Cichlid cut/wound???  2-05-08
Please help me. I have a Firemouth cichlid who has what looks like cuts, or wounds near his dorsal fins. It is right below his dorsal fins and not exactly on his dorsal fins. The "cuts" are a pink/whitish color. He still is very active and eats fine and has no discolorations. What is this "cut". I am not sure if it is fin/tail rot. His fins and tail do not seem ripped and seems perfectly fine. Is it normal for him to have "cuts" below his dorsal fins? Thanks for your help.
<Yes, this sounds exactly like Finrot. Treat at once with a medication such as a Maracyn or eSHa 2000. Finrot doesn't cause fish to lose their appetite until it infects the body cavity, at which point the fish will likely die regardless of treatment. So treat now! Do also try an establish the cause: Finrot almost never comes out of nowhere, but is usually associated with poor water quality and/or physical damage. Firemouths are gentle (by cichlid standards, anyway) and easily damaged by more aggressive species like Convicts and Red Devils, so mixing these species isn't a good idea and often ends with the poor Firemouth getting hammered. As for water quality, at the very least do a nitrite test just to see what the situation is on that front, even if everything looks fine. Cheers, Neale.>

Convicts... repro.... no, Firemouth beh.     01/13/2008
Hello, I wanted to thank you guys for all your help. My convicts just laid tons of babies and I am so happy. Thanks for all your advice and help. However, I have a question for you, in general, about how long will it take for my blood parrot and Firemouth cichlid to reach full size?
<Depends on many environmental factors as well as genetics, but most non-dwarf cichlids will reach sexual maturity within the first year, often within six months, but full size may take as long as two years to reach.>
Also, my blood parrot has black spots but really little, not covering his whole body. I read that it was the black spot disease. I am not sure.
<Black Spot Disease is typically caused by parasites that can't complete their life cycle in aquaria. So provided you don't have so bad an infestation that secondary infections are an issue, it usually clears up by itself once the parasites mature.>
I did a 50 percent water change and it was still there is this normal?
<Not normal, no.>
Last, my Firemouth cichlid is very shy, no one is bullying him and he is always hiding.
<Firemouth cichlids are easily bullied and relatively mild. Convict cichlids, particularly breeding pairs, can easily scare them. They also appreciate large tanks with lots of shade (floating plants especially). So environmental issues likely a factor here.>
He eats shrimp pellets but that's all. He doesn't eat any flakes or brine shrimps I feed him. Is this normal?
<Firemouth cichlids (in fact the whole Thorichthys genus) are "earth-eaters" and sift sand and mud to remover primarily algae, as well as (to a lesser extent) small invertebrates such as worms and insect larvae. So make sure your tank has a sandy substrate, and you are offering these sorts of food items and your Firemouth will do the rest. Too often these fish are kept in tanks with gravel, which frustrates them and inhibits their normal feeding mode, never a good idea.>
He seems completely normal and healthy except for his shyness. What could be wrong with him? Once again, thanks for helping me with such great advice and thanks for all your help.
<Hope this helps, Neale.>

Firemouth Cichlid Not Eating  1/7/08
Please help. My Firemouth cichlid is not eating. He is always hiding and seems shy and scared. I have a blood parrot that doesn't fight with him and I have Danios and platies. The water parameters are all fine nitrite 0 nitrate 0 ammonia 0 and I recently did a water change. He isn't eating. He looks healthy though. However, I just got him yesterday. Could this be why he isn't eating? Is he adjusting to his environment? I usually feed my fishes brine shrimps, pellets, and flakes. Please help. I don't want my Firemouth cichlid to starve and die.
< Fish can easily go a few days without eating, even a week. Once he gets the tank pecking order figured out he should be out and about in no time.-Chuck>

