Red Devils natural diet? And fat lips? Chuck's Take - 02/11/2007
I have a 7” Red Devil cichlid, his name is Marmalade. He currently is the only fish in his 55 gallon aquarium.
<And likely to be the only fish tolerated...>
The tank is filtered by two
<Good>
AquaClear 500s, with weekly 25 to 50 percent water changes.
<Also>
Water parameters: pH-8.2, ammonia-0, nitrite-0, nitrate-always under 10ppm, and temperature 79 degrees Fahrenheit. Marmalade’s tank will be upgrading to a 150 gallon in May. He deserves more tank space to destroy.
<Heeeee!>
  I am wondering if anyone can tell me what would make up the majority of their natural diet.
<Mmm, you can take a look on fishbase.org: http://fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=4786
here for the most commonly named Red Devil Cichlid (there are a few other species so-named). See the notes under "Biology"...>
I can find gut analyses for many Amphilophus cichlids citrinellus, xiloaensis, Amarillo, … but not labiatus.
<http://fishbase.org/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=28238&genusname=Amphilophus&speciesname=labiatus>
I want to raise live foods for treats. I currently raise cherry red shrimp (Neocaridina denticulata sinensis), snails, and swordtails (Xiphophorus Sp). In the summer I also raise red worm.
<All accepted greedily>
I also need to know if anyone has suggestions on fattening up Marmalade's lips. The only info I can find about their fat lips says it is callus buildup from their feeding practices in the wild. I want to replicate Marmalade’s natural environment as well as possible. My plan is decorating the 150 with 100+ pounds of honeycomb limestone. My hope is that he will excavate the rock for his live treats and fatten up his lips. Any other suggestions?
<Mmm, really just time going by... May "fatten up" or no...>
I guess I need to mention that I don’t know Marmalade is 100% red devil. I purchased him from a pet store, not an importer. I think he shows mostly labiatus characteristics. His nuchal hump is relatively small. When viewed from overhead his jaws come to a point, not rounded like Amphilophus citrinellus.
<Am going to place this note in our resident Cichlid expert's in box as well... Chuck Rambo will likely have much more input here. Bob Fenner>
<(Chuck's Take). In the wild these guys feed on all kinds of invertebrates like snails, crustaceans, insects as well as small fishes. These prey items are found in between the cracks of the rocks in their natural environment. The large lips on these cichlids are used like a gasket over the openings so they can suck out the prey out between the cracks. When these fish are brought into the aquarium they stop doing this technique and the lips soon go back to a normal size.  There are many Lake Malawi cichlids that have the same large lips in the wild. So far there has been no documentation of any captive cichlids developing these massive lip structures.-Chuck>

Re: Oscar brawl, Neotrop. Cichlid growth/beh.   12/28/06
Chuck (or whoever else might receive this):
<Chuck's unfortunately "out" presently>
Thank you for your response. I have cooled the temperature down to 74 degrees and, while there is still more belligerence and intimidation going on than is normal, I would not describe it as a brawl anymore.
<Heeeeee! Just a minor street scuffle?>
You do bring up a couple of interesting questions. First, as you believe overfeeding by an inexperienced aquarist may have contributed to the brawl, what would you consider a proper amount of food for these two four-year old Oscars? Each morning and each evening, they are fed four Tetra Cichlid Jumbo Sticks - an average of two each. Is this too much food?
<Mmm, no, not IMO... but I would supplement this fine staple food with some live/fresh material... Earthworms, insect larvae ("meal worms" and such)... are some faves>
Plus, how long does one remain an inexperienced aquarist?
<Heeeeee! Good question... I am guessing that this entails a subjective evaluation mostly... And is likely till one feels experienced... "enough">
I have been at this for five years now and some day I hope to be considered experienced, even if not expert.
<Good>
Now, onto the green terror question:
<Sounds like a TSA rating... When are the powers that be going to start examining at air-freight? Scam! Doh!>
At about the same time that I got the Oscars, I got a green terror.  
When they were babies, I had them all in the 90 gallon tank, but as he rapidly grew, the green terror lived up to his name and rained hell down upon the Oscars, whipping the whole tank. I soon bought him a 55 gallon tank of his own and moved him into it. I put a Pleco in there that I figured was big enough and armored enough to hold his own, but the terror never bothered the Pleco. I had a couple of adult clown loaches and decided to see how they would do with the terror and they did just fine. The terror did not bother them.
<Lucky>
He grew into a beautiful fish, with an abundance of personality.  
Everybody loved him. Then, one day, I found him in a state of mysterious shock and he died within 24 hours. I suspected that he had swallowed a stone but I could not bear the thought of cutting him open to find out, so that is just a theory.
<A plausible one>
I then got another green terror, a baby, along with a Firemouth and I put them both in the 55 gallon tank with the Pleco and the two clown loaches. I have another 55 gallon tank that includes two Firemouths among its population and I figured that, if this terror proved as ferocious towards other cichlids as did the original, I would move the Firemouth into that tank once it became necessary to him.
But an odd thing happened. The terror grew very slowly. I think it has been about two years now and this terror is only about 3.5 inches long. The Firemouth, however, grew into a true beauty, much more beautiful than his cohorts in the other 55 gallon tank. He can, and does, whomp the smaller terror at will. Although no real damage has been done, this is very humiliating for the terror, as it has a "tough guy" aura and just does not like to submit to the rule of a Firemouth.
<This may be a real factor in the limitation of the Terror's growth... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/GrwLmtChems.htm
and the linked files above>
Why is the green terror staying so small? I feed the tank two jumbo sticks in the morning, two in the evening, plus a small pinch of flakes both times.
Thanks again,
Bill
<As stated, likely behavioral components at play here... as well as metabolites... Bob Fenner>

