Apisto Conflicts

[Ron]

I added a pair of Bitaeniata and Viejite to my 75 gallon tank that already had a pair of Cacatuoides.
The Bitaeniata are doing fine, but the male Caca. is really picking on the male Viejita. There are several plants/caves for all the fish to hide/roost and I am hoping the aggression will die down as the Cac. becomes used to sharing his tank with others.
My question is: Is there a hidden conflict between these sub-species that I am unaware of?

 

[Neil]

Ron,
No! No hidden conflict. Just your average, everyday territorial adjustments in dominance. You may want to pull the cacatuoides for a couple of days and then reintroduce him. This will give the new fish a chance to settle in and establish a little confidence. Again, this is probably just an adjustment period, but it can be a rough one for new fish, so keep an eye out.
Neil

 

[aspen]

my experience with the cacatoides and viejuta pairs i had together was, that the cacatuoides seemed to want to pair with the viejitas female, as well as his, and this caused some disruption till the female viejita died. then the male viejita was a bit agressive till i pulled him. all was well with the borelli's, the rams and the cacatuoides after that.

rick

 

[Ron]

The conflicts seem to have subsided.....guess it just took a few weeks for them to get used to each other.
thanks all for your help...

 

[Neil]

Ron,
That's great! I am sure someone else will find a reason to cause trouble down the line at some other point. . Hey, they're cichlids! They can't help it.