Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping => General Fishkeeping Chat => Topic started by: Eviltwin36 on May 06, 2016, 10:49:34 PM
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Hi I have just bought 2 blue acaras and added them to 3 parrot fish i already had but there has been quite a lot of fighting and lip locking! Is this normal with them being new and will it settle down? I know parrot fish can be a little bit aggressive but thought these would be ok. I've given them plenty of places to hide etc...Please can someone advise on this? I want a peaceful tank!! 😕
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Hi Eviltwin36 and welcome to the forum. :wave:
I don't have any experience with the fish that you have, but in general there is a hierarchy within the tank, and most of the "fighting" is just sorting out who is boss.
I would expect one of the more experienced fish keepers will be along to give you some more specific advice soon. :)
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Welcome :wave:
As Littlefish says, there is often a period of establishing a hierarchy, at least at the beginning. However, although I have no experience of the fish you have, your species of fish do have a tendency to be more territorial than mine and so this might be quite aggressive while the parrot fish feel that their home has been "invaded" by newcomers. If at all possible, it might be worth re-ordering the decor altogether - that way, the fish will feel as though they're all in a new tank/environment and will have to seek out new spots to defend, rather than the parrot fish feeling as though they need to defend the spots which they've established as "their" territory.
It's also worth checking out the profiles for these fish - at http://www.thinkfish.co.uk/fish/blue-acara.html and http://www.thinkfish.co.uk/fish/parrot-fish-cichlid.html - to check that their conditions are suitable for them eg minimum tank size 120cm in length, that the temperature, water softness/hardness, etc, is in the range that suits both species, and that water quality is well-maintained, as often anything slightly awry with these can be the source of the problem more than anything else.