Dead Firemouth  7/29/07
Hi Crew,
<Hi Spyros, Paul here.>
I am writing to ask your professional opinion on the possible causes of death of my Firemouth Cichlid. The tank specifications are the following:
Volume: 100L
pH=7.6
[NH_3]=0
[NO_2]=0
[NO_3]=0
T=33 deg Celsius
Filtration: Rena Filstar (able to handle up to 200-250L tanks)
Aeration: Air pump 250l/h
Aeration and filtration set to maximum
The tank was stocked with a 6cm Firemouth and a 5cm Leopard Pleco (G. joselimaianus). Their nutrition is based on cichlid and Pleco pellets, supplemented occasionally with frozen bloodworms. I am also using a multipurpose vitamin concentrate. Full water changes, filter and gravel cleaning are performed on a monthly basis and smaller water changes every two weeks.
<Well, although you don't mention the Filstar model you employ, it is a safe bet that you have enough filtration if you are providing roughly twice that of the manufacturers suggested aquarium size for each particular model. This rule of thumb works for the smaller end of the spectrum of volume and breaks down once the volume begins o reach medium sized ponds and very large tanks. Don't ask me why this is, it's just an observation. However, 0ppm nitrAtes indicates that there is a discrepancy somewhere. Perhaps the test wasn't carried out correctly? Only the most heavily planted tanks with the smallest fish can maintain a nitrAte reading of 0ppm. Another way would be that you just did a total water change. Either that, or you perform massive water changes very regularly. Please reply with clarification. Also, try to elaborate on behaviors such as swimming patterns, appetite, feces and other stuff from recent history. -Paul>

Firemouth death (follow-up letter) – 07/30/07
<greeting Spyros>
I am writing to ask for your professional opinion on the potential causes of death of my Firemouth. My system's specifications are the following:
Volume: 100L
Filtration: Mechanical & Biological (EhfiSubstrat) (filtering capacity up to 200-250L)
Aeration: Mechanical Pump 250L/h
Lighting: 1 natural daylight, 1 Gro lux (red) 40W each
Lighting Period: 7h
pH=7.6
[NH_3]=0
[NO_2]=0
[NO_3]=0*
Water Temperature= 33 deg Celsius
<If my conversion is correct that is equivalent to 91.4F which is way too high. I keep my Firemouths at 76F/24C>
*The tests were performed right after the death of my Firemouth. It seems odd that the concentration of nitric ions was minimal, although the last 50% water change I performed was 1 month ago.
50% water changes are performed once a month and smaller water changes (about 25%) every second week. I am feeding Cichlid pellets (Tetra Prima) and Pleco tablets, supplemented with frozen bloodworms. I am also using a multipurpose vitamin concentrate (sera fish vitamin). The tank was stocked with a 6cm Firemouth and a 5cm Leopard Pleco (Glyptopericthys Joselimaianus).
<This is an acceptable water change schedule, feedings, and bio-load>
I have to note that as I am living in a very hot climate (Greece) with temperatures rising to 40-45 degrees Celsius, I have always had trouble keeping my fish healthy during summer periods. I have noticed that every summer my Firemouths were changing their aggressive behaviour to a more passive one. They remained hidden almost all day long and decreased their food consumption but otherwise showed no health problems.
This summer was no exception up until recently. My Firemouth displayed the behaviour I described above, but until its final day did not display any signs of deteriorating health. And this is how it died. A couple of hours after feeding the fish, I came to check things up and found out that it was stuck between two large pieces of lava rock. I tried to set it free and it seemed to me as though it had broken its right pectoral fin. It didn't seem to have any other external injuries. However, it displayed a very peculiar swimming pattern. It seemed as though it was unable to swim in an upright position, turning upside down and from side to side. It managed to get behind a large driftwood root and then it started to thrust its head towards the wood and the gravel as if trying to commit suicide. Then it opened its mouth widely and for a moment it seemed unable to close it, as if it had dislocated its jaws. However it managed to close its mouth and find its balance to swim to the surface. There it turned upside down again and started to swim around the tank. Finally it settled down on the gravel, turning to its right side and breathing slowly to its death.
<I can only guess as to the actual cause of death, but I assume a bacterial infection and damaged swim bladder. The high temps proliferate harmful bacteria and reduce the water's ability to hold adequate oxygen levels. Aerating the water is an excellent idea. I would suggest a fan be blown across the surface of the tank to combat higher temps. This is known as evaporative cooling.>
I have never seen anything like this before and that's the reason I would like to consult your opinion. I should note that I am the only person with access to the tank and so any causes of external threats (chemical poisoning, etc) are not to be considered. I think that either the fish was sick and I was not able to diagnose the symptoms or it didn't pull it off with the heat. The Pleco on the other hand seems very healthy and I have read that this kind of fish tend to be prone to parasites, which flourish in such high temperatures. So I think that the "heat shock" scenario is the least likely.
<If your Pleco was hosting prolific numbers of parasites he too would be sick. I again believe the high heat in conjunction with low dissolved oxygen levels and ideal conditions for harmful bacteria such as Septicemia would more likely be the cause>
Moreover, I am considering a radical redecoration of the tank and I would like to ask how it is possible to keep the Nitrosomonas population (in the filter) alive while minimizing any potential bacteria or virus transfer into the new tank. If the fish did die of parasites, would these infect the Nitrosomonas colonies also? And if this is the case wouldn't the Pleco have shown disease symptoms by now?
<Again, parasites would be visible with signs of actually seeing them on the sides of the fish or in the gill plates or there would be reddening of the gills/hemorrhages, etc. I do not believe that parasites are the problem unless they were internal in which case you would see long white feces and the fish would not want to eat.
You would have no problem keeping the bacterial colonies alive by just cooling the water to below 86F/30C and letting the filter to continue to run. I believe cooling the tank is paramount to long term survival of future stockings. The use of a 5-7watt Ultraviolet Sterilizer would also help>
Thank you in advance for your help
Spyros
<hope I have helped you, Rich aka Mr. Firemouth>

