Cichlid questions- Mbuna Growing At Different Rates 4/29/08
Hey there crew,
A few months ago, I bought a 55 gallon tank, and in it live 5 Lake Malawi cichlids (I haven't definitively identified all of them yet, but for sure one is a bumblebee, one is a red zebra, one is a rusty cichlid, one looks *exactly* like the bumblebee but instead of gold with brown stripes, s/he is ice blue with black stripes, and finally one that's ice blue with black trim along his/her fins), a Pleco that's growing at what seems an impossible pace, and a Synodontis catfish (from what I can tell, it's of the Njasse/Malawi variety...its
tail fin is spotted, not striped like the multipunctatus).
They all live in relative harmony. I got the cichlids all at once, when they were about 1.5 inches. The bumblebee will chase the red zebra and the rusty cichlid from time to time, but never with much heart. I suspect it's because there are more than enough caves to go around, though I'm no expert. The Pleco sometimes shows a nipped tail fin, but on the whole seems alright.
Some (the two bumblebee-looking ones in particular) have easily doubled in size, while the others are somewhere in the 2 inch range. I feed them a very varied diet (algae flakes; thawed frozen plankton; Spirulina-enriched brine shrimp; red bloodworms; something called "emerald entree" which is a mix of spinach, plankton, and other green looking yummies; cichlid gold baby pellets; and, whatever snails I manage to harvest from my guppy tank before I lose patience -- no worries about contaminants from the snails, they've lived their whole lives in that guppy tank). They eat twice a day, and I do a 10% water change weekly.
I use a crushed coral substrate, cleaned river rocks plus various "ceramic" pots to form all sorts of caves and hiding spots, and artificial plants to create their biotope.
The tank temp. is around 78 degrees, and I use a Marineland Penguin filter (designed for 90 gallon tanks, because I decided over-filtration never hurt anyone).
Now that all of that is out of the way, I have two questions. The first is, how do I tell what gender my lovely fish are? Some have egg spots on their tails (developed since they came to live with me, for sure), but I've read that that's not dispositive on the matter.
<Males usually have longer fins than the females. Without having both sexes to compare this may be difficult. Egg spots are not always a reliable indicator. One method of sexing cichlids is to vent them. The way this works is to take them out of the tank and observe their vent area, just before the anal fin. You will see two openings. In males the two openings are about the same size. In females one opening will be much larger than the other. You may be able to find some examples at Cichlid -Forum.com.>
Second, why is it that they're all growing at such different rates? I thought it might be a gender issue, but the rusty cichlid definitely has egg spots, and s/he is one of the smaller ones.
< Not all Mbuna get to be the same size. The bumblebee and zebra types are a couple of the larger ones. I have seen the bumblebee up to 8 inches long. The rest may get up to 4 inches over time.>
Any insight? Nothing pressing...they seem to all be doing quite well, and I do try to rearrange their environment or add new caves every few weeks to keep them guessing, so all in all we're all content. Just curious. Thanks! Micah
<The larger fish become more aggressive and get most of the food. As they establish a territory they get to eat the algae that grows in their territory. They get to eat when there is no other food around.-Chuck>

Aggressive mail red zebra 3/10/08
I bought a mail red zebra about 3 months ago. He is about 5in lng.I put him in my 3.5ft by 1ft by 1.5ft tank with a 4in yellow parrot,2 fire mouths, a Kribensis), and a 7in Plec. Now he is alone as he was very aggressive, the other fish i divided between my other 2 tanks. His tank is very clean and has 2 big caves and various plastic plants and is filtered by a Fluval 204.Any ideas what i could put with him?
<Pseudotropheus zebra is an highly aggressive cichlid that can only be combined with other equally aggressive Mbuna. The tank you have him in is too small: as far as he's concerned, that's his territory, and he will eventually damage or kill any other fish that are unable to fight back. Pseudotropheus zebra should be maintained in a large (75 gallons+) aquarium, ideally overstocked with other Pseudotropheus zebra. Any book on Lake Malawi Cichlids will help here, and you will find many of them available. None of your existing fishes are acceptable tankmates, and nor is the aquarium you have. Hope that clarifies things. Cheers, Neale.>

