andywe

Hello all!!!

I am new to the forums, but have many years of fish experience. I am encountering something I ahve not before in the ecosusyem I ahve set up. here is the background info:

New 125 gallon Fresh tank. Started with 6 small Cichlids and 6 Giant Danios. Cichlid mix as follows:

2 green terror
2 Tiger Oscars
2 Jack Dempsey's

1 of the terrors has established dominance and has decided to be territorial over the whole tank! I could see this in a small tank, but 125 gallon? He has killed of 1 of the Oscars (ok, knew there was a chance as the oscars are jsut docile enough to take the beating), however I have never had a fish take this stance from this type of mix.

Feeding is twice a day in small amounts. The nitrogen cycle is on it's last swing. 0 ammonia, low Nitrites, and high Nitrates. the tank has taken a very long time to cycle, but I did not want to overpopulate and am exercising patience before adding more fish.

At this point I am about to sell the terror back to the store becasue every fish is in hiding at this point, with 2 so scared they only come out to grab a quick nibble and then hide again.

Thoughts or advice is most welcome. I love the fish, he's beautiful and in full color, so would love to keep him if someone has an idea on how to get him to settle down.

Regards,

Andy

Allie

Green terrors are plain old nasty. Hence the name terror. If you can handle their aggression they are pretty fish. We had a 3.5" one who murdered everything in the tank. Personally I don't like the BIG aggressive cichlids much.
I'd get rid of the green terror too. They don't make for a relaxing tank at all.

Shawnie

Welcome to fishlore!! sorry for the loss of your oscar, but as allie said, green terrors are just plain ole nasty ....great looking fish but never met a nice one...so being the tank isnt cycled, probably stressed him even more and hence the killing of the oscar....but who knows...either way, continue daily water changes of at least 50% until the cycle is finished...as ar as adding more fish, 2 oscars should be in a 125 gallon so with the fish you have left, you are probably stocked enough...id take the greenn terror back also IMO ...goodluck!

andywe

I figured that was the response I would get. Ah well, he's gonna be gone this weeknd. I ahve 2 of them, and only 1 exhibits this overly aggressive behavior. A shame with such a big tank. I prefer South Americans becasue they are usually more docile and can coexist with like fish, but on this one Iw as misguided a bit.

What I didn;t mentionw as I ahve awesome filtration with 2 magnum pro's with Biowheels, so 120gph through the biowheels and 700gph on the canisters. I know I can push more smaller fish with the mediums. 2 oscars was all I spec'd for alrge fish, but may only keep the one and go with 2 more medium sized. Oscars are awesome and personable, but damm they dirty up a tank. I feed them a combination of live and pellet food when big enough.

Shawnie

I so agree...oscars are like puppys!! we hand feed ours and they beg worse than dogs sometimes