Prob in malawi

[zenith4]

hi guys, so i added 2 Pseudotropheus Demasoni to my tank with 10 other mixed malawi, like yellow top Liongis and yellow labs. next day, one demasoni was dead, and the other's just chillin at the bottom, upright but not eating. it's been a week now, no change, no marks on it, and it's been like that since they went in. all other fish are fine, lively, even tho they went in together. water params are fine, always have been. so whats goin on with this demasoni? do they need diff water params or was it a bad batch? any help pls? i love the colours of the demasoni but dont wanna add more if they'll get bullied as new comers.

[slyzen]

I think Demasoni can be pretty aggressive with each other, they might've fought with each other before you even got them, or maybe they came from a tank with poor conditions, that could be why they're acting like this now.

[zenith4]

Any ideas on how to get it to eat? I'm using NLS pellets currently, but it just doesn't seem interested - it's a shame really as it's about 5" and a real beauty, would hate to lose it after just a week, any suggestions would be appreciated.

[bolt9x]

Demasoni don't usually get that big, I think you might be overestimating its size. There could be many reasons why it's not eating, to be honest. What about the other fish in the tank, are they pretty large or aggressive? Ideally, I would've kept the Demasoni in a quarantine tank for a couple of weeks to see if anything showed up, like internal parasites or something. Does the belly look a bit sunken, by the way?

[zenith4]

To be honest, nothing's standing out, apart from his breathing's a bit quicker than the others. He's hiding in the rocks most of the time, but the other fish just seem to ignore him - no fin flaring, no chasing, it's like he's invisible. His fins are all good, no nips or rips, colouration's fine, but he's just not swimming unless he has to, mainly when one of the synodontis push him out. Every morning I'm expecting to see him belly up, but he's still going. I'm stumped, but I'm wondering if getting a few more Demasoni in might draw him out, maybe give him some company or something.

[bolt9x]

It's a weird one, mate. Maybe introducing a couple more would do the trick, but I'd expect him to be more active if the others aren't bothering him.

[slyzen]

Adding more fish to a tank with an unknown issue is a recipe for disaster, if you ask me. Sounds like stress is the culprit here. Don't even think about adding more Demasoni until this one's settled in. Just do daily water changes, add conditioner, and monitor him closely.

[bolt9x]

I'm just trying to help, I don't see why you're getting defensive. The fish has been in the tank for over a week now, and it's not showing any signs of illness or disease. Maybe it's just stressed, and adding a couple more of the same breed could help draw it out. It's not like I'm suggesting adding a whole school of new fish. Just two more Demasoni might give it the confidence boost it needs. If it doesn't work, then at least you've got two more nice fish to add to your collection. And if you can source them from a different breeder or LFS, that would be best.

[slyzen]

You keep Demasoni, bolt9x? No issue with you personally, but I gotta say, I'm not impressed with your advice on these fish. I've got 16 Malawi tanks, been keeping most types for 7 years or so, and I can tell you, Demasoni are super aggressive. They're best kept solo or in massive groups to dilute the aggression. Adding just two is not the way to go with this type.

[bolt9x]

I may not have personal experience with demasoni, but I've done my research. I've come across plenty of posts from people who've kept small groups in community tanks with no major issues. It's all about trial and error, and what works for one person might not work for another. The fact remains, the demasoni in question isn't thriving on its own in a community, despite showing no signs of illness. It's worth exploring other options. What would you suggest, given your experience with these fish?