Mugwump's Fish World

My electric blue ram, a murderess, has taken over the entire HMF filter system side of a 90 gallon tank. One adult discus and six Dantum angels share HER tank.  She runs them off if they get too close and she viciously attacks the siphon when I clean the tank.  I can actually feel her hits when she nails the siphon.

It appears that this is normal cichlid territorial behavior.  However I've noticed that there seems to be a cycle in play.  I will have to watch further but I'm pretty sure she goes into this hate mode every couple of weeks. Could it be spawning behavior even though she's the only ram in the tank?

Quote from: PaulineMi on September 07, 2014, 04:36:16 PM
My electric blue ram, a murderess, has taken over the entire HMF filter system side of a 90 gallon tank. One adult discus and six Dantum angels share HER tank.  She runs them off if they get too close and she viciously attacks the siphon when I clean the tank.  I can actually feel her hits when she nails the siphon.

It appears that this is normal cichlid territorial behavior.  However I've noticed that there seems to be a cycle in play.  I will have to watch further but I'm pretty sure she goes into this hate mode every couple of weeks. Could it be spawning behavior even though she's the only ram in the tank?

Sounds like it...get her a blind date.. ;D

Quote from: PaulineMi on September 07, 2014, 04:36:16 PMI will have to watch further but I'm pretty sure she goes into this hate mode every couple of weeks. Could it be spawning behavior even though she's the only ram in the tank?

PMS maybe?  :(

When I come across a juvenile angel that decides he needs to push and peck at every other stinkin' angel in the tank, I ship him off to my Angelfish reform school: the planted 180G in the den with nothing but jumbo angels that won't take any crap. Straightens them right out.

I have two lots of juvenile rams growing out and I can already see the same pattern. Territorial? Hormones? Genetically a PITA? I dunno, but I also have a bunch of Electric Blue Acaras that won't have any issues with keeping them in line if it gets to that. If she's already done in her mate, I think she may be beyond reform school.

She's probably beyond reform school.  ;D   I heard that rams can be really nasty to each other, even killing conspecifics.  I thought it was more the exception rather than the rule though. I think you hit the nail on the head with the "genetically a PITA" description.

I'd be interested in hearing how things work out with your electric blue acaras and the rams.

Quote from: PaulineMi on November 03, 2014, 02:46:04 PM
She's probably beyond reform school.  ;D   I heard that rams can be really nasty to each other, even killing conspecifics.  I thought it was more the exception rather than the rule though. I think you hit the nail on the head with the "genetically a PITA" description.

I'd be interested in hearing how things work out with your electric blue acaras and the rams.

I bought a 6-lot of EBR's from Shawn Flynn on Aquabid as well as 4 EB Acara's. They are in separate tanks. The EBR's  really climbed the ladder in size. From a little guy just getting his blue stripes to a true juvenile. The biggest just throws his weight around every so often, and nothing seems to come of it. Everybody eats and everybody's growing so all is OK right now (fingers crossed).