Firemouths in Peaceful, Community Tank/Overstocking  5/8/07
Hi there,
<Hello Anna, Pufferpunk/Jeni here.>
First of all, congrats on the brilliant advice you guys give. Keep up the good work!
<We'll try.  Thanks for the great compliment!>
Now then, I have a 120L Juwel Rekord aquarium
<For USA folks, that's around 30 gallons.>
Here's some info on filter type and a pic;
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/products/product_Juwel_Rekord%20_120.html
It is 3 months old and fully cycled, nitrates at 18ppm, pH 7.5 and temp 78 degrees.
The current residents are;
2 platy (F)
3 Glowlight tetra (2M 1F)
5 WC Mountain Minnow (1F 4M)
2 Honey Gourami (M&F)
4 Neon Tetra (not sure)
2 Wild Green Neon Tetra (not sure!) ps - these guys are only around 2cm fully grown)
3 phantom Tetra (2M 1F) - was mistakenly given 2 males when asked for 2 females
2 Peppered Cory (not sure)
1 Betta (M)
I Know this totally breaks the into to gallon rule but they all seem happy enough and have their own territories.
<That "rule" is only for small-massed 1-2" fish (mostly tetras).  Anything larger, like gouramis, aren't included.  That rule isn't necessary just so fish can have their own territories but mostly for controlling bioload (nitrates).  Large weekly water changes will be necessary to keep this tank healthy.>
The tetras and minnows all get along great and the gouramis, platys and Corys keep to themselves.  The Betta is extremely placid and a friendly-natured little fish.
<Bettas generally do not get along with other gourami species.>
My tank is planted with assorted freshwater plants, around 10 of varying sizes, a very fine Dorset pebble substrate, 2 pieces of driftwood that form cave-like structures, a rock cave ornament and an ornamental rock.
<Sounds like a nice tank.>
Anyway... Here's the big problem. I arrived home from work a few days ago to find my idiotic boyfriend had added 2 fish to the tank as a surprise for me.
<I hope you gave him a piece of your mind!  That tank is overstocked as it is.  Never mind, he didn't quarantine the new fish & they could have wiped out the entire population.>
And WHAT a surprise it was! He's only gone and bought 2 Firemouth cichlids!
<Oh no!>
After preventing myself from strangling him, I observed the cichlids and they seem pretty content. Up till now, there has been no aggression.
<For now...  Just wait till they get comfortable with their surroundings.  They are quite aggressive & will eat any fish they can fit in their mouths.>
They are juveniles now but I know that they can grow to 15cm.
<6">
Obviously it's out of the question for me to keep them.
<Correct>
I've read some reports that they can be good community fish and temperaments vary between each individual fish.  Could this be true?
<Cichlids are cichlids.  All aggressive in some way & Firemouths especially.>
I have grown quite fond of them, as they are beautiful and interesting.
<Agreed, I have 2 stunning adults myself, in a 125g tank, along with several other large, aggressive fish.>
I'm guessing I should get rid and pronto.
<Absolutely!>
What can I do with them? In your knowledge, do you know if pet stores will accept fish from a stranger?
<What about the shop he got them from?  I'd go in there & throw a stink about how they can sell these kind of fish to someone, not asking about the tank they're going into.  He should have been told about their temperament & appetite for smaller fish.  On the other hand, he should have asked!>
Also, do you think my tank is over stocked?
<By a few fish but if you do large weekly water changes, they may be OK.  The live plants will help.  No more fish though!>
Any advice will be much appreciated.
Sorry about the length of this essay (lol) and thanks in advance.
<I'd give that boyfriend a good talking to about giving ANY pets as a surprise gift.  ~PP>
Anna

