Murderous peacocks?

chris_todd

chris_todd

Members
So the prettiest fish I picked up at the ECC auction was a 6" Aulonocara sp. 'Orange'. Absolutely gorgeous fish. And it is turning out to be a very expensive fish. While in QT, the damned thing murdered three of the six fish I won at ECC, including a Steveni Taiwan, a Lwanda Peacock, and a Ruby Red Peacock. Since being added to my 110g African tank, it has relentlessly harassed the other large peacocks in the tank, and now my prized 6" Ruby Red is on the brink of death.

I am at a loss for what to do... I don't have another tank to put it in, and while I'd love to keep it (it really is the prettiest fish I've ever owned), I would rather kill it than watch it systematically murder all the other fish in my 110g. Anyone have any suggestions? And please answer quickly, at the rate this fish is going, it will be alone in the 110g by the end of next weekend.
 
verbal

verbal

CCA Members
South Central Cichlids sells large fry keepers that might be big enough for a 6" fish.
 
fischfan13

fischfan13

Banned
Chris, if not a small tank do you have a small Rubbermaid to hold it in for a while. IMO I would probably not want to place it back in the 110g again.

Unfortunately aggressive behavior happens quite a bit in Hybrid Peacocks. Sometimes that aggressiveness can be tamed, ie putting a bigger more aggressive fish in with it, and sometimes it can not.
I am really sorry to hear about this.
 
Tony

Tony

Alligator Snapping Turtle/Past Pres
Bummer, Chris. Like Bill said, I've had similar issues with Strawberry/Dragonsblood peacocks and OB peacocks.
 
hollyfish2000

hollyfish2000

Members
that really sucks. I agree with the others that this is likely hybrid peacock behavior. Why can't you put it back in the QT tank?
 
chris_todd

chris_todd

Members
Avatar said:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Tilapia/Detail.aspx

Turnabout is reputedly fair play...
Click to expand...

LMAO, Sam. I considered it, though while it is big for a peacock, it would barely make enough for a decent fried fish sandwich.

After scrounging around, I found a 10g tank I'd forgotten I had, as well as a poret foam matten filter for it, and a heater, and moved the psycho pretty fish in there. Not a long term solution, but it will give me some time to figure out what to do with it.

Unsurprisingly, the tank social dynamic changed almost instantly. Now that the psycho killed my dominant ruby red, maybe the previously sub dominant will color up and become the new dominant fish.


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chris_todd

chris_todd

Members
So short term, I have the psycho Peacock in a 10g tank, but that's not a long term solution.

The other inhabitants in the 110g are some adult yellow labs, several male peacocks (mostly full size, but a few that are only 3-4" or so), a 4.5" red empress, a group of 4" O. lithobates, and a couple of male vics (about 3-4"). The psycho peacock was instantly the big bully in this tank.

So.... I would really like to keep this fish, since I think it's gorgeous, but what might I do to curb his aggression? Perhaps put a larger (7-8" or more) malawi hap that is otherwise fairly peaceful or only mildly aggressive, but whose size might deter the psycho peacock? Any suggestions? Any other possible approaches?
 
hollyfish2000

hollyfish2000

Members
Im my experience -- once a psycho, always a psycho -- unless there is someone much meaner and nastier than he, and then you usually have a dead psycho.

So if you like him, keep him as a single in a little tank and he'll get all nice and pretty and be your pet. Tony has done that with a peacock in a 20 gallon, I think, by himself, and he's doing just fine . . .
 
69cichlids

69cichlids

Members
If you don't want him in a smaller tank by himself or in your community tank and you don't want to sell/trade him have him mounted on your fish room wall...

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V

vinman

Members
chris_todd said:
So the prettiest fish I picked up at the ECC auction was a 6" Aulonocara sp. 'Orange'. Absolutely gorgeous fish. And it is turning out to be a very expensive fish. While in QT, the damned thing murdered three of the six fish I won at ECC, including a Steveni Taiwan, a Lwanda Peacock, and a Ruby Red Peacock. Since being added to my 110g African tank, it has relentlessly harassed the other large peacocks in the tank, and now my prized 6" Ruby Red is on the brink of death.

I am at a loss for what to do... I don't have another tank to put it in, and while I'd love to keep it (it really is the prettiest fish I've ever owned), I would rather kill it than watch it systematically murder all the other fish in my 110g. Anyone have any suggestions? And please answer quickly, at the rate this fish is going, it will be alone in the 110g by the end of next weekend.
Click to expand...

That sucks I feel for you. Can you post a pic, I bet it is a one of the Fire Fish morphs like dragon blood . As tony mentioned they can be quite mean.
 
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