Separating...

[Doe]

I've had my Central America Male Black Convict "Maximus" alone for a long while. I decited to get him a gf. As soon as I got her in the tank there was fighting. Maximus, has been the ruler of the tank since it was just him and one Pleco. The Pleco who's name is "Debo" is about 5 inches long. Maximus is about 4 inches and the female who I named "Maxima" is about 2 1/2 inches. [Hehee, yeah! They all have names ] Anywho! Debo has been getting into there cave and sucking on all the rocks and hidden places that maybe they have had there eggs in. I noticed that Maximus is now having trouble fighting off Debo from the cave, in which may lead to problems for the eggs. I really want them to pull through and hatch. Would it be wise to take Debo out and just leave the convicts alone in the tank? It really bothers me seeing the Pleco acting like that and the convicts pretty much defenseless. Any comments or answers would help a bunch. Thanks. -Doe

[mrbigfish]

How about adding another hiding place, maybe a flower pot or the like. Maybe your pleco will be satisfied with the one he already has claimed and leave the new one to the cons.

[Adam]

At 5" your pleco is going to need a fairly significant portion of his diet to consist of protein not vegetable matter and algae.  So chances are he is going in to eat the eggs because he isn't getting enough.  Try adding some sinking shrimp pellets to his diet, put them in just after lights out so that the convicts don't get them before he does.  You may notice his aggression towards the convicts territory dissipate if his dietary requirements are being fulfilled. 

[Adam]

Did you ever get to do a water test?  just because the other fish arent showing outward signs of stress or disease, for a fish like that to just up and die is not normal and indicates that you have some kind of problem.  This might be water quality related issues, or it might have been an isolated stress issue but its best to find out for sure.