Elizabethae aggression

[Ade205]

Hi all.

My A. Elizabethae sagas continue!!

I've a trio of Elizabethae in a heavily wood cluttered 25g tank with no line of site from end to end. The two females have claimed caves at apposite ends of the tank with one female having a failed spawn about a month back during which peace reigned! Although I did see sm amazing, hide and creep up behaviour from the other female attempting to get into the spawning site! This time it's the other female who has spawned in a coconut shell at the other end of the tank. She has hardly left the shell, but the male this time is literally circling the shell attacking anything and everything, but if the other female is spotted his aggression goes through the roof. I'm trying to catch her to remove but proving tricky. Just wondered if any of you with experience with this Apisto had experienced similar? Do they usually do ok in a trio? Maybe my tank is to small? Any views or advice would be welcome.

Ade.

 

[Im a Doughball]

IMO, tank too small...I failed pretty miserably trying to keep a trio in a 4' 55 gallon. Pairs seem to behave well, as do groups, but as soon as you get a gravid female, the whole peaceful group dynamic goes out the window.

 

[Ade205]

Thanks for reply pal... your experience matches exactly what I'm experiencing.
As soon as one of the females gets into the mood to spawn the male switches allegiance to that female and gets super aggressive with the other. I'm going to try and get one of the females out but it's not going to be easy without breaking down half the tank!
I never intended to do a trio but the 'pair' I was sold originally turned out to be both female.

Thanks again, Ade.

 

[TCMontium]

I advice you to make a bottle trap with food inside to catch the fish if the fish won‘t be in a small amount of water, in which ammonium poisoning can be a problem because of being just fed and very stressed.
A simple example:

https://www.nano-reef.com/forums/topic/249712-water-bottle-fish-trap/

 

[Ade205]

Cheers TC, nice link. I'll definately give that a try. Both fish have very distinct territories so should work a treat. Not sure which fish to go for though as I suspect currently harassed female will be next to spawn! Think this spawn has failed as female out cave last few hours. Not sure what failures are down to, inexperienced fish and/or water most likely I think. Been lowering my water hardness slowly as out the tap tds is just under 500ppm, sometime slightly over! Currently, the lizy tank is down to 135ppm and dropping daily with small pure RO water changes.

Ade.