Callochromis Macrops

[nugs]

Just gonna copy and paste this post that I made on CF.

Looking for some suggestions on what to do. I've searched about these guys and I know they're extremely aggressive to their own species and do best in a 6 foot tank :oops:. I've had these guys for about 6 months now and I'm seeing this aggression and they're only slightly over an inch!

I have 7 juvenile callochromis macrops growing out in a 75 gallon with one female juli. marlieri and a female leleupi.

I'm not positive on the macrops' sex, but from watching them I'm guessing I have 2 or 3 males and 4 or 5 females.

Ragarding other tanks, I have:

a 125 with paired j. marlieri, paired leleupi, 2 calvus (both male I think), 12 cyps, multies, and syno. petricola.

and a 80 euro with paracyps, paired comps, and juvenile caudos.

I know the aggression is going to get worse. Should I move the males to separate tanks with a couple females?

I really want to keep at least a group of these guys. And I do not want to temporarily set up any of my smaller tanks that are in storage. Am I going to have to get rid of them all? Any suggestions? Thanks

Quick, crappy pics of tanks too:

75 with the Macrops
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i163/nicenugs/PICT1537.jpg

80
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i163/nicenugs/PICT1538.jpg

125
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i163/nicenugs/PICT1539.jpg

[Aquaaddict]

I have my Macrops Ndole Red's in a 6ft tank (120gal) with 16 Enantopis Kilesa's, a group of Cyprichromis, and my Albino Ngara Peacocks. The only aggression I have seen out of them is just as you said....toward each other. I only have 5 right now but I'm getting another 12. I figure they are mean to each other....over stock them like I do tropheus or demasoni.

Just a thought, don't know if it will work. :wink:

Tim :D

[nugs]

Thanks for the info Tim. This appears to be a pretty standard response. :)

I've heard from a few people now that their Macrops slowly pick off the others one by one until there is only one left. I think I'm gonna have to come up with some sort of solution soon because I don't want to start loosing these guys.

[bobrfish]

Two Callochromis species I kept pretty much avoided rock formations.

Callochromis like to browse through sand. The diet in wild is small animal life living in sand. Thus I like to feed shrimp and similar frozen or freeze dried foods. Flake and pellets with fish or shrimp protein source are other staples I use.

They are good tankmates with Xenos, feather fins and Cyps. Shelldwellers did not bother Callochromis either.

[nugs]

It sounds like if I want to keep these guys they're gonna have to be moved to the 125. Which would involve rearranging the other fish and totally reaquascaping the 125.

I don't know if I want to deal with that. Might be better off trying to find them a new home. :(

[bobrfish]

I also kept them with some Madagascan fish that were huge in comparison. No problems there.

I wish I could tell you how the interact with Neolamps but I cannot as I have never kept them together.
Neolamps can really mess with featherfins, sand sifters and even cyps. Neolamps tend to harass these fish and stop any breeding, IME.

[nugs]

I have heard that they don't play nice with the neolamps or julis. It was suggested to me to remove the neolamps and julis from the 125 and then that they should be fine with the calvus and cyps. But with all the rockwork and plants in the 125 I definitely do not want to break it down and rearrange.

I have almost decided to try to find them a new home and hopefully be able to trade them for something else.