my cichlids seem dull, what can i do?
my cichlids seem dull, what can i do?
My fish are always hiding behind the rocks and I barely catch a glimpse of them, it's pretty dull. Is there something causing this, can I do something to make them more active?
Re: my cichlids seem dull, what can i do?
What type of cichlid do you have in there? Any aggression issues with the tankmates? Got a pic of your setup? Try adding a powerhead to the tank, see if that gets them out of hiding.
Re: my cichlids seem dull, what can i do?
To be honest I've had these for a couple of months, can't remember the exact type but I'll try to get some pics. I've got about 3 yellow labs and a few others. There's one that's slightly bigger, it tries to chase them sometimes but that's about it.
What's a power head btw? I've added some pics of the tank now and some of the fish before they were moved in.
Tank pics:
[insert pic]
[insert pic]
Fish pics:
[insert pic]
[insert pic]
Video of the tank:
[insert video link]
Re: my cichlids seem dull, what can i do?
I almost lost it when I saw Lego land, I was ready to go off. But then I got it. Seriously though, that was a terrible setup. African Cichlids are no joke, they're like the Chimps of the fish world, don't mess with them.
They're doing what comes naturally, hiding in the rocks, thank goodness you got them out of that awful substrate. It was making me sick just looking at it. Sorry, but these fish deserve better.
They're from the Rift Lakes, one of the most advanced fish you'll ever keep. They're a challenge, but it's worth it. Don't let that scare you off, it's not that hard to give them what they need if you actually care.
Just give them time, trust me, they'll come around. As long as you're providing good water and a decent environment, they'll thrive. They live in and around rocks in the wild, it's what they do.
Keeping them properly is an art, but you're on the right track. Your tank looks great now (top picture), seriously, it does. Just be patient.
You might need some guidance though, your stocking looks a bit aggressive. What else do you have in there? What are the tank dimensions and stocking as you know it? If I can ask? A few tweaks might be in order to get the active, healthy stock you want.
They're doing what comes naturally, hiding in the rocks, thank goodness you got them out of that awful substrate. It was making me sick just looking at it. Sorry, but these fish deserve better.
They're from the Rift Lakes, one of the most advanced fish you'll ever keep. They're a challenge, but it's worth it. Don't let that scare you off, it's not that hard to give them what they need if you actually care.
Just give them time, trust me, they'll come around. As long as you're providing good water and a decent environment, they'll thrive. They live in and around rocks in the wild, it's what they do.
Keeping them properly is an art, but you're on the right track. Your tank looks great now (top picture), seriously, it does. Just be patient.
You might need some guidance though, your stocking looks a bit aggressive. What else do you have in there? What are the tank dimensions and stocking as you know it? If I can ask? A few tweaks might be in order to get the active, healthy stock you want.
Re: my cichlids seem dull, what can i do?
I'm loving the top pic of your tank, it's really impressive. Your bubble setup is also on point, I've been trying to achieve something similar. I'm curious, how do you get the bubbles to spread all the way along the tank? Do you use a long airstone or have you set up an air line with holes along it?
Re: my cichlids seem dull, what can i do?
I think Moby said it best, your setup's come a long way. I've got no issue with plastic ornaments personally, but I can see why they wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea. Those sharp edges, though, would've been a problem waiting to happen.
You've actually got a powerhead in your tank already - it's that large device on the top right in your picture. Some people also call them wavemakers.
A couple of suggestions that might help: these fish are naturally territorial, and they use rocks to define their territory. It might sound counterintuitive, but adding more rocks with caves and hiding places could actually make them more visible. They'll have a sense of security with all those nooks and crannies.
The activity you see in some tanks is often due to a slightly overstocked system, but in a good way. There are two ways to keep these fish: in small groups where everyone gets along, or in larger groups where aggression is dispersed.
I'm not much help with identifying your fish, I'm afraid - that's still on my to-do list.
You've actually got a powerhead in your tank already - it's that large device on the top right in your picture. Some people also call them wavemakers.
