Who Gives A Fish Forums

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?

I'm worried you've got a bit of a ticking time bomb on your hands with that many fish in a 27 gallon tank. The gorami may be running the show now, but I wouldn't trust the zebra as far as I could throw it - those guys can turn nasty at a moment's notice and start picking off the others. Same with the jewels - if they do end up being a pair, they'll take over the whole tank and no one else will be safe. I think the fire mouth might be getting bullied, maybe even after the lights go out. Honestly, I'd consider returning all but the gorami and adding some tetras to give him some company.

What's going on here? You're telling me I've got too many fish in my tank? I thought I was doing alright with the mix I've got.

When you say red zebra, I'm assuming you're referring to a Metriaclima estherae. That's a Mbuna malawi cichlid, right?

That's a pretty unusual combination...

You've got a right old cocktail brewing in that tank... it's a ticking time bomb, if you ask me.

I'm really unsure now, should I get rid of the fire mouth or maybe one of the jewels, or even the zebra? I don't know if I should rehome just one or a few of them.

Decide what type of fish you want, tropical or Mbuna.

A 27 gallon tank's a bit cramped for a full-on Malawi/Mbuna setup. Your water stats would be really helpful - hardness, pH, that sort of thing. What are the tank dimensions, too? The more info you can share, the better we can advise on a more suitable stocking.

My water stats are good - very hard, ph 7.8, and nitrates and nitrites are in the safe zone. Quality-wise, all is well. Tank size is 26 inches long, 14 deep, and 17 high. All is good now, just the fire mouth is my issue, otherwise aggression among the others has decreased.