African cichlids locking lips 3/6/08 Hi, <Ave!> I have three cichlids I believe that at least one is a female and possibly a Flowerhorn. <To me looks like a juvenile Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus, on the left) and some sort of Mbuna (Pseudotropheus sp., likely a hybrid, on the right). Bit difficult to tell from that photo. If my determinations are correct though, this combination is not going to work. For a start, an adult Oscar could eat a Pseudotropheus.> one of my other fish looked like he was kind of bloody in his mouth and he turned white (he is normally blue). I put him in a hospital tank because I figured he was stressed out about something and after three days in the little tank he got better. I put him in the main tank today and ever since he has been attached at the mouth to this Flowerhorn (see attachment). It looks like the inside of his mouth is rubbing off on her outside mouth. What is going on here? Am I going to have babies? <No, more likely dead fish. These fish are fighting, and the damage to the lips will become a route for secondary infections -- Finrot and Fungus. Treat with a combination Finrot/Fungus medication such as Maracyn or eSHa 2000. Because these two fish are quite clearly not the same species, they can't "talk" the same body language, and quite obviously their fights are very serious. They MUST be separated.> I have had my tank for about 6 months. Its 20 gallons now and I plan to get a larger one on the near future. <Whoa... Mbuna need tanks well over the 50 gallon mark if they aren't to go around killing one another. And they will. Oscars aren't normally aggressive, but they're big, and your tank is about one-fifth the size required for a single Oscar, let along one in a community setting!> I change a quarter of the water weekly and currently have no NO3, NO2 or NH3. I have the two fish in the picture along with a Pleco and blueberry marmalade cat I think its called (orange and white with purple splotches). <Hmm... At the moment I suspect you have a jumble of fish that can't live together for any length of time. Have you read any books before purchasing these fish? I'm slightly concerned that you aquarium shop might have "recommended" these fish and you didn't know better, because this really is a disaster waiting to happen. The Marmalade Cichlid is presumably Pseudotropheus zebra "Orange Blotch", an excellent but aggressive species that will eventually fight with the blue Pseudotropheus zebra you already have. Both need hard, alkaline water. The Plec is likely Pterygoplichthys sp., a catfish from South America that can, WILL get to 12-18"/30-45 cm in captivity, whether you'd like it to or not. And the Oscar, as mentioned, is another big BIG fish that gets to about the same size as the catfish, only it is round as well as long!> Thank You, Danielle <You're welcome, Neale.> Re: African cichlids locking lips 3/6/08 I highly doubt I have an Oscar. <I agree; the new photos are a bit better. Still not obviously anything to me, but probably a Central American of some sort judging by the deep, laterally compressed body. Is that an eyespot at the base of the tail?> In fact the two pictured were bought from the same tank of assorted African cichlids (supposed to reach 4 or 5 in) from the pet store. <Ah, here's your first mistake. "Mixed African Cichlids" is how junk fish are sold to unsuspecting aquarists. These are likely hybrids and therefore impossible to identify. Worse, because they're hybrids you have ABSOLUTELY no idea how big they'll get, how aggressive they'll be or how much territory they will claim. Never, EVER buy cichlids from a tank labeled "MIXED".> The third one I bought from a local reputable fish store and I have attached a picture. <Hmm... if they were all that good, they'd not be selling "mixed" cichlids without clearly given Latin names!> The three have never been aggressive towards each other. <And Custer had never lost a battle. Yet. The problem with cichlids is most species are nice as pie when young, and only become hostile as they mature. Hence you plan ahead.> The one on the right of the previously sent picture I was told was an acei. <For the blue fish? Pseudotropheus acei is certainly possible. But let me make this crystal clear: virtually all the cichlids sold as "Mixed African Cichlids" are genetically very mixed indeed, and the Latin names that get applied to them should be taken with a tablespoon of salt. Seriously, this is one of the biggest problems in the hobby, and fishkeeping writers have been going on about it for yours. They're whistling in the wind frankly, because people mix these fish in their tanks all the time, and then offload the hybrid fry any which way they can. So while there's a small percentage chance you actually do have Pseudotropheus acei, the fact is that there are so many hybrid Pseudotropheus that are also blue with vertical bands it could honestly be anything.> No one really knew what the other was until I randomly found a picture online of almost the exact fish. It was on some Flowerhorn breeder site. I have attached a kind of blurry picture of him alone. <Certainly *could* be a juvenile Flowerhorn.> The lighting was very bad in the first picture I sent you since I took it from the side of a darker tank. <The reason I said "Oscar" was the round head, protruding jaws and goggly eyes.> The two fish weren't moving at all they just locking lips. <In the fishkeeping trade we call this fighting.> Now the two aren't near each other as usual and have retreated to their normal parts of the tank. <Fight over, for now.> All of these fish still have to be separated? <Oh gosh yes. And not a chance in hell of keeping them in a 20 gallon tank. Even a 20 gallon tank *each* isn't an option for the Flowerhorn and the Plec, and I'd personally not want to stick a couple of Mbuna in a 20 gallon tank either. Not unless I wanted dead fish. Cheers, Neale.> Re: African cichlids locking lips 3/6/08 I think the third fish is an ob peacock. I remember the man at the store calling it a peacock now. <Aulonocara sp., several possible species, and in fact quite possibly a hybrid. In any case, gets to about 12-15 cm, moderately aggressive when mature (males more than females of course) and needs a mix of open water and hiding places. Primarily a zooplankton feeder. A nice fish.> How large of a tank do I need? <Difficult to say, but certainly not less than 55 US gallons given we don't know exactly what some of these fish are, and the Plec will certainly need a lot of space.> 100 gallons? <Even better!> Can I use tank dividers or will the fish somehow knock them down? <In a big enough tank with hiding places for everyone, tank dividers should not be necessary, and in any case yes, these cichlids could easily dig under them or jump over them. I'm not a fan of dividers anyway. Much better to collect species together than will coexist.> These fish will be happy alone, correct? <Or in a big enough tank. But your collection of fish isn't textbook stuff, and that makes it very difficult to predict. Mbuna and Aulonocara generally get along fine if they aren't overcrowded and the species chosen are compatible. Central Americans are aggressive, but not quite as aggressive as the worst of the Mbuna, so if you're unlucky, the Central American could get hammered. The Plec will be fine providing it has hiding places, but cichlids can still harm Plecs, e.g., by biting out their eyes.> I have treated the tank with an anti fungal/bacterial treatment. <Very good. I'd recommend against Melafix/Pimafix -- they're not terribly reliable.> Thanks! <Cheers, Neale.>

