Re: How long for pecking order to settle?
Let the bully out after a few days in timeout, thought things were going to be fine, but nope. Hours later, he's back to harassing my favorite fish. That poor guy started hiding, turned dark, and wouldn't even eat pellets this afternoon. I'm really worried the bullying's gonna cause him too much stress, make him stop eating or worse, get sick. Had to put the bully behind the divider again. Need a better solution than separating him every few days, this isn't gonna work long-term.
How long for pecking order to settle?
Re: How long for pecking order to settle?
Re: How long for pecking order to settle?
I've had my fair share of dealing with similar issues in my discus tank. It's tough when the fish you're rooting for aren't the strongest, either physically or mentally. I've found that some discus can be quite aggressive, even at a young age.
I recall having a 4-inch discus that would constantly ram into other fish, even those that were significantly larger. It was like he was trying to claim the entire tank as his territory. I tried various methods to address the issue, but ultimately, I had to rehome him.
Lately, when raising a new batch of discus, I've taken a different approach. I create a semi-permanent divider in the tank, essentially building a separate area for the more aggressive fish. If one fish is clearly bullying the others, I'll place it in the smaller section. If another fish starts to exhibit aggressive behavior, I'll move it to the same section. This approach seems to work well until the fish reach adulthood.
My main concern is ensuring that my favorite fish isn't stunted due to bullying. By separating the aggressive fish, I can create a more peaceful environment for the others to thrive.
I've had my fair share of dealing with similar issues in my discus tank. It's tough when the fish you're rooting for aren't the strongest, either physically or mentally. I've found that some discus can be quite aggressive, even at a young age.
I recall having a 4-inch discus that would constantly ram into other fish, even those that were significantly larger. It was like he was trying to claim the entire tank as his territory. I tried various methods to address the issue, but ultimately, I had to rehome him.
Lately, when raising a new batch of discus, I've taken a different approach. I create a semi-permanent divider in the tank, essentially building a separate area for the more aggressive fish. If one fish is clearly bullying the others, I'll place it in the smaller section. If another fish starts to exhibit aggressive behavior, I'll move it to the same section. This approach seems to work well until the fish reach adulthood.
My main concern is ensuring that my favorite fish isn't stunted due to bullying. By separating the aggressive fish, I can create a more peaceful environment for the others to thrive.
Re: How long for pecking order to settle?
Re: How long for pecking order to settle?
That's exactly what I've been doing, and it seems to be working. The bully is back behind the divider, and the rest of the fish are doing better. There's a new "mild" bully at the top of the pecking order, but I'm keeping an eye on her and so far it's not too bad.
Separating the bully has another benefit - it lets the rest of the fish eat in peace. He's such an aggressive eater that he'll gorge himself before some of the other fish can even get a bite. By sectioning him off, I can control how much he eats and give the rest of the fish, especially the timid ones, more time to eat.
That's exactly what I've been doing, and it seems to be working. The bully is back behind the divider, and the rest of the fish are doing better. There's a new "mild" bully at the top of the pecking order, but I'm keeping an eye on her and so far it's not too bad.
Separating the bully has another benefit - it lets the rest of the fish eat in peace. He's such an aggressive eater that he'll gorge himself before some of the other fish can even get a bite. By sectioning him off, I can control how much he eats and give the rest of the fish, especially the timid ones, more time to eat.
Re: How long for pecking order to settle?
Re: How long for pecking order to settle?
Pecking order is normal, especially during the juvenile stage. It's all good if it's just "sparring" - a way for them to establish hierarchy. However, it's crucial to ensure it doesn't get out of hand and some fish become too stressed, ultimately stopping them from eating.
A particularly problematic bully is one that claims a large territory, often two-thirds of the tank, and doesn't let others eat even when they're too full to consume the food, leaving it to rot.
Pecking order is normal, especially during the juvenile stage. It's all good if it's just "sparring" - a way for them to establish hierarchy. However, it's crucial to ensure it doesn't get out of hand and some fish become too stressed, ultimately stopping them from eating.
A particularly problematic bully is one that claims a large territory, often two-thirds of the tank, and doesn't let others eat even when they're too full to consume the food, leaving it to rot.