Convict Cichlid With Phantom Rival  9/18/06
Hey dudes.
<Cowabunga! Surf's Up!>
I have a male swordtail (3.8 cm) two male firemouths (both about 4 cm) a female (2.75 cm) and male (5.5 cm) convict in a 20 gallon long tank furnished with river rocks, about 2.5 cm gravel, and plastic plants. Obviously, with so many cichlids in such a small tank there is some competition for territory. The male convict seems to have claimed the whole tank as his territory, which he defends with two tactics I have never heard of for a convict cichlid: nosing up to a side of the tank and kicking as hard as he can with his tail fin, and flaring his gills like a Firemouth, throat inflation and all! There is also, of course the usual chasing of intruder fish. I was wondering if the other two techniques, especially the gill flaring, had anything to do with why the convicts haven't bred and why the male has recently developed some pale coloration near the anal fin, but not near the pectoral like what would happen if it was a female. Also, what can I do to get the convicts to breed and how big of a tank will I need for all four full-grown cichlids? -Jack
< Your male convict is fighting his reflection in the glass. He thinks he is lip locking with another male convict as a test of strength. As long as he thinks their is a competing male in the tank that is as determined as he is they will probably not spawn. Cover that side of the tank with some paper and see if he stops. Males can get some color in the unpaired fins. females still tend to color up in the belly region. When all your fish are grown and breeding they will probably need a 40 gallon.-Chuck>

A disease?  Mean cichlids...   8/16/06
I've been reading lots on your website, and it is just awesome! I've yet to find the info that I am looking for, as it is pretty specific...
I have a 180 gallon tank, that I have had for 2 years.
I have moved once since then, but it has been set up now for a year without anything changing drastically.
In my tank I have a 6 year old Red Devil Cichlid (approximately 13 inches long),
<Yikes! A big boy!>
a 6 year old Pleco (about 15 inches long), a 2 year old Jaguar Cichlid (although, I don't know that I believe it really is, but that is what I was told)
<Perhaps: http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=4684
what used to be called a "Managuense">
(he is about 9 inches), and I have an Oscar that I've only had for about 3-4 months (about 6 inches long).
I wouldn't normally put these fish together this way, but I have inherited all but the two 6 year olds from friends who were getting rid of them. They all seemed to get along ok until the last month. Now the Oscar is getting picked on by the jag.
<Oh yes...>
At first I thought he would be killed, but they seemed to have calmed down a bit now.
So, my first issue is that the Oscar still seems to have a lot of wounds that are not healing well. But they never seem to show any signs that they are
infected by anything. He still eats well, he doesn't seem to have the common sense to hide, he is always near the top of the tank! Is there something I can do for his wounds to make them heal better?
<Yes... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/neotropcichdisfaqs.htm
and here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/oscardisfaqs.htm
and the linked files above.>
My second issue is with my Red Devil. He keeps getting these things that resemble boils over his eye.
<Water quality issue very likely... probably measurable as too-high nitrates>
They aren't very big, and it is always only one eye or the other and they go away in a week or two. But they have some sort of white puss leaking from them sometimes.
He doesn't seem otherwise affected. He eats normally he doesn't seem to hide out or act sick in any way.
Then they just go away. I have done a lot of water quality tests, and they come out in the normal ranges.
<Non-informational... need numbers>
But these are just strip tests and I am thinking I need to invest in some real, more accurate testing equipment.
<A good idea>
For filtration I have 2 Fluval 404 canisters and 2 Fluval 2 pluses with only biological filtration. I fluctuate gravel sweeping, water changes and filter cleaning regularly.
<Good>
I generally do one of these every weekend, or sometimes I will wait 2 weeks.
<I would do the gravel vacuuming, water changes weekly. Check for alkalinity/reserve... pH>
Any advice? Thanks so much for all of your help!!!
Kendra
<I do hope all these neotropicals learn to get along... do keep your eyes open for too-much over aggression toward the Oscar, be ready to move it. Bob Fenner>

