Help! fish bullying

[cbiscuit]

So I let my tank cycle for a few days, today I put my first 2 fish in my tank. A pajama cardinal fish and a purple stripe dotty back pseudochromis. (lady at the store told me they would get along) A few hours after I put them in the tank I fed them (both ate) a little while after the dotty back took over the rocks, forcing the cardinal fish to the top of the tank. He looks really scared and the dotty back seems like he is always watching him. I turned the lights off (since the cardinal is nocturnal) that seemed to help a little, he is back down by the rocks again. I am afraid he will stress and die, is there anything I can do? will it help to add another cardinal? Please help!

 

[adonis311]

Dottybacks and Grammas can both be little terrors. To be honest, if your tank has not cycled completely, I wouldn't put anything in it except for a good healthy hunk of fresh live rock. Get a testing kit, and watch as your chemical levels go from high ammonia, to high nitrites, and finally high nitrates, and once you see your PH stablilize and your levels go down (except your nitrates, which will have to be dealt with by water changes), then you can stock your tank 1 or 2 fish every few weeks or so.
Cardinals are schooling fish, and by that, I mean they do well in groups of 5 or more.. They can get along by themselves fine if their tank mates are also docile, but a dottyback is definately not docile. If you must have some fish, take these 2 back, and get yourself a nice assortment of damsels. 1 for every 10 gallons to your tank. They will fight and bicker amongst themselves, but it's ok. That is their purpose in life, even more then eating and breathing. Then when your tank levels out you can trade them in for the fish of your liking.
Hope this helps.

 

[cbiscuit]

Thank you! So even though I left my tank alone for almost a week it still is not cycled? I tested my levels and everything was at 0.

 

[adonis311]

It's certainly possible that your tank has cycled. My tank completely cycled in a week and I couldn't believe it. Just keep a close eye on those levels and maybe trade that dottyback for something with a little less anger. Get a clownfish or something. I would also recommend getting at least 2 more cardinals to make them feel better. Not only for the schooling effect, but when other fish see schoolers together, they also get more active themselves. I had a green mandarin, a royal gramma, and a aurora goby that I never saw except on rare occasion until I got 5 green chromi(s? chromises?) and now they are all out because of the livelyhood of the chromis.

 

[cbiscuit]

Ok great I will keep an eye on the levels, and definately take that little booger back! Also I heard the Baggai Cardinal will pick on the pajama cardinal is that true? Should I just stick to one type of Cardinal? I was going to get green chomis's but the petstore did not have them, she said the dotty back was basically the same thing

.

 

[adonis311]

Haha, NO dottybacks and chromis are not the same thing. Not even close. They are both fish, and that is about as far as their similiarities go. As for bangai and PJs, I've never heard of them being aggressive towards eachother, but I do know that they both can be a bit aggressive to others of the same kind, which is another reason they do well in a school of 5 or more, so the pickings get handed out evenly amongst a hierarchy. ALWAYS trust your own research over an LFS sales person. If you have a smart phone, whip that sucker out and do a little bit of digging on your own right there in the store to see if your prospective fish will be a fit for your tank. Not saying that all sales persons are crooks, but some are naive, and some are just plain shady.

 

[cbiscuit]

Thanks! Do you think if I get 2 baggai cardinals and one more pajama that will work out? And I have definately learned my lesson with listening to the people at the store!

 

[adonis311]

My concern with the two bangai cards is that if they aren't a male and a female they'll just go back to beating eachother up. Keep that in mind. A lot of species of fish aren't species friendly. While a little bit of back and fourth bickering is ooookkkaaayyyy, any damage to fins or interruption to otherwise normal behavior is a big red flag. Experiment, honestly. I could say "Yeah all cardnals will fight and destroy eachother" but that would be unfair, as each fish is actually different. For example, I had a sixline wrasse who was a delight to my tank, went well with everyone, however, eventually he passed away, as fish do, and I got another. This sixline was an absolute disaster. Ate my pistol shrimps, went after my cleaners, massacred my crab population and bullied anyone who got in his way. Everyone's experiance is a bit different, so, my best advice is, unless there is an overwhelming arguement in your research that says you shouldn't do it, try it and see what happens. I was told I couldn't house multiple chromis's, and I am.

 

[xandrew245x]

No more fish until you are sure your tank is cycle, buy a test kit, an watch your ammonia, if it starts going up, you nee to change 50% of your water, so keep a goo bit mixed up and on hand. Do not trade your dottyback in for a clown, if your going to o that just, get ri of it for now.
If your tank is cycle however, meaning if your ammonia an nitrite oesn't go up with these fish in there, they go ahea an trae it in, but just make sure your tank is reay first, living in a toxic enviorment will stress your fish, an possibly kill them
ps.( sorry about the missing letters, my D key keeps cutting in and out, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, going to be a fun day.)