"Fixing" my Cichlid Tank
Malawi Cichlid Tank With Aggression Problems  10/26/07
I currently have two Zebras, three Yellow Labs , one Kenyi (small, and submissive), 1 Blue Hap, and an Upside Down Catfish. in a 29 gal tank.
Realizing that the tank is too small, I'm considering moving them into a 55 gal.
< Good idea.>
Right now, the tank is very tense, and one zebra terrorizes all fish.
There were actually more fish in there, but the problem zebra has reduced the numbers. I am considering moving everyone into a 55 gal. tank. I was also considering adding 5 more zebras, another Kenyi, and eventually 4 Yellow Lab fry, (now in a grow out tank),
but they won't be ready for quite some time.
The cichlid selection is not great at my LFS (only one in the area). So my choices are limited. I can get the zebras, Kenyis, Yellow Labs. (Also
Auratus, Venustus, Convicts, and Jack Dempseys., which I'm assuming are not suitable). I'd like help with what species and what numbers I should add. I don't want to have a 55 gal problem tank!!! Also considered just using the cichlids that I have, and adding Tiger Barbs or Rainbows??? Can you make a suggestion, please? J Ken and Sharon J
< Moving up to a 55 gallon tank is a very good idea. The zebra and Kenyi can get very big and are very aggressive. Considering what your local store is offering I would skip the convicts and Jack Dempseys. The Malawi cichlids have teeth, are heavily scaled and are too fast for the New World cichlids to defend themselves. I would recommend six of all the rest of the Malawi species. This will give you thirty fish in a 55 gallon tank. You need lots of rockwork and a couple inches of fine sand. Keep the water temp at 75-77 F. I recommend keeping these fish crowded to disperse the aggression from a single fish. This means a powerful filter that will turn the water over at least 5 tank volumes in an hour, and lots of water changes. As the fish get bigger you can remove some of the larger more aggressive males. In the end you will have about 20-24 fish that should get along fairly well. A very good book to consider would be "Enjoying Cichlids" by Ad Konings. There are 100's species of cichlids in Lake Malawi and this book may expose you to some of the other less aggressive species.-Chuck>

Yellow Lab or Humming Bird? African Cichlid beh.   10/26/07
Hi Neale,
<Lisa,>
Just a little behavioral trait I thought I'd share about my humming bird of a yellow lab Mbuna. "He" is really making me chuckle tonight. I am really intrigued by him - the book "Enjoying Cichlids" is definitely on my Christmas list.
<Looks a fun book.>
Tonight he was racing in and out of a small multi-opening tree trunk. He's dug a huge hole within the base of the trunk and frequently comes out spewing sand. He's built a sand pile about 2 1/2 inches tall outside the tree trunk. He is an absolute riot. Tonight he is flitting about - "kissing" the glass walls, spewing sand outside of his trunk and chasing nearby Mbuna throughout the length of the four foot tank.
<Ah, he's doing some "aquascaping". It's what cichlids do. Mostly, it's to show off to the females and intimidate other males. To the females, it is a wasteful expenditure of energy. In Darwinian terms, that's a statement to the effect of "I have such good genes, I have this surplus energy I can waste doing stupid stuff". Since these fish are mouthbrooders, nest-building behaviour (which is presumably what this is derived from, relative to their ancestral cichlids) is pointless in itself. To other males, it's an honest advertisement of prowess, of good genes. You can't fake a huge pile of sand, so rival males can take this at face value and then decide whether or not to attempt to compete with the resident male. When teaching this sort of behaviour to students, I liken it to a man driving an expensive Italian sports car. No-one "needs" a sports car. By any practical standard, a sports car is pointless. It carries fewer people in less comfort than a regular car, it costs more to buy and it costs more to maintain. HOWEVER, what a sports car *does* do is advertise your wealth. It own one and put up with its expenses and limitations you must have a lot of wealth. You can't fake a sports car for this: everyone can immediately recognise a decrepit, broken down sports car. So potential mates will recognise your sports car as an honest symbol of your wealth (and by extension, your ability to out-compete rivals or provide resources for your potential offspring). So when you see a man driving an expensive car, he is doing exactly and precisely the same thing as a Mbuna cichlid building a pile of sand: ostentatiously showing off his ability to waste resources as a proxy for genetic fitness!>
I imagine this behavior is a display of territoriality (?). He seems to go through periods of time when he is quiet and hidden and other times when he displays antics such as I described above.
<No, the fish will express these behaviours even in a "vacuum", i.e., without seeing another member of its species. Indeed, it's advantageous to do so, because in the wild, the Labidochromis doesn't know when a potential mate will swim by, so he needs to be ready to impress her if she does.>
This is normal behavior isn't it?
<Yes.>
I'd love to hear your insight.
<Done! This is the reason people study cichlids. They show such a huge variety of social behaviours, and seemingly aren't fussed about humans watching them do those behaviours. Other animals are much more shy, or simply can't be handled in labs easily. If you read the fish behaviour literature, a vast proportion of it is based on cichlids, right back to work by people like Konrad Lorenz (if you get the chance, read his popular book, "King Solomon's Ring").>
Hope you are well.
<Yes indeed, and likewise you.>
Lisa
<Cheers, Neale>