Red Terror Cichlid repro., beh.   8/11/06
Hi,
      I have a festae Cichlid, around 6-8 inches long, in a 120 gallon long tank. My question is; is there any way to tell if it is a male or female?
<Mmm, maybe... like classic neotropical cichlids of all sorts, the unpaired fins on the males are a bit longer, more pointed/attenuated at the tips... Hard to tell w/o a female/comparison though>
It is living (relatively peacefully with 2 juvenile cichlids, a Green Terror, and a Salvini, and 2 baby cichlids, a Firemouth, and a Convict, and has not really been overall aggressive (any more an any other average American cichlid) to any of the other fish. The fish is colorful, but not overly so, and constantly "digs" pots, as though getting ready to spawn, but has no mate, nor any other unrelated cichlid in the tank of breeding age/size. In light of the relatively peaceful temperament, and the digging, do you think I have a male or a female, also, can this arrangement work long-term? What about if I add an Oscar? Thanks in advance,
<Good question... Not able to say though... could be either from the behavior, looks described. It isn't impossible to "mate" with other cichlids... Bob Fenner>

Laetacara curviceps - split tail fin   7/25/06
Hello Crew
<Tim>
I recently bought a pair of Laetacara curviceps (actually suggested by Chuck),
<Wish he'd get back from the ACA, American Cichlid Association get-together>
currently in a tank with a pair of Blue Rams and a pair of Apistogramma cacatuoides, and other fish.
They both have split tails - the tail is almost split in half, all the way to the flesh. They both are very shy, although the male is eating better than the female. The female seems to only eat when food conveniently drops in front of it, though the male would actually slowly swim after morsels of brine shrimp or flakes.
Do you think they are simply naturally shy or stressed/sick at the moment?
<They're a bit of both>
Ammonia is currently zero, nitrite zero and nitrate 20 - will do a water change shortly.
<Good>
The tail problem does not seem to be fin/tail rot. Would you be able to advise what possibly could be the cause of this?
<Likely some bit of tussle>
Would Melafix help?
<Not worthwhile IMO>
What would you suggest to help the tails heal given that it does not seem like fin/tail rot?
<A bit of salt, patience, good maintenance and close observation. You may need to separate these new world cichlid species...>
What are the chances of complete recovery?
<Very good. The family has tremendous powers of regeneration>
Thanks again!
Tim
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

Texas Cichlid Shedding His Skin 07/04/06
Hi. I am totally new to the whole experience of owning a fish and I started out with a Texas cichlid. Now he is around the size of a hand span from wrist to the second joint. I have him on a strict diet with a filter system and air bubbles and the whole show. He was doing fine and recently (today) he began to shed skin. Well that's what it looks like he is doing. He is not completely covered but almost halfway covered in  a white skin looking layer and is steadily loosing the layer.  The only problem is I can't tell if he is loosing it or gaining more decaying skin. He still eats good and swims around when am not looking right in front of the tank. He is even socialable with my other 3 convict cichlids. I guess am asking if you could tell me if he is really shedding scales do to stress or some other issue or if he will be ok   Thank you very much Amanda
< Cichlids do not shed their skin like reptiles. Do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Treat the bacterial infection with Nitrofuranace after the treatment the good bacteria will probably be affected and you will need to add Bio Spira to get the biological filtration going again.-Chuck>