# Socolofi getting aggressive



## PuterChickFL (Feb 23, 2010)

Lately my Socolofi has been chasing around the others in the tank like he wants to start a fight. I think he may have killed one of my yellows....woke up one morning and he was basically gutted and floating! 

Does he need to be moved or tamed or something? The others are doing their best to defend themselves and the numerous burrows they've created :-(


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

That is the problem with a "one of this", "one of that" tank. The most aggressive fish will try to drive all the other fish out "his" tank. They don't ever get less aggressive. You could try more veggies in the diet, more hiding places, rearranging the decor, and lower temps; But I really doubt any of these will work. The two things that could work are opposite. Less fish (take the mean one out) and/or take out whichever female fish he is courting (doesn't have to be his species, an all male tank may be less deadly) or more fish (add another socolofi or another P. elongatus complex fish). Aggressive mbuna such as Socolofi and auratus are usually kept in groups of 10 so they are so busy chasing each other that one fish can't take the time to kill another fish all the way. If they gang up, though, they can kill really fast. 

The yellow lab was likely the least aggressive fish in the tank. It's possible that the rest will find a balance. They will test each other with jaw-locking and lunges and circling. However, IME, once a mbuna "gets away with murder", he will keep it up. After all, he's figured out how to get more space and food. Any fish that "gives up" and hides in an upper corner with its fins clamped is in imminent danger from a fish that isn't satisfied with submission and has started to hunt losers.

So I think you have a few choices.

1) keep pulling the biggest, meanest fish. Repeat as you get a new bully

2) keep pulling the smallest, chewed-on fish in the corner (put in hospital tank until recovered and then re-home). Repeat until you have 1 fish left in tank.

3) Add another 2-6 large mean mbuna.

4) pull them all and start over

I would suggest you aim for a stable group of bachelors of matched aggression levels by both adding fish while removing suspected females, any fish that succeeds in killing another, and any too bullied to eat. 

Or I would trade them all in and aim for a "harem" of all one species, but only 1 or 2 males. I would suggest P. Saulosi.


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## PuterChickFL (Feb 23, 2010)

The trouble I have is not knowing who are females and who are males. The only male I'm sure of is the Auratus. The yellow used to always hide above the powerhead in the corner so I guess he was a target. As far as rearranging, well they are all taking part in that lol its a mess in there from the digging and displacement of the gravel. He seems to favor chasing the OB a lot, but he/she stands up to him and defends his area.

I may have to talk to someone at one of my LFS to see if they want him because I don't have a tank to put him in, I got plans for my empty tank.


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## kay-bee (Dec 6, 2006)

You could also increase the quantity of the least aggressive species in the tank. For example if you had 5-7 yellow labs, their numbers (and near identical appearance) will protect them from being singled out.

Removing the aggressor will simply create a 'vacancy' which will be filled by one of the other fish (kenyi, auratus, zebra's are even more aggressive than socolofi's when fully matured, expect one of these to make a move if the socolofi is removed, though they may end up 'de-throning' it in time).

An equation that works for me:

(high numbers of least aggressive species)+(aggressive species maintained in proper gender ratio's such as 1m/4f)+(the presence of rivals, e.g., additional aggressive species).


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## PuterChickFL (Feb 23, 2010)

If I was to go on the eggspot theory then I would say the red zebra and the OB are male and the Socolofi is female. I sat for a minute before feeding them this morning and Socolofi really messes with the OB, but he is like "back off I'm not scared", and he's the main digger right now. Decorations are now sinking lol


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