Malawi Cichlids acting wierd?

L

livewyr25

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Sep 21, 2004
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Im pretty new to the african cichlids, i have a fully cycled 29g tank with all readings at perfect levels, just fighting a green water algae bloom at this time. i just recently noticed that my cichlids look like they are shaking in the water, almost like they are shivering, i just wnated to know if this is normal or is it some sign of a disease???? the fish all apear to healthy and eating so i was just curious, thanks :)
 
This is usually called flaring, and is a display by males to attract females and/or ward off competing males. If the tank is new, there are probably territory disputes underway as dominance is established. You should probably keep an eye out for any fish that are looking beaten up, ragged, or that are hanging out near the top of the tank. These are all bad signs (esp. hanging out at the top of the tank) and often indicate a need to remove the fish before it is killed.

What kind of fish (and what size) do you have, and how many?

Good luck,
Jim
 
ok good, im glad there are no "real" problems in the tank, i was getting worried. ok i have 2 electric yellow labs (they are my biggest at 1.5-2 inches because they are the least aggressive out of the bunch) i have 2 demasoni @ 1.5 inch ( they say they are demasoni but their colors fade alot and they are the ones acting the wierdest, rubbing their bodies against the rocks and intake vavle adn then swimming fast) 2 kenyi at .5 -1 inch and one Acei at 1 inch. my acei looks the most beat up but i notice he is the one picking all the fights....
 
That's a bad mix... kennyis are always inappropriate for such a