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Trio of cacatuoides and females fighting, remove 1 or add more?

JaconieMalonie

New Member
Messages
2
Hey, I have a trio of apistogrammas cacatuoides (2 I’m pretty sure are females as both display yellow colouring) and the bigger female seems to bully and chase the smaller one, I have a 40 gallon community tank fully cycled. I’m wondering if adding an additional female would help reduce aggression? Or should I remove one of the females and if so should I remove the bully or the bullied?
Thank-you all really appreciate an answer :)
 

JaconieMalonie

New Member
Messages
2
This reference this is the bigger bully female and the male, I’m almost certain she’s a female and not a sneaker
 

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MacZ

Well-Known Member
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3,009
Location
Germany

Completely normal behaviour. A look at the whole tank would be helpful. Most often it's the structure which is lacking.

Do NOT add any more! The fish have established territories, newcomers are done for except you catch them all, redo the whole tank and add them all at once. If any I'd remove the fish that mostly gets it. But be aware the other female might then become the main target.

Not a sneaker male. A. cacatuoides have been bred so intensively the females often show male characteristics nowerdays.

To be frank: If you have a display tank and want it as peaceful as possible, just keep a single Apistogramma, no matter what sex. They don't have to be kept in groups and in a display territorial and breeding behaviour just cause the kind of fuzz one would not want in such a tank.
 

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