Update on nasty CAE

[Cessna2050x]

Yea! I got rid of him, my conscience feels good and I didn't have to destroy him. I posted him on freecycle, with a warning about his behavior. The lady who got him has 6 tanks, she said if he didn't work out in one, he could go into another. At least she doesn't sound like a novice! Whew!

And he was lucky I might add. I hadn't really been ready to pull him just yet, but when I saw an altercation in the back of the tank with my big male (the last large peacock left, since my three large females all died this month) that was the last straw. I stuck him in a big bowl and started preparing his ice bath. So it worked out for all. The the peacocks are sooooo much happier now. I can see a big difference in behavior. Just wished I would have realized before I lost the last female.

Thanks again for all the advice!
Shanna

 

[Leopardess]

Congrats. I'm very glad you took the time to find him another home instead of destroying. Sometimes people don't want to expend any effort at all to fix their problems.

I bet you're quite happy

 

[NoDeltaH2O]

to each their own I guess. As long as you are at peace with what you did with him, that is all that matters.

BTW, how BIG was this CAE? I have several, and I only had aggression problems with one of mine, and he was only about 2 inches long when this flared up. I swapped him out into another tank (with 3 other similar sized CAE), and the aggression problem went away. He only had aggression initially toward another CAE when they were the only 2 in the tank. Seems that in groups of 4 they get along fine, at least in my tanks.

 

[Cessna2050x]

The CAE was about 3-4 inches and 5+ years old. When I started this tank 5 yrs ago, I got 2 CAE, this one quickly eliminated the other but never bothered my cichlids until the past few months. Actually, he has gotten fiestier (sic) in the last year, chasing the fish out of his territory. But this was all out chomping on the largest female in the tank. And my big male was in serious hiding the few days after her death and before the CAE went to his new home. I'm sure he felt the CAE had a hit on his head next! lol Really though, the peacocks have all been acting so much better. I swear I heard a collective sigh of relief! And wanting to eat ALL the time, much better then before. I really had no idea how much stress this CAE must have been causing!

I'm much releived that I was upfront about his behavior in my tank, and experienced fish person still wanted him, and I didn't have to destroy him.

Now... I have a 75g and will need an algae solution soon