BluEyes
12-12-2003, 1:47 AM
Okay, got a wierd thing going on with a cichlid here. He/she is definately a mbuna, and I'm pretty sure the cichlid is an I. Sprengerae, no clue on gender, about 3-3.5" long.
The only tankmate is another african. We *thought* we were buying another I. Sprengerae, but are 99.9% sure we were wrong now, since they look nothing alike now that they aren't at the LFS... The tankmate is still unknown, and is about 2" long.
They are both in a 20 tall with lots of algae-covered rocks and regular water changes, etc. Yeah, I know they should have a larger tank - that's coming sometime soon, but the two don't seem to squabble too much and are both out and about the tank often.
Anyways, on to what's up. I noticed today that the first fish looks like it has something stuck in its mouth. The corners of its lips are pushed out, and the 'chin' is protruding compared to normal. The fish IS conatantly re-arranging the gravel in the tank :rolleyes: , and I was concerned there might be a piece stuck in its mouth. So I netted the fish (boy, he/she loved that!) and gently opened its mouth some to peer in. I saw what looks like a group of round lumps along the bottom of the mouth. Nothing looks red or inflamed, just a kind of even light fleshy color everywhere.
Then tonight when I fed them, the fish was hanging back about at mid-water when it is usually up at the surface pushing the smaller one out of the way for the food. When a pellet would float down, it would kinda move towards the pellet, but instead of eating it, would stop right about at the point where you'd expect it to suck the pellet in, and then back away a bit. The fish let several pellets go by like this, and didn't eat a single one.
Well, those are the symptoms - any ideas? Are these guys mouthbrooders? Any change those were eggs? If they aren't, what can be done about those lumps in the mouth?
The only tankmate is another african. We *thought* we were buying another I. Sprengerae, but are 99.9% sure we were wrong now, since they look nothing alike now that they aren't at the LFS... The tankmate is still unknown, and is about 2" long.
They are both in a 20 tall with lots of algae-covered rocks and regular water changes, etc. Yeah, I know they should have a larger tank - that's coming sometime soon, but the two don't seem to squabble too much and are both out and about the tank often.
Anyways, on to what's up. I noticed today that the first fish looks like it has something stuck in its mouth. The corners of its lips are pushed out, and the 'chin' is protruding compared to normal. The fish IS conatantly re-arranging the gravel in the tank :rolleyes: , and I was concerned there might be a piece stuck in its mouth. So I netted the fish (boy, he/she loved that!) and gently opened its mouth some to peer in. I saw what looks like a group of round lumps along the bottom of the mouth. Nothing looks red or inflamed, just a kind of even light fleshy color everywhere.
Then tonight when I fed them, the fish was hanging back about at mid-water when it is usually up at the surface pushing the smaller one out of the way for the food. When a pellet would float down, it would kinda move towards the pellet, but instead of eating it, would stop right about at the point where you'd expect it to suck the pellet in, and then back away a bit. The fish let several pellets go by like this, and didn't eat a single one.
Well, those are the symptoms - any ideas? Are these guys mouthbrooders? Any change those were eggs? If they aren't, what can be done about those lumps in the mouth?