A couple of suggestions that might help: these fish are naturally territorial, and they use rocks to define their territory. It might sound counterintuitive, but adding more rocks with caves and hiding places could actually make them more visible. They'll have a sense of security with all those nooks and crannies.
The activity you see in some tanks is often due to a slightly overstocked system, but in a good way. There are two ways to keep these fish: in small groups where everyone gets along, or in larger groups where aggression is dispersed.
I'm not much help with identifying your fish, I'm afraid - that's still on my to-do list.
Re: my cichlids seem dull, what can i do?
Both those horizontal striped ones, they're Melanochromis. Aggressive, top end. I'm speaking from experience, having dealt with a couple of them personally. I start with Dr. Best's Cichlid link for my research, then cross-check with real-world pics to verify IDs or potential crossbreeds. Medic23, good to see you here, always brings valuable insight.
Re: my cichlids seem dull, what can i do?
Ahh, so I had them in that small tank with the blue gravel and green stuff for a few days, just while I was setting up the new one. I didn't want them to have nothing, so I found some bits to make a few holes and they enjoyed it.waveborn wrote: ↑Thu May 29, 2025 11:38 pm I almost lost it when I saw Lego land, I was ready to go off. But then I got it. Seriously though, that was a terrible setup. African Cichlids are no joke, they're like the Chimps of the fish world, don't mess with them.
They're doing what comes naturally, hiding in the rocks, thank goodness you got them out of that awful substrate. It was making me sick just looking at it. Sorry, but these fish deserve better.
They're from the Rift Lakes, one of the most advanced fish you'll ever keep. They're a challenge, but it's worth it. Don't let that scare you off, it's not that hard to give them what they need if you actually care.
Just give them time, trust me, they'll come around. As long as you're providing good water and a decent environment, they'll thrive. They live in and around rocks in the wild, it's what they do.
Keeping them properly is an art, but you're on the right track. Your tank looks great now (top picture), seriously, it does. Just be patient.
You might need some guidance though, your stocking looks a bit aggressive. What else do you have in there? What are the tank dimensions and stocking as you know it? If I can ask? A few tweaks might be in order to get the active, healthy stock you want.
I'm just not good with stocking, I have to remember the names and all that. I've got 1 of those blue ones, 3 of those stripey ones, and then 4 yellow labs. There are also about 4 other blue ones, but I couldn't get a photo of them as they all hide.
So, are you saying I need to stock more fish in there so they don't pick on one fish? I'm not sure, but I think I might need to. It's a 4ft tank, roughly 130Ls. I'm not really sure what the fish are, apart from the yellow labs and the 4 blue ones. The other 4, 3 stripey and 1 blue, were from Pets at home and they just said Malawi cichlids.
Last night, I had a look in the tank and they seem to come out at times, all of them, and just swim in the middle. I can see them now, all swimming around looking a lot happier, but as soon as I go near or a light comes on, they're gone.
Thanks for the advice, I think I need to get more rock with caves and hiding places. And maybe more fish, I don't know. I didn't know I had a powerhead, I just called it a wavemaker. Ha.
Re: my cichlids seem dull, what can i do?
I'm guessing you're using the old filter or at least the media from it. No offense if this is a no-brainer, but lethargy can be a sign of issues in the tank. Maybe they're going through a mini cycle - I went through this when I upgraded. Big water changes seemed to perk everyone up.
Re: my cichlids seem dull, what can i do?
Yflux8 its the same filter, nothing's changed, this tank was running for months with tropicals, so good water. Swapped them around, now these are in.duskyfish wrote: ↑Fri May 30, 2025 5:21 am I'm guessing you're using the old filter or at least the media from it. No offense if this is a no-brainer, but lethargy can be a sign of issues in the tank. Maybe they're going through a mini cycle - I went through this when I upgraded. Big water changes seemed to perk everyone up.
The filter's weird, when I do water changes every 2 weeks, it's full of the same stuff, annoying. This lowers the power, I can see the water's not being pushed out as quick. Any ideas?