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Re: FFF aggression
I was just looking around at the various info sources and these fish seem to
come from somewhat cooler waters than at which most aquariums are being
kept.
I'm not certain about the geology of Florida. Some people living there
report very soft water whereas given the limestone sinkholes that abound,
I'm sure the water in those areas is quite hard. pH would reflect this as
well.
So is it possible that this fish is just irritated by the conditions present
in some planted CO2 injected tanks? I know, for example, that fish with
internal parasites can be really miserable and aggressive to other fish in
their vicinity. I don't see why, if other creatures get irritable
(including us humans) when exposed to environmental conditions that make us
uncomfortable) that Florida Flagfish can't also be likewise.
It's strange because according to Baensch, for example, FFF are only
aggressive and to conspecifics when mating, whereas people are reporting
that these fish are majorly aggressive towards all their tankmates. There's
got to be a logical reason for this and perhaps even though they are good
algae eaters, they may not be suitable for all tank conditions. If someone
can figure out what it is that they don't like, then others can avoid the
heartache and aggravation of having these fish exhibit behaviours that are
destructive and annoying.
There are all sorts of ways in which people have had to design tank setups
to suit the natures of the beasts they keep. Mbuna must be kept in crowded
conditions. But they are 'exotics' and allegedly 'gorgeous'. It's likely
that because FFF are just 'American, local' fish, no one has really spent
the time and energy to observe what conditions favour these fish and
optimize their behaviour to suit the needs of those with planted tanks that
contain other fish. It's a case for 'fish psychology'.
I don't keep these fish anymore because we couldn't get healthy specimens
here in Toronto. The ones I bought didn't last long at all and I just gave
up. So I don't know much about them. But I do know about other fish and
their behaviours. Sometimes it's something rather subtle, not obvious at
all, that can change a fish from being a 'model citizen' to being 'a
terror'. It would be better, in all fairness, to not make blanket
statements about these fish. More research and observation would be the
most logical course to take.
Gabriella Kadar
Toronto, Canada