Mbuna milk mustache? – 10/18/07
Hi Neale,
Quick question for you. One of my Mbuna has a perfectly symmetrical white triangle that has formed around his mouth and "chin." Unfortunately I don't have a digital camera and not able to send along a photo.
The water quality is good (nitrites and ammonia - 0; nitrates below 20ppm; pH 8.0).
Do you suppose this may be a fighting wound? I've never observed the Mbuna "mouth fighting."
No other fish exhibit any fungus-looking attributes...
Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you!
Lisa.
<Hmm... assuming that this isn't normal colouration (you never know with the more obscure Mbuna) then it could be simply dead skin following a fight. In which case, I'd personally use some mild antibacterial like Melafix just to be on the safe side. If things got worse, then Finrot medication would need to be used. Cichlids do indeed fight with their jaws, and what you describe is not uncommon. Presumably the teeth damage the skin. Anyway, keep an eye out for secondary infections, and if they occur, treat for Finrot. Good luck! Neale>

Re: Mbuna milk mustache?  10/19/07
Thanks Neale, shall I then move the injured fish to a separate tank to medicate? (sorry if this is an obvious question)
Lisa
<I'd treat it in the tank. If the problem is minor (which seems to be the case) you may as well avoid problems with stress and damage caused while capturing the fish. Cheers, Neale.>

Flashing in Mbunas 10/14/07
Hi Neale,
<Lisa,>
I was just reading through the website. I noticed many Mbuna owners spoke of their fish "flashing." In just about all accounts, the crew attributed
this to a high nitrate or ammonia problem.
<Or whitespot, or any number of other things that irritate the gills. Like dropsy, flashing is a symptom rather than a specific disease or syndrome. Think of it as a heads-up that not all is well i your aquarium.>
I've noticed some of the Mbuna flashing however the nitrates are steady at 10-20 ppm, ammonia and nitrite levels are 0. I assumed their flashing was due to quirky Mbuna behavior.
<It can be. Flashing as a mating behaviour is where the cichlid zooms in front of another, either as a threat or to display itself to a potential mate. Flashing as a result of disease or irritation is where the fish zooms against a rock or some sand, to scratch itself deliberately. In the wild, this behaviour presumably dislodges external parasites, and the fish is doing this in response to a similar stimulus, i.e., irritation.>
The only water chemistry challenge I have is increasing the carbonate hardness (I'm adding cichlid salts to partial water changes as you recommended). I religiously change 25% of the water every other week and take a full set of readings every weekend (nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, pH,
kH).
<Very good. I'd personally do more water changes, at least 25% per week, but if your water quality is good, it's no big deal. But as a reminder to others reading this: the great advantage of buying fish that *prefer* your local water chemistry is you can do big, regular water changes without the expense of modifying the new water each time beyond adding dechlorinator.>
Should I be concerned about the flashing Neale - it is not too frequent however I do notice the fish doing it from time to time.
<Look to see what they're doing. If they're just darting about, then it's not a problem and likely behavioural. If they're scratching against objects (something fish otherwise avoid, for fear of damaging their scales and mucous coat) then you may have a problem.>
Also regarding water chemistry - in both my livebearers and goldfish tanks (i.e. guppies, Plecos, Corys, variegated platys, tetras) despite
incorporating crushed coral into the canister filters, the kH will not increase beyond 4 or 5 however the pH has gone up to 7.8-8.0.
<I'd leave things be for now. While on the low side for guppies and goldfish, it's fine for tetras and cats. The main thing is that the crushed coral will inhibit any pH crashes. The pH will stay alkaline and probably very steadily around the 7.8-8.0 mark regardless of what happens.>
Is there a buffer I can use that will slightly increase the hardness of the water without making the pH exceedingly alkaline?
<Don't worry about it for now. Over the long term, see how your fish do. What I'd expect to see is that all the fish are happy, and the pH doesn't change much at all, implying the water chemistry is nice and stable. At the end of the day that's the important thing. At some point, it's a case of diminishing returns.>
Looking forward to hearing from you. Thank you so much. Lisa.
<Cheers, Neale>