Firemouth behaviour, normal?   1/6/07
Hello,
<Hi there>
I recently bought a pair of Firemouth Cichlids approximately 2 to 2 ½ inches long and placed them in a 36” x 15” x 18” aquarium on their own.  Seven days after I bought them they spawned and the female was quite protective, the male not so.  Now, three days after, the female has left the spawn site and sits in the corner of the tank beside the filter intake.  The male spends most of his time at the other end of the tank.  My question is, is this normal behaviour?
<Mmm, is normal... or not unexpected with a new pair of neotropical Cichlids... they'll get "better" with more practice, spawnings>
I was under the impression that they both, or at least one of them, protects the eggs/fry quite well.  I believe that the eggs/fry have been removed from the rock and maybe put in a pit (which is out of view to me) but this is not where either parent now spends their time. If the spawn is successful, how long do you recommend I keep the fry with their parents (Firemouth only tank)?
<The first batch... may not hatch out... or develop completely... You could leave them indefinitely with the parents... or move them in a few days, when the young, if viable, become free-swimming... I would leave all together this and maybe the next couple of times... Commercial breeders separate...>
  Also, after this spawn has taken place would it be advisable/workable to add more Firemouths?
<Mmm, no... not in this small system/volume. I'd stick with just the pair>
I saw another pair in the shop (the same age) and was wondering if adding more Firemouths would be ok and if so, how many (I read one opinion that in a 200 litre tank you could have eight Firemouths)?
<This is too many IMO... too much stress, fighting to be expected>
  I would really love some assistance please.
Thank you in advance for any help you can offer.
Kindest Regards
Michael.
P.S. – water parameters are – pH: 7.4 - 7.6 ;  GH: 5 ; KH: 3 ; Ammonia: 0 ; Nitrite: 0 ; Temp 27 degrees Celsius (all of which they spawned in)
<Mmm, and do take a read on the WWM FW subweb re this species, Neotropical Cichlid Reproduction, Systems... the index, search tool... Bob Fenner>

Re: Firemouth behaviour, normal?   1/7/07
Hi Bob,
<Michael>
Thank you so much for your prompt reply and assistance, it is greatly appreciated.  If I may just add another point?
<Sure>
My male Firemouth (FM) has started showing aggressive behaviour toward the female.  I haven't as yet noted any damage to her but this behaviour presents most often at feeding time.
<Mmm, good that you're aware of this... and do be observant... many halves of cichlid pairs are lost during this familiarization period (If I may call it thus)... sometimes a good idea to place a physical barrier twixt the two for a week or so...>
I understand this is likely to be expected (they are cichlids after all), however, I was wondering whether I should maybe add some dither/target fish to this set up or persevere with this one pair of FM?
<Is another possibility, yes>
If yes, what is best and how many?
<Mmm, one or more... fast moving, smart, possibly armored... but I am a bigger fan of a partition...>
I have quite a number of Bristlenose cat fish?
<Good for the armored characteristic... though may consume eggs, young if present during spawning periods...>
Once again, thank you very much for your
assistance.
Michael  :)
<Welcome... Do watch for overly-agonistic behavior... the chance of one partner "blaming" the other for lost spawns... Bob Fenner>

