| Are your African cichlids acting overly aggressive | | | | spot all its own. Too little rock or wood, and your |
| in your aquarium? Many species of cichlid are | | | | fish will be open game for the dominant male in |
| aggressive fish by nature. They will claim territory | | | | the tank. Too much cover, and cleaning your tank |
| quickly, and will constantly chase other fish, often | | | | becomes impossible, leading to possible health |
| to the point of exhaustion. | | | | problems. The key is to observe closely the |
| Do you have a fish that will "hide" in the upper | | | | behavior, and start with a minimal amount of rock |
| corners of your tank, virtually swimming | | | | and wood. Only add if there are lots of competing |
| sideways? If so, this fish has been displaced by a | | | | fish for few spots. |
| more aggressive and dominant fish, and will likely | | | | The other key is to understand your male to |
| die after a short period of time. | | | | female cichlid ratio. Males will often chase females |
| So how do you control the aggressive behavior | | | | when looking to breed, and too many males will |
| of cichlids? | | | | mean the female stands no chance to rest or |
| Two things to look at to stop aggressive cichlid | | | | recover. This will lead to certain death of your |
| behavior is the amount of structure present, and | | | | female fish. As more males compete, they will |
| your male to female ratio in the tank. | | | | even turn on each other to establish dominance in |
| Structure and "hiding" spots are vital for cichlids to | | | | the tank. A good rule of thumb is to keep 3 |
| have. The more areas of cover that are present, | | | | females for every male in your tank. |
| the more each fish will have a chance to claim a | | | | |