Who Gives A Fish Forums

I recently added 8 new pets to my 50G. Here's the current lineup:
Kenyi: 2 females, 1 male
Cobalt Blue Zebra: 2 females (1 still juvenile)
Bumblebee: 1 juvenile (sex unknown)
Yellow Lab: 1 juvenile (sex unknown)
Mixed Mbuna: 1 juvenile (sex unknown)
Psued Acei: 2 males, 1 female
Red Zebra (Juggernaut!): 2 females, 1 male (all same color, with possibly 1 small juvenile male)
Common Plec: 1

Hardware-wise, I'm using:
2 Aqueon Quiet Flow 55/75G HOB Filters
Top Fin Air2000
Aqueon 200w Heater

For the aquascape, I've got:
African Cichlid Sand
White Coflake
Assorted artificial plants

The Acei, Red Zebras, and Plec have been in the tank for eight months. The others were added two weeks ago, following the procedures to minimize aggression. I did a major cleaning and redecorating, removing the current residents and adding coflake. I left some items, like the rock structure and tree trunk, which the male Kenyi claimed as his own. He started showing interest in the female Red Zebra, and they almost mated. The male Red Zebra didn't like this, and the two fought – the Red Zebra won. Now, the male Red Zebra chases the two subordinate Red Zebras to the other side of the tank.

The aggression was bad, so I removed the rock structure and tree trunk, as they were gathering points for aggression. Using all coflake has helped minimize some aggression, but the Kenyi still claims one side of the tank near the plants as his territory. The female Red Zebra keeps going near him, doing a shimmying dance, until the male Red Zebra chases her away, and a standoff ensues between the Kenyi and the male Red Zebra.

See the pics below. Your thoughts are appreciated. The tank is cycled, and all other parameters are in check.

Adding more breaks to the line of sight can definitely help alleviate some of the aggression issues I'm experiencing. Incorporating lots of caves and hiding spots will give my fish plenty of places to retreat to when they feel threatened or need some space. Considering I've recently introduced new fish to the tank, they're probably still in the process of sorting themselves out - it's not uncommon for cichlids to be aggressive, especially when new fish are added to an established group. I've found that this trial period usually lasts a couple of weeks, but I'm prepared for the possibility that some of my cichlids just won't get along. If that's the case, I may need to consider rehoming some of them to maintain a peaceful environment in my tank.

I've had a similar issue with my Cobalt Blue Zebras, they were being super territorial over the centre of my tank. I figured it was just a hierarchy thing, with them being at the top, and to be honest, my solution was probably not the most conventional - I overstocked to spread the aggression around. It seems to have done the trick though, I haven't had any fish getting picked on or damaged fins.

Thanks for the advice guys. I added more coflake to increase the tank's dimensions and create more hiding spots. The results are pretty noticeable - the male Kenyi's aggressive outbursts are now limited to brief 2-3 second chases, and he quickly backs down. The male Red Zebra is also less confrontational with the Kenyi. I appreciate your input, it's been really helpful in reducing the aggression in my tank.

Mbuna are indeed stunning, but they come with their fair share of challenges. I've come to accept that achieving a completely peaceful mbuna tank is highly unlikely. In fact, things tend to escalate as they mature, and introducing new fish can be a recipe for disaster.

Fortunately, providing ample hiding spots and maintaining excellent water quality can make them relatively resilient. However, the constant aggression does take its toll - even in relatively peaceful setups, many mbuna will carry the scars of past battles for the rest of their lives.

It's simply the nature of the beast, I'm afraid. That being said, incorporating plenty of retreats, using rocks to break lines of sight, and adopting the right stocking strategy can all help mitigate the issues.