Yellow Lab or Humming Bird? Mbuna beh.  8/29/07
Hi Neale, what do you make of this (not urgent)?
<Hello Lisa.>
My fiancé and I have been observing "Bruiser" our Yellow Lab Mbuna this evening. Dennis is tasked with feeding the Mbuna Spirulina flakes when he arrives home from work. He assures me he did not "spike" the flakes. !!
<OK.>
The Yellow Lab is most frequently shy and "owns" an ornament in the tank that resembles a tree trunk. I realize he has staked this out as his territory. He is very coy and doesn't leave his nest often except to eat a couple times a day (I feed 3x per day) and shows himself by way of sticking his "face" out from one of the holes (this is his Linda Blair imitation as it appears as if he is floating horizontally).
<Fairly normal Mbuna behaviour. Mbuna tend to stay close to rocks in the wild, feeding on them when it's safe, and diving into their holes when it's not. For whatever reason, your Yellow Lab doesn't feel safe.>
Tonight he is racing back and forth across the back width of the 48" tank.
Every now and then he flutters up to the front like a humming bird. This is very unusual behavior for this guy. He is not concerned with the other fish in terms of aggression. I found this info while conducting research on springerlink.com - a journal article referencing ecology and breeding behavior of cichlid fish - "...they return at dusk. The few males that remain on the arena switch their behavior from courting to foraging on zooplankton. Comparisons of this fish arena are made with bird leks and it is concluded that the mating system of this fish can be defined as a lek in the avian sense."
<Indeed. This is one reason cichlids are so widely studied in labs: they perform bird-like behaviours while using up far less space.>
I recently moved 11 Mbuna from a very crowded 30 gallon tank to the 55.
Could the extra room, filtration and aeration suddenly escalated him through "fish adolescence?" :) All the cichlids in my tank are "one of a kind" except for a couple of red zebras. And since I'm quite a novice at "venting," I have no idea which out of the crowd is male or female. If he is indeed looking to mate and he has none, what happens next? What happens when fish are ready to spawn/breed and there's no option?
<Nothing much happens. Mbuna have a set hierarchy in terms of behaviour and aggression. Yellow Labs are below Zebras, and if the Labs get pushy, the Zebras will put them in their place. I suspect this may be part of the reason why your Lab has been a bit reticent; they don't mix terribly well with Zebras. Provided you have enough space in the tank, the fish will all simply do their thing.>
I am fascinated by this fishkeeping hobby and simply cannot get enough.
<Hee! Keep reading and learning!>
p.s. the nitrate level in the community tank has come down to 10ppm! I will follow your instructions and thank you!
<Good-o. Well, hope this helps, Neale>

Care of suspected zebra cichlid, Blue Cichlid Problems 8/28/07
Hey there.. this is going to be a long one :)
We used to have a lot of fish when I was growing up, guppies, mollies, gouramis and a lone goldfish, I think, but we gave them away eventually, along with our tank. I recently decided to get the aquarium going again and now have a small tank installed with smooth glass pebbles at the bottom and a couple of shells at each end serving as hiding spots. There is an aquarium shop close by, and since they didn't stock guppies, I asked about a tiny blue fish I spotted in one of the tanks along with Angels. The shop guy told me it was a 'Blue Mafe' (sic) and spelled the name out for me. He said that the only problem with the fish was that it would attack any other species of fish in the tank and should only be kept with its own kind. I went home and looked up 'Mafe' on Google and Wikipedia, but after a few days of searching I am now convinced that he actually meant "Blue Morph". I am fairly certain now that it's a cichlid, given its body shape and aggressiveness. The fish is just less than an inch long and a pale blue in colour, with dark vertical stripes that sometimes disappear entirely. (for reference, I found this picture that looks very much like it, except that the fins aren't yellowish like they appear here, they're white with iridescent blue
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/mb_pictures/Pseudotropheus_zebra.jpg )
When I went back to the shop they gave me the one I pointed out as well as another just like it that was in the molly tank, and I was assured that the size of tank that I had should be sufficient for them, however on the day I brought the pair home, one eventually died in a few hours, I am guessing from the stress, since it was constantly bullied by the other one and not allowed into the lower levels of the tank. I found it lying at the bottom of the tank finally, so I took it out and changed the water.
The other one seems to feel secure under its shells, where it darts the moment there is any sudden movement in the room.
It was a bit disheartening to have one of the fish die, so I read up some more about cichlids and learn that they ought to be kept in groups as opposed to very small numbers in order to tone down the aggression. After my experience with these fish I also believe that I need a much larger tank even for these tiny fish, though I think they're supposed to grow to a few inches in length. However I doubt I will be able to get a bigger tank for a few weeks since an impending house-shift has been suddenly preponed. I would like your advice on whether I ought to return this fish to the aquarium and get new ones when we shift, or if I can maintain Morph in the temporary tank for a few weeks more, and what I can do to make it more comfortable where it is in the meanwhile. The tank I have right now will probably hold only half a gallon of water. I know this looks ridiculously tiny compared to the advised tank-sizes I've seen on the net, but so far there doesn't seem to be an oxygen deficiency problem (have had it a few days) since the tank is fairly shallow, as well as that I'm recycling about 1/3 of the water every couple of days. Is this too often? How do I make out if it's getting stressed? Also, will he/she get too lonely if kept alone for a while? (like I said, a few weeks before we're settled in)
The tank bottom has a lot of different sized smooth glass pebbles and the two shells I mentioned, which the fish seems particularly to like. Should I put a few more large pebbles to provide cover, since Morph seems to be a bit timid all of a sudden, though if I sit motionless for about five minutes he/she comes out and gets very agitated, going up, down and side to side very rapidly along the tank wall and I get the impression it's probably trying to chase me off :P
Also, as far as I can make out, it hasn't eaten any of the food pellets I put in. I finally removed them from the surface since I didn't want them decomposing. I tried powdering one of the pellets and sprinkling some (when Morph wasn't running for cover) but spat it out after sampling a bit. What does it eat??
I don't really want to keep the morph if I can't take care of it for the next few weeks, but if it is possible to keep it reasonably comfortable for a short while, given the current tank, I would like to do so, and would appreciate your advice.
I'd also like to know.. what do the colour changes mean? Does the appearance of the stripes mean it's relaxed or stressed? And.. how do I tell if it's a he or a she? I don't see any egg spots but would they appear as the fish grows up? Thank you so much for reading through this.
-Archana
< It sounds like you have an Mbuna species from Lake Malawi. There are over a thousand species with geographic variants to add to the confusion. These fish are fast aggressive cichlids that feed on algae off the rocks. They like hard alkaline water. These fish are very territorial. In the wild the bigger the territory the more algae is available for them to feed on. Fish communicate by changing their color patterns and by displaying their fins. Bright bold colors with erect fins usually mean aggressive behaviour. A dull fish with clamped fins is trying to hide and not be seen. I would advise that you turn the fish back in and wait until you are set up for what ever fish you really want to get. If you do decide on cichlids then I would recommend a book by Ad Konings called "Enjoying Cichlid". It is a great book an covers most of the types you will find in stores.-Chuck>

