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hey there!
i recently started a new tank (!), a 30g with lots of drift wood and a pair of Hemichromis bimaculatus. the tanks heavily air rated (i got an under gravel filter running alongside a fluval 4 internal filter) to accommodate there needs and the strong current doesnt seem to bother them at all (i suppose it aint much of a current in comparrison to a river!).

they were sold as a pair tho the petshop admitted tehy didnt know the sexes of either fish. i believe one to be male and one female as one is a fraction larger and a lot more colourful, showing more red. i assume him to be male, whilst the less dominant, slightly mo0re turquoise looking fish i assume to be female.

now they are very aggressive and they more dominant one can chase the other round and round. then they are best friends almost kissing each other and swimming flank to flank and playing around, then the dominant one chases here round and round.

endlessy entertaining! however i noticed the less dominant characters tail was becoming slightly frayed due to the chasing and dosed with melafix.

im just wandering if anybody has any advice on how i could reduce the aggresion between them a little?

Hey Fandan - I picked this off the profile page:

"Territorial and at times vicious. Controlling this fish's temper requires careful stocking plans.

All jewel cichlid species may fight and attempt to hybridise as if they are all one species,and in this respect guttatas can be particularly aggressive to other jewels. Other african cichlids common in the hobby like kribiensis should be excluded from jewel tanks, unless the tank is large, say over 55 galllon. The fighting over territory could be vicious, and although a smallish fish, hemichromis have significant bite power, and they can and will cause significant midbody and facial wounds. Should they liplock with other small species, the hemichromis is easily capable of damaging the jawbones of these species, and this is often a fatal wound. Sublimated specimens may become reclusive and fail to feed.

Do not overstock tanks with this species. A good choice however for an african river community tank with a diverse selection of suitable sized non-territorial, non-cichlid fish."

So from the sounds of it - you've picked a fighter!!! I think you might need a bigger tank so the female (And other fish) would have somewhere to espcape to.

The other choice is adding dither fish....but carefully as mentioned above.

72G Bowfront. 1 Sunshine Peacock, 2 Yellow Labs, 1 Ps. Elongatus, 1 Blue Ahli, 1 Red Kadanga, 1 Mel. Exasperatus, 1 metriaclima emmiltos, 1 Ancistrus.

14.5G 4 Neon Tetras.

Kissing in jewel cichlids isnt friends, its fighting, they use liplocking to exhaust each other, even fight to the death. Thats two males or the petshop has done the usual thing and foolishly mixed guttatas and bimacs, very easily done, they look identical when young. They may hybridise, but few do so willingly, and males and males and females and females will fight across the species barrier.

Basic thing to do, seperate them. Incompatible jewels will kill each other.Try posting pics of both for conclusive sexing if you do want to find them partners. Generally find their aggression is based mostly around crowding, in 100 gal plus they often chill out, sometimes even more of the same sex becomes possible, but in a 30 gal they will fight. Smallish fish, big territory. Like a malawi cichlid they aint, river fish like jewels get to command more territorial space in nature, and will always attempt to do so in captivity. Peaceful in the right space with the right company, positively nihilistic in a less than ideal situation with the wrong company.

What your describing as entertaining are fishes genuine fighting that could end in death. Once they change from locking to centre-punching each other in the sides itll all be over.

First rule of jewels, if they dont get on, move em quick. I keep 3 species, multiple specimens. Push the territorial space and they kill each other , end of story. 100 gal plus and they come up so tolerant and laid back you wont believe it, youll wonder why they ever had a vicious rep. Less than that, mean, in a 30 gal, aggressive as hell. In with central american cichlids theyre nihilists, in with malawis and tanganyikans out of their prefferred ph range, youll get abnormal behaviourfrom low personal oxygenation, gill damage, and stress waning. River setup not unlike an SA setup, no other major cichlids, compatible sexes, around 50 gals , no probs, might even find they leave other non cichlid species alone.

Theyre not big, or that hard to look after as long as you take their temperament seriously, and yours will need seperating or one will die. Its their temperament that governs their tanksize, and their neighbours, not the size or the bioload they produce.

Little fish- big tank. Or moderate tanksize, perfect lovematch, and not much else in the way of other fish. Theyre not what youd call accomodating.

well said lh,great peace of helpfull info

cheers for that guys.i think i could do with a bigger tank! i have been re arranging the hardscape and creating less direct lines of sight through out the tank whilst providing alot more cover and the bullying is reduced to the point where the fin damage is healing up well, tho occasionally he will scoot around the tank in full pursuit.

hmm they dont seem to fight as such tho lhg- i've never witnessed them lip locking and definatly no side punching- the frolicking im describing is a lot less violant and i think you have interpreted what im saying- they seem to swim with one slightly ahead and the other at his side touching and then when they turn they swap- this is done with out any biting or anything otherwise the female/less dominant would be off at 100mph.