African cichlid aggression

[Lebeeze]

Just a really quick question because I'm curious. Does anyone know, or have a good guess, why certain african cichlids chase away specific fish?

For example I have 13 male, 1 female(sold a female instead of male) cichlids in my tank, my dragon blood likes the open water and will chase like 5 fish away from "his" side of the tank and let the rest come and go as they please. Then I have a sp44 hap that likes the rocky caves I built and will chase away like 80% of the fish but let's 4 or 5 swim all around him.

So how do they pick which fish are okay and which to chase away? Or is it just completely random?

Also as a follow up question, I have an albino dragon blood in the tank and he just gets chased away by every other fish. The only time they leave him alone is during feeding time so at least he still eats. He stays under a sponge filter I have but the second he comes out he just gets chased all over the tank by every fish. Is there a way for me to save the poor guy he cant be happy in there?

 

[A201]

A Cichlid will center its aggression on any fish that's viewed as a threat or rival.
Smaller fish or fish of a different species are ofter ignored.
As for the shy Dragon Blood. He must be the weakest fish in the heirarchy. Until something changes up the pecking order his life probably won't be too nice.

 

[qldmick]

Just a really quick question because I'm curious. Does anyone know, or have a good guess, why certain african cichlids chase away specific fish?

For example I have 13 male, 1 female(sold a female instead of male) cichlids in my tank, my dragon blood likes the open water and will chase like 5 fish away from "his" side of the tank and let the rest come and go as they please. Then I have a sp44 hap that likes the rocky caves I built and will chase away like 80% of the fish but let's 4 or 5 swim all around him.

So how do they pick which fish are okay and which to chase away? Or is it just completely random?

Also as a follow up question, I have an albino dragon blood in the tank and he just gets chased away by every other fish. The only time they leave him alone is during feeding time so at least he still eats. He stays under a sponge filter I have but the second he comes out he just gets chased all over the tank by every fish. Is there a way for me to save the poor guy he cant be happy in there?

Your unlucky I purchased an adult albino dragon blood that was being picked on at the store and always hiding in the corner, but now at home he is dominant not really bossy though but non stop swimming around the tank.

Do you have a pic of your albino dragon blood? I'm trying to find some more nice ones to breed.

 

[MacZ]

Size, shape and colour most often are reasons. Sometimes with bred colorations like dragonbloods they react to colourschemes of the wild type.