Dave448 Messages: 50 Registered: June 2007 Location: Durham, England
Member
I have got a young Cyphotilapia frontosa (about 7cm) It doesn't swim about much. It tends to stay stationary at the bottom of the tank and seems to prefer to hide in the shade away from the light. When the light is switched off it comes out of hiding. Is this normal for this type of fish? It seems to be okay when it is feeding time.
Malawi Mother Messages: 1213 Registered: February 2007 Location: Phoenix AZ
Senior Member
Hi Dave, sounds like common stress. When fish are stressed they tend to stay in the dark unless it's feeding time. After you turn out the lights, the other fish calm down and go to their hiding spots or go to sleep causing hiding fish from the day to come out. Keep an eye on it and make sure it continues to eat and that it's not being bullied. You may want to consider rearranging the rock and caves in the tank. This will give any bullies some time search out new hiding and forget about the ones they are bullying. This does NOT work everytime and sometimes a total rearrange is required. If it continues after that then sometimes "time outs" work. If there is bullying going on and wont stop, then sometimes we have to seperate fish. Just watch for a week and see what happens. Also fish can be stressed out to illness or bad water parameters.
Please come visit me at www.atozthatsme.com
Malawi Mother Messages: 1213 Registered: February 2007 Location: Phoenix AZ
Senior Member
Maybe, just watch it for awhile. The most important things to watch out for are diminished eatting, turning colors whether it's lightning up or darking up. White spots of any kind, spots of pigment changing white or lighter colored. Blackness forming on fins or streaks of black in fins, Clamping fins or tail fin, breathing normal (compare to other fish's breathing), Staying near the filter outtake or at the surface. Sometimes being at the bottom can be a result of illness too but it is usually accompanied by other signs. Good luck
Please come visit me at www.atozthatsme.com
Dave448 Messages: 50 Registered: June 2007 Location: Durham, England
Member
Hi Rohnda
It does seem to be light in colour and breathing quite heavily and it changes to a darker color if I switch the light out. There are no signs of white spot or any other illness. Having said that it is rubbing itself on the gravel regularly.
All the other fish seem to be very happy.
Malawi Mother Messages: 1213 Registered: February 2007 Location: Phoenix AZ
Senior Member
Ok lightness in color can mean two things, either stress or illness is setting in. Deffinetly keep an eye on it. You may want to consider adding a bubbler for a little while as well. If you have one in there then maybe a second one, or better yet, if you have a hospital tank, it maybe in the fish's best interest to just take him out and put in the hospital tank for observation.
Please come visit me at www.atozthatsme.com
Dave448 Messages: 50 Registered: June 2007 Location: Durham, England
Member
Ok. As it happens I have had a bubbler in my tank for the past four weeks and I just took it out for a change two days ago. It is since then that the fish has changed. Thaks very much for the help.
Dave
Frontosas can take a long time to settle in new tank.Sometimes it can takes weeks. They are also more active just before and after light. Thats their natural feeding time.
Dave448 Messages: 50 Registered: June 2007 Location: Durham, England
Member
My tank is a Juwel Trigon 190 (50 gallons). Amongst other African Cichlids I have got a Frontosa which is about 7 cm long.
Yesterday I introduced two more smaller frontosa's into the tank and the larger one just keeps attacking them if they swim out into the open. Will this go on for ever? have I made a mistake getting the other two or should they settle down?
I know that Frontosa's grow to be big fish but surely they will only grow to the size of the tank?
Malawi Mother Messages: 1213 Registered: February 2007 Location: Phoenix AZ
Senior Member
This happens a lot when adding smaller fish to a tank with larger fish already in place. It is suggested not to add smaller fish as they represent food.
You can try rearranging the whole tank. Make sure there is lots of hiding in there for the smaller ones. It's ok for them to hide as long as they can get food easily. If this behavior continues after rearranging the tank, you will have to consider taking them out until they reach a larger size.
If you can't take them out due to shortage on tanks, you can go to any pet store and buy a divider for your tank. Divide 2/3 of the tank for larger fish and 1/3 for smaller.
Please come visit me at www.atozthatsme.com
Members
Search
Help
Register
Login
Home
