You still don't seem to grasp the issue here. A firemouth cichlid with jewel cichlids might just work out, but the red zebra is a completely different story. It's a huge mistake to mix an African Rift Lake cichlid like the Metriaclima Estherae with a South American species. They're just not compatible.Shotgun wrote: ↑Wed Jul 12, 2023 9:50 pm I've got a 27 gallon tank, filter does 10x turnover. I've got a pretty sweet mix of fish - 1 fire mouth, 1 red zebra, 2 female jewel chilcid, and 1 opaline gorami. Everything's good except for the fire mouth... Gorami's the boss, no one messes with him. Zebra's second in command, he chases the jewels a bit but doesn't bother them. The jewels are super pretty, they never cause any trouble. Then there's the fire mouth, he just hides in the caves all day. I picked the calmest one at the store, thinking it'd be a good fit. Should I swap him out for a more energetic one?
As for your water parameters, come on, give us the full picture - what's your GH and KH? Your pH of 7.8 is a bit on the low side for a Malawi setup, but it's manageable.
And when you say your nitrates and nitrites are in the safe zone, what exactly are the readings?
A 27-gallon tank is just too small for a Malawi setup. Your Metriaclima Estherae is going to grow to 5-6 inches and needs to be kept with 3-4 females. And as for the other cichlids, they'll be fighting for space when the aggression kicks in.
You asked for help, so don't get defensive about the answers.