Aquarium Insanity

[Oakey]

I'v had my freshwater tank running for some weeks now with little issue but this last week it seems the lunatics have taken over the asylum and all chaos has broken loose.

My two Gouramis have suddenly started chasing each other around the tank and butting heads constantly.

One guppy keeps trying to fk a molly

One molly that keeps doing it's best to kill itself. I couldn't find it earlier and eventually found it, upside down, stuck between the gravel and the underside of some driftwood with an expression on it's face that said "I fked up, yo"

Another molly that keeps wedging itself behind the heater and filter pipe.

Finally, two of my Rasboras are intent on fking a third and I think she's accommodating them as she keeps flipping upside down on the underside of plants.

Is there an aquatic equivalent of throwing a cold bucket of water over them all or do I just wait it out until they stop acting nuts?

[Boosted LS1]

Lower the temperature gradually.

[Oakey]

I'll give it a try, it's usually a steady 26c so I'll try a bit lower

[Turn7]

Checked Nitrates recently ?

[Oakey]

Parameters all seem fine according to the tests. Ammonia is 0, nitrite and nitrate barely registers on the dip stick which is supposedly 'safe' according to the chart on the back, ph is fine and I'm doing regular partial water changes of 30%.

[tribbles]

Oakey said:

One guppy keeps trying to fk a molly

Mine did that. I ended up with Gollys (I think they're called).

[anonymous-user]

Just wait til you try african cichlids, it was like an Eastenders episode cross Jeremy Kyle show in my cichlid tank.

Incest, murder, infanticide, bullying, affairs, inter racial affairs, cannabilism were rife in that tank. So much more entertaining than the tellybox.

[Oakey]

I did read that about Cichlids, mine have calmed down with the exception of the Gouramis who still take a pop at each other just not as often as they were.

[anonymous-user]

Oakey said:

I did read that about Cichlids, mine have calmed down with the exception of the Gouramis who still take a pop at each other just not as often as they were.

Similar happened with a community tank, I discovered Angel fish were not angelic at all, but the cichlids wound it up to 11.

[Boosted LS1]

Oakey said:

I did read that about Cichlids, mine have calmed down with the exception of the Gouramis who still take a pop at each other just not as often as they were.

Which Gouramis have you got and what sex are they. Pearls are usually friendly enough. Have you got Pinks, the ones that hold kissing battles?

[Oakey]

I think they said they were Blue Gourami's, tbh, I never wanted fish, just plants and shrimp but my OH bought some fish so now we have fish.

they look like this;

[lufbramatt]

How many of each species have you got?

In my experience this sort of aggression happens when there are too many species and not enough of them You're better off with less species but much bigger groups (6+ fish, ideally more, never 2 or 3). That way the aggression from dominant fish is spread out rather than them just picking on the same one or two fish all the time.

Live bearers can be quite aggressive with regards to mating, best to have either all males or one or two males with lots of females. I also wouldn't mix two different types of livebearers. Either have guppies or mollies not both.

[Oakey]

3 molly's, 2 guppys, 4 rasbora's and 2 gouramis. The rest are all getting on okay now, the gourami's still chase each other now and then.

[48Valves]

Vandenberg said:

Just wait til you try african cichlids, it was like an Eastenders episode cross Jeremy Kyle show in my cichlid tank.

Incest, murder, infanticide, bullying, affairs, inter racial affairs, cannabilism were rife in that tank. So much more entertaining than the tellybox.

This x 1million.

I got home last night to yet again find my favourite fish dead. Was perfectly healthy when I left for work. And another almost dead.

I've now had enough and they are going.

Thinking of doing a low tech planted tank with a load of drift wood and loads of neon tetra.

[anonymous-user]

48Valves said:

This x 1million.

I got home last night to yet again find my favourite fish dead. Was perfectly healthy when I left for work. And another almost dead.

I've now had enough and they are going.

Thinking of doing a low tech planted tank with a load of drift wood and loads of neon tetra.

I cant blame you and funnily enough have been thinking of re-commisioning my tank the same as you with a large shoal of neon tetra's and a small shoal of corydora's or go low tech brackish and keep puffers.

[lufbramatt]

Same, I have a Tanganyikan cichlid tank that I am gradually running down as the fish get old. Really interesting behaviour but want something vibrant and pretty. It's a 350 litre tank so thinking a group of ~15 rainbowfish and the same again of corydoras and a couple of catfish.

[Turn7]

lufbramatt said:

Same, I have a Tanganyikan cichlid tank that I am gradually running down as the fish get old. Really interesting behaviour but want something vibrant and pretty. It's a 350 litre tank so thinking a group of ~15 rainbowfish and the same again of corydoras and a couple of catfish.

Big Saulosi set up would be very cool in that Matt.

[Boosted LS1]

Oakey said:

I think they said they were Blue Gourami's, tbh, I never wanted fish, just plants and shrimp but my OH bought some fish so now we have fish.

they look like this;

Yes, those are Blues, also called Moonlight Gourami's iirc. I've never had those but the Pearl Gourami's are delightful. Very gentle fish and they use forward fins to feel in front of them. You would really like them, next time around :-)

[lufbramatt]

Turn7 said:

lufbramatt said:

Same, I have a Tanganyikan cichlid tank that I am gradually running down as the fish get old. Really interesting behaviour but want something vibrant and pretty. It's a 350 litre tank so thinking a group of ~15 rainbowfish and the same again of corydoras and a couple of catfish.

Big Saulosi set up would be very cool in that Matt.

They are gorgeous looking fish, one of my local fish shops had a huge mbuna set up ( must have been something like a 4 foot cube tank) which was amazing. But I've been keeping cichlids for the last 6 years and fancy a change. I've always wanted a big group of corydoras, they're so funny rooting around the sand for food, and another local fish shop has all sorts of unusual rainbowfish rather than the normal red ones or bosemani. My uncle gave me a load of equipment when he shut down his discus tank so I've got a nice UV unit and another filter to plumb in, was thinking of making an under gravel jet system.

My dream tank would be 8'+ long with a big group of Frontosa cichlids elegantly glididing around :-)

[anonymous-user]

I really fancy a setup like this:

https://youtu.be/ko5qQEqmOU0

But add in another fish to encourage the tetras to shoal a bit more

and if the space and budget improves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFBKSmO9SgU love the height on that one.