used ot larger aquariums. I recently moved my D50s to a 29 and realize just how small a 29 is (they aren't over joyed with their smaller home but i wanted to put them by themselves for a while - maybe in a while i'll move them back to the 130 since they seem to prefer a larger home.
--
oops link:

https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/herotilapia-multispinosa/

(I've never kept them since i never make my water artificaly hard).

 

[klclayton]

What is the footprint of the tank? (length x width)

A. agassizii don't form bonded pairs, so reducing the number CAN be a bad idea, as then aggression isn't spread. Usually the cycle goes: If a female is not ready to spawn the male will chase her from his territory. (In a fish tank this might end badly if it's too small or not well structured.) Once she has laid eggs the tables turn and the male gets it. Additional females will also be a target. So, removing the second female is best for her, but may put the one you're left with in the target position once she is out of the spawning mode.
Until you can remove the suppressed female you can offer her additional hiding spots by adding driftwood. Make sure the fish can't look under it, otherwise it's not working as a barrier and sight block.

The Corydoras I would rehome as well. In a tank of less than 120cm length they are a nuisance and a stress factor people tend to underestimate.


No offence, classic mistake. Just sand does it.

Sure thing--here's a pic of my tank. Since the pic was taken the frogbit has kind of overgrown. There are a lot of plants in the back, but I have this open area in the front because I thought the corydoras would like to sift through the sand there and wouldn't be as shy as they are. However, the corys and otos spend all their time in the back amongst the plants, so I think I probably need to have more plant cover in the front to see any of my fish more.

Regarding a water change, I have a knock-off python type of thing so I just empty the tank with that and fill it back up again. I did a 50% water change yesterday because I was worried about an ammonia spike from a dead fish, and threw in a half dose of ammo lock just in case. I usually put the water conditioner in right before I start filling the tank up (I don't have a place where I can mix the water conditioner and water beforehand). I used API Seachem prime yesterday.

Did you guys not pick up he said " I just empty the tank and fill it back up". You can't take all the water out doing a water change. Always ask questions when you don't know. Some fish can endure such drastic changes, most can't. Good luck.

 

[otoflow]

Did you guys not pick up he said " I just empty the tank and fill it back up". You can't take all the water out doing a water change. Always ask questions when you don't know. Some fish can endure such drastic changes, most can't. Good luck.

I usually do a 40% water change, sometimes 50% weekly. Is this too much?

 

[MacZ]

I usually do a 40% water change, sometimes 50% weekly. Is this too much?

No, it's absolutely fine.

Did you guys not pick up he said " I just empty the tank and fill it back up". You can't take all the water out doing a water change. Always ask questions when you don't know. Some fish can endure such drastic changes, most can't. Good luck.

You are aware this could (and does) mean they just remove some percentage of water and fill it up again without any other maintenance like mulming the substrate (something I detest as it removes beneficial microorganisms).
This is not Fishlore. There I'd assume such nonesense as 100% waterchanges. Most beginners that end up here have considerably more brains than the typical user over there.

 

[Haunting-Walrus7199]

For hard water the best choices are fish from Central America, East Africa, Myanmar/northern Thailand, the Middle East and Europe.

I'm just seeing this and off topic but what fish are from the Middle East? I can't remember ever reading about a fish thats native to the Middle East.

 

[MacZ]

I'm just seeing this and off topic but what fish are from the Middle East? I can't remember ever reading about a fish thats native to the Middle East.

Several species of Garra, some mouthbrooding cichlids (relatives of the genus Pseudocrenilabrus), some barbs... Garras are found in european LFS very regularly, the others quite rarely. And I doubt you find any in North America.

 

[Haunting-Walrus7199]

Several species of Garra, some mouthbrooding cichlids (relatives of the genus Pseudocrenilabrus), some barbs... Garras are found in european LFS very regularly, the others quite rarely. And I doubt you find any in North America.

Thank you. I'm familiar with the name Garra but I've never looked for them. I'll have to take a look. I'd love to have a Middle Eastern tank.

 

[MacZ]

Garra rufa is an example. But the number of middle-eastern species available is really small. And they don't all live in the same habitats, so be cautious and research very well.