Companions For A Firemouth Cichlid  12/23/06
Hi crew, I have a 100L tank running for almost 2 years. It is currently populated with one male Firemouth (4.5cm) and a leopard Pleco (4cm). I used to keep a group of 4 male Firemouths but the 3 of them died. I must note that as long as all 4 of them were alive, they seemed to get along quite well with one another. When the 1st of them died, their stress level increased and the biggest fish started chasing the other 2. Things got even worse when only 2 of them were left.
I have read that cichlids in general tend to be aggressive especially towards their conspecifics (or similar species in size and coloration). I am thus thinking of adding a male blue Acara instead. What size should I search for? Should the Acara be bigger or smaller than the Firemouth? What other species is the Firemouth compatible with?
Do you think that apart from the 2 cichlids I should add smaller community fish (or dither fish perhaps)? I am looking forward to your reply Thanks a lot Spyros
<Firemouths are not the most aggressive cichlid but they can still be tough for other fish to get along with. Lower the water temp to 75 F. Get a blue Acara, Firemouth, convict, jewelfish or rainbow cichlid around the same size. Move all the rocks and ornaments to new locations, add the new fish and then turn out the lights for the night. In the morning they will be sorting out the pecking order and begin to establish their own territories. Add a group of giant danios or rainbows as dither fish to give the tank some movement.-Chuck>

Firemouth Deaths    11/27/06
Hi Bob, I hope you could help me out with some problems I have with my aquarium. First of all I should mention that I own a 100L tank, with biological filtration, normal heating, lighting etc, decorated with 3 pieces of driftwood (about 30cm each) and lava rock. I also keep track of the water parameters on a regular basis and I have never experienced a sudden deterioration of the water quality so far. The tank is running for almost 2 years.
My water parameters are pH=7.4, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 5-10mg/L nitrates, and a temperature of about 25,5 deg Celsius. The tank was populated with 4 male Firemouths (sizes: 7,5,4 and 3 cm) and a leopard Pleco (4 cm in size). They all got along quite well, except for some occasional fights (none of them was severe). However, two months ago (24/9/2006) the smallest Firemouth died of no apparent reason. I checked the water parameters and found nothing alarming. The fish didn't seem to have external injury nor any parasitic infection (at least one that could be visible to the naked eye).
On 21/11, a second Firemouth died. Having removed the dead fish I checked the water parameters and found 0.5mg/L ammonia (probably due to the dead fish), 0 nitrites and 20 mg/L nitrates. I have to mark that I noticed brown wool-like patches growing on the driftwood. I performed a water change, I vacuumed the gravel and removed the patches from the driftwood. Ammonia dropped to 0, and the nitrate concentration dropped to 10 mg/L. However, the brown patches started to grow again on the driftwood. Is it possible that the wood is rotting? (note: the wood is submerged in the aquarium water for 22 months, pH is 7.4) How often should I replace the driftwood?
< The wood is actually rotting and the fuzzy growth is actually a fungus. Good hardwood does not do this. Softer woods are really not good in an aquarium.>
In a week's time (26/11) another one of my Firemouths died. Like the previous case, the dead fish did not show any signs of severe injury (it did have tiny bites on its fins) or skin parasites. However the last two fishes died with their mouths widely open (the lower jaw was strikingly protruded). Is this any particular sign?
As I didn't see any signs of infection I thought that the deaths were due to increased stress level, caused from the larger Firemouth (which after the death of my second largest Firemouth is claiming all the tank as his territory, bullying the other fish).
What's your opinion? Are there any other parameters that I should check? What may have caused the deaths and why are the fish dying one after another? If they had an infection, wouldn't the dominant male also have the signs of a disease?
What should I do next? I am planning to buy 3 new Firemouths and maybe get a pair out of them. How long should I wait for the situation to clear out (in order to see if all this is due to an infection)? Thank you in advance for your trouble answering all those questions
Spyros Argyropoulos Athens, Greece
< As far as Central American cichlids go, Firemouths are real pussycats. They are more sensitive than most of the other cichlids. There are external infections and internal infections. Both are caused by stressed induced by aggression from bigger meaner fish. Treat with Metronidazole for internal infections. Get a group of six fish and let them pair up. The other non paired fish will be pushed away and you will need to give them away or try and take them back to the store. The pair will lay eggs and raise a batch of babies that will need baby brine shrimp when they get free swimming. The pair may breed every couple of weeks. Lots of fun to watch.-Chuck>