macroman

Malawis can be a fun, active, and entertaining fish to keep,
but there can be a nasty side to this equation and that is why
I am posting these pics to show what can go wrong when an
alpha male is challanged for tank superiority and loses the battle.


BTW the injured fish made a full recovery but I couldn't put
him back in the tank, he was traded on.




Here's the ice blue (alpha male) before the assault
A very handsome fish..





Here he is after the fight, just hanging out at the top of the tank
and not looking so good.










And here's the fish that caused the carnage,
new king of the tank.

MissMTS

Oh poor little guy!!! I have a tank of mbuna, but thing have not gotten that aggressive so far. Hopefully they won't! What kind of fish is the one in the bottom picture? He's pretty even though he's mean I am glad the other fish made a full recovery.

macroman

I never could get an id on him Kate, I think he was a
zebra hybrid, maybe someone on here can come up
with an id?

MissMTS

Does this look like him?

http://www.cichlidforum.com/profiles/species.php?id=794

I have the albino version, thats why I was asking. They are juvies in my tank right now, but I don't know what they will be like when they mature and start getting more aggressive.

macroman

Thats the injured fish Kate, the rogue fish is a hybrid
variation I think.

MissMTS

Okay. I tried They do look similar.

macroman

Thanks Kate, Yes they do look similar and thats probably
what caused the aggression in the first place as malawis
tend to attack their own kind or similar looking species
more so than others.

MissMTS

Right you are. I tried really hard while stocking my tank to get groups of mbuna that looked very different from eachother, but sometimes anything can happen and you just can't predict how certain fishs' personalities will clash.

macroman

Thats very true with mbuna and a lot of other cichlids,
it takes very little to trigger them off sometimes.

steveangela1

the def get mean, are you going to treat him with melafix? it really helps w/ african cichlids when they have been hurt. my female kenyi killed a scofi (sp) when she decided to spawn for the first time

macroman

Steve the ice blue has already been treated, made a recovery
and been traded on, sorry you lost your socolofi they are
beautiful fish.

steveangela1

Thanks (its actually Angela lol) the ice blues can be mean fish. I just know that we can n ever have another socolofi now thanks to the kenyi. That is the only breed they hate.

macroman

[quote=steveangela1;393008]Thanks (its actually Angela lol) QUOTE]


oop's sorry Angela, my mistake.

Allie

They look like 2 types of Metriaclima species and the male will fight. You need to make sure you only have your favorite type of Metriaclima species. 1 type of each species type per tank. I learned that the hard way.

Allie

You mean it the only breed your kenyi dislike not all fish of these are the same. Plus powder blues are too mild aggressive to be with kenyi.

Allie

That's why YOU only pick one zebra species PER tank.
How much research did you do on LM african before buying?

macroman

I actually had those fish given to me and they were fine for 6mths,
obviously something triggered them off and that was that.
but like you said you live and learn by your mistakes, and like I
said I posted the pics so other folk may not make the same mistake.

Juand15

that new Alpha male sure had to train alot for this damage and he was going to kill that poor fish good thing you got him out.