African Cichlid Aggression   4/2/07
Hello! I’ve searched the web and your site for a possible explanation to this problem and can’t seem to find an answer – Maybe you guys can help. My African Cichlid shakes (shivers) and then charges and chases the other Cichlids in the tank. He’s eating (if not stealing all the food – I have to try to individually feed the other fish when he’s on the other side of the tank), and I don’t think it’s a mating dance as my other fish are “scared” of him. They are hiding and trying to stay away from him. I’ve tried changing the water, changing the décor in the tank in case it’s a territorial thing and our fish guy told us to try to “over-populate” the tank to keep aggression down, but that doesn’t seem to have worked either… The tank isn’t new and we’ve had him for a few weeks now … Any ideas? Thanks! Jade
<Some species of Lake Malawi cichlids are very aggressive and will not change their habits no mater what you do. You need to realize that in the wild being aggressive is a very good thing. The more aggressive you are means the bigger territory you get to keep. A bigger territory means more food and a better chance to attract a female and mate. This is not a very good trait for an aquarium fish. Some fish take over an entire aquarium. Overcrowding the tank and rearranging the territories does work with some species. Sometimes you get a species or an individual that is hell bent on spawning and can be nothing but trouble. I would try to lower the water temp to 75 F and bring him out of his spawning mode. This may help a little, but depending on the species you may have to replace him.-Chuck>

Red Peacock Cichlid Hides In Cave  - 03/20/07  
I have a beautiful Rubescens Peacock that I cannot figure out whether he may be ill or just acting differently than the other fish in my aquarium.  He is around 4 inches, he eats well, and has no visible signs of disease, But He spends 85% of his time hiding in the lowest cave in my rock pile.  He only seems to come out when it is time to eat. He has not attempted to breed with his harem of females that are in the tank with him.  At first I thought it may be bloat, but his feces is normal and he is still eating.  He has not lost any of his spunk when he does come out.  I was worried that maybe he was being bullied but he is by far the largest in the tank, other than the females I purchased with him in a group there is no one else near his size, most of the rest are not even showing color.  All of my water parameters are perfect, the nitrates usually run around 25ppm, but with them being so close I tend not to worry about it because that reading is normally the day before my regular water change.  Is it possible this is just his nature to be more shy and secluded?  Any help would be appreciated.  Thank You.
< Peacock cichlids from Lake Malawi are normally found in caves in the wild. They cannot compete with other more aggressive cichlids so stay in caves or come out at night.-Chuck>

Blue peacock ? – 03/18/07
Hi, I have a blue peacock cichlid, (so am told) he has a yellow stripe on the top, he is turning black (but then on another day doesn't look so
black) I have been searching for information on this and have not been able to find anything, I was told that they can do that when they get
mad is that true and if it is could this be a health issue?
Thanks, Meg
<Possibly... Search the Net, Library under the term "Aulonocara"... much written, available. Bob Fenner>

African Cichlid Is lethargic  2/28/07
Hi, we have a new African cichlid we bought 3 days ago. I'm not sure his genus yet, but he's metallic blue with longer fins and a long white stripe on his dorsal fin. He is about 4-5 inches. We have a 100gal set up with many rocks and about 7 other 4inch Af. Cichlids and 1 six inch pleco who doesn't do much. Anyway, yesterday we noticed 1 tiny baby fry peeking out from under a rock and a finally realized a mama fish was being protective of the area. The new fish hasn't seemed to settle in. We have 5 males and 1 or 2 females. H know today is very lethargic, floating sideways at top on sitting on bottom. His metallic blue is now simply dark blue. His flee reflex is very slow. He seems to be looking for somewhere to hang out on the bottom too, but the protective mama keeps nudging him away. So after research I'm thinking he has flagellae parasites, or something else. It doesn't seem to be swim bladder because no one else has it, and his abdomen is not distended and he is more lethargic than anything. My question is, do we treat with methylene blue or any other antibiotic , will the new baby fish survive the treatment?
< Try Metronidazole and treat as per the directions on the package, the baby fish will be fine.-Chuck>>
Secondly, were afraid to clean the bottom gravel, due to the new fish fry. Also we just cleaned it a week 1/2 ago, with a 40% water change. The nitrates are a tad high :10-20ppm.. the nitrite is: 0, the high range pH test value is : 8.0- 8.1 Arrgghhh, we really like this fish, but he is our second of his same kind that were having problems with, ( the last one abandoned ship oddly) Can u help? thanks so much. at and jack

Growth Rate For A Nimbochromis fuscotaeniatus   1/28/07
Hey Chuck, I wanted to ask you a question.  I just purchased a Nimbochromis fuscotaeniatus and was wondering how fast this fish grows.
I couldn't find anything on the growth rate anywhere on the internet including this site.  I have a 75gal tank and I want to make him grow as quick as I can.  So, is this a slow growing cichlid like some of the mbuna and other haps, or is does it grow faster?  Thanks again
Jason
< Mbuna are usually found over rocks eating algae. Algae has very little protein in it so they grow rather slowly. Your fish is a fish eater. With a high protein diet, clean water and a water temp of around 80 F, you could have him full size(8-12") in about a year. Females are usually smaller than males. Ammonia , nitrites and nitrates restrict fish growth. The lower the waste levels in the water faster your fish will grow. Sounds like lots of water changes.-Chuck>

Malawi Cichlid beh., sys. Questions   1/23/07
Thanks again Chuck.  Do you think it would help prevent color loss in male African cichlids if I increased the amount of fish and/or
overstocked my tank?
<Almost all the cichlids on Lake Malawi are mouthbrooders. This usually means that the males will be brightly colored and need to establish a territory to breed. Dominant males look their best guarding their territories. As some fish grow and get stronger, others will get older and weaker and lose their territories. If you jam the tank with fish the males will always have some color, but they will never look as good as when they are breeding.>  I chose not to go the male/female route and as you told me before it all depends on water quality, dominance, food type/variety etc.  I notice that the pics and videos I look at over the internet of Malawi tanks (super-male) that are more heavily stocked, don't have loss of coloring.  Will their colors come back/improve if there are more fish in the tank to take the focus off of just a few fish?
<The pictures on the internet are usually of dominant or breeding  males defending a territory. Their may be other fish in the tank but he is the most dominant one in the tank.>
One more thing, what do the colors consist of with this CaribSea "Rift Lake Authentic" substrate?
< Kind of a medium grey-brown color.>
Thanks again for your help Chuck, I really don't know what I would've done without your knowledge/input.  Sometimes books just aren't as good as the feedback from someone with personal experience. Jason   
< If you are really into Malawi Cichlids then you may want to check out the American Cichlid Association at cichlid.org. Their national convention will be in Sacramento Cal in mid July. Check it out and thank you for your kind words.-Chuck>

Cichlids Not Coloring Up   12/31/06
Hey Chuck, you always answer my questions and I greatly appreciate  it!  To be honest man, I'm getting real frustrated with cichlids.  I  refuse to spend money on dull females and having all males really doesn't do any  good.  I made sure I purchased males of all different species so I wouldn't  have a problem with color loss.  Well, that didn't work AT ALL!  Seems  as though all of my big cichlids (mostly peacocks) keep their color.  The  smaller haps and Mbuna on the other hand, all lost theirs.  I'm not sure if  it's a size thing or what but all my smaller fish lost their color.   What do you recommend I do regarding this color problem?  I can't keep  dishing out money for beautifully colored fish to soon find out that their going  to lose it in my tank.  I think I have asked you this before but never  received a clear enough response for me to understand.  Please tell me the  little hints and/or any tips you possibly can regarding avoidance of colors in  an "all male" African tank?  Thanks again Chuck
Have a safe and Happy New Year!!!
< Thanks for your kind words. Only dominate fish color up. Peacocks typically are not very aggressive towards each other so the color thing is not as big a deal as with the Mbuna or the Haps. Many Mbuna and Haps do not color up until they are full grown. Small BB zebra types usually don't get much color at all until they get close to three inches. Some Haps get up to 6 inches. These usually don't color up until they get close to that size. Keep the basics in mind. Hard alkaline clean water around 77 F is best. I use a combination of Spectrum Pellets from New Life, and some home made fish food from a pea/shrimp recipe in "Enjoying Cichlids" by Ad Konings. Recently I have been trying out some Can-O-Shrimp from ZooMed and have had really good luck with it. Genetics plays a key role. Many Fish bred in captivity are not selected for color. I buy my fish from breeders, only after I have seen the adults. Where you buy your fish is as important as how they are kept. Not all fish are equal. I can be more specific once I know the species you have.-Chuck>

Af. Cichlid Beh., Sel.   12/28/06
Hello Bob, me again..........Jason.  Hope the holidays were good for  you!
<Thus far...>
I have a question regarding the sex of a blue dolphin African cichlid.  I've read through the forums and all over the internet and the  literature says it's very hard to distinguish between male and female.
<Mmm, Cyrtocara moorii is best sexed... by allowing a mix of individuals to "sort themselves out" in a large setting>
I  have a blue dolphin that is rather aggressive against my other peacocks and  Mbuna, he/she chases constantly.
<Not atypical beh.>
  The anal fins are more rounded (but not  incredibly short) and the color is a nice sky blue.
<Could/can describe either sex when small, perhaps in poor condition...>
He/she is only  under 3.5" therefore there is no apparent hump on the head.  Between the  aggression and the light, yet vivid sky blue color, do you think this is a  male?
<Possibly... but not able to tell decidedly here>
  I am trying to create an "all male" African tank to avoid breeding  and dull coloring.
<Mmm... where's that Chuck Rambo?! This can be an unrealistic goal... that is, your fishes will not show their "best" color, behavior w/o the presence of females... and may still be overly agonistic>
  I think I might run into some trouble if this is the  ONLY female in the tank.
Thanks again
Happy New Year!!!
<Again... I would keep a close eye on all your stock... for signs of too-overt aggression here... and remove the most damaging individual/s as these problems evidence themselves. Bob Fenner>

Coloring up African Cichlids in Captivity   11/26/07
Hi, what can I do to enable the color to come back on my African  cichlids?  
<Mmm... a few direct things... species compatibility, numbers of genders selected, providing suitable water quality, frequent partial water changes, good nutrition>
I purposely only purchased one cichlid in each genus so I  wouldn't run into this problem.
<Mmm, this won't do it>
  But it seems a lot of my cichlids are  losing color in my 80gal tank.  I thought only cichlids in the same genus  lose their color?  Any pointers?
Thanks,
Josie
<Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/afrcichlids.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Re: What can I do to enable the color to come back on my African  cichlids?   11/27/06
Ok, thanks Bob but I am doing everything you recommended.  The only  thing left is that I have smaller cichlids mixed with a few large cichlids,  could that be the problem?
<Mmm, no... not generally>
Also, am I better off with dark colored substrate?
<Yes, by and large>
I see in the forums that crushed coral is recommended for  cichlids and obviously I purchased the Florida (white).  Which is better to  show off the true colors of the fish, dark or light?
<Something in-between... "natural gravel", that will get you both a boost in alkaline reserve, and less-bleaching light effect>
  Some FAQ's say white  some say dark.
Thanks
<A "toss up" twixt chemical/physical improvement in water quality (and its beneficial effects) and less reflectivity, washing out effect on the appearance... Bob Fenner>

Cichlids Slowing Down At Higher temps.   11/24/06
Hey thanks Chuck.  Also, I tried the salt and high temp recommended by  you in the forums.  Do the Africans get less active when the temp is high  and the full dose of rock salt (2 tblspn per five gallons) is put into the  tank?  
They were swimming all over, now they're sorta just staying put, not  much movement. Thanks
< At high temps the water is not able to carry as much oxygen. Oxygen levels may be low so increase the aeration. Check the ammonia levels if the water smells are gets cloudy. The bacteria may be dying that do the biological filtration due to lack of oxygen too.

Dominant Cichlid Colorations  11/21/06
Hi Chuck.  I was reading the forums on your website and read that the Labidochromis Sp. Mbama was a good choice to go with other peacocks and  haps.  I just purchased him today and since I put him in, he is a totally  different color than he was in the store.  He was dark black with light  blue stripes.  Now he is completely light blue with no black at all.   I have him under a 50/50 actinic/daylight bulb.  Are these his true colors  now, or will he get the dark black bars and vivid colors back?  I also  purchased a Haplochromis zebra and I can barely see his black striping.  Is  this a stress issue or is this there permanent colors in the new tank with my  other fish? Best regards
< Many cichlids are sexually dimorphic. This means the females look different then the males. In an aquarium one male will become dominant and pick on any other male that shows any other dominant colors. This is usually the best colored one and the one that is purchased at the store. If you go back to the store and look in the same tank you will now see another male has colored up and taken the place of the fish you just bought. Your fish is now in a new situation and has not yet established his place in the pecking order so takes on a submissive coloration. When your fish become dominant or get into a fight their dominant colors will return if they are healthy. This is a real problem for aquarists that buy Featherfins from Lake Tanganyika. Sometimes they only color up when breeding. The rest of the time they are a silvery fish with no color.-Chuck>