red empress help

fishyfun29

fishyfun29

Small Fish
#1
Jul 22, 2003
38
0
0
39
Forest Hill, Maryland
www.myspace.com
#1
ok i just set up my cichlid tank because i had my cichlids spread through 2 tanks and i combined them, its a 55 gallon with one mbuna ( not sure what kind) a red empress, a fusco, a bulldog pleco and one upside down cat. my question is the red empress was in a tank with the fusco and they were fine but they are now fighting and the red empress is hanging around the filter pipes. what should i do stop this it has been going on for about four days now and the empress is looking a little tattered. thanks
 

C

Cichlid-Man

MFT Staff
#2
Jul 9, 2003
8,866
14
38
38
Columbia, SC
www.youtube.com
#2
I'm guessing its a Hap. Fuscotaeniatus? They are known to be one of the most agressive haps out there. Could be the problem. Might need a more mild mannered species

A Red Empress is to nice of a fish to let get tattered and beat up.

My suggestion is to add more mbuna or some sort of africans. More means less agression aimed at 1 fish. Or swap that hap out for a different kind of fish. Maybe another Red Empress, opposite sex perhaps?
 

B

Blair

Small Fish
#4
Jun 24, 2004
46
0
0
59
San Antonio, TX
www.photostor.com
#4
Both the Protomelas taeniolatus - Red Empress and the Nimbochromis fuscotaeniatus are large, agressive Haplochromines. The Fusco can reach 10 inches and Red Empress about 8 inches. A 55 gallon tank is at best a grow out tank for either of thes fish. To keep both in a tank together it needs to be a large tank (100 gallons plus)

To solve your current problem I would pull the fusco out and give the Red Empress time to establish it's teritory (about a week), then add the fusco back in.

Long term you will need to either get a larger tank or part with one of these guys or chances are good that one will end up killing the other.

I have a very large Red Empress and a large Fusco. The share the same tank with little or no problems but the tank is 150 gallons.

Here is a pic of my Red Empress. He's about 8 inches:


and here is my 9 inch Fusco:


Good luck,
Blair
 

B

Blair

Small Fish
#6
Jun 24, 2004
46
0
0
59
San Antonio, TX
www.photostor.com
#6
HI Cichlid-Man,
He was wild caught about 2 or 3 years ago. I got him from a friend who bought 10 to start a breeding colony. When I got him he was an uncolored subdominant male. My friend kept the dominant male. Mine is now larger and better colored than the one he kept.............LOL. He keeps trying to buy him back from me but I have 4 females with him and a tank full of his fry. I wouldn't sell him for anything.............LOL.
Thanks,
Blair

PS
you're right the pic doesn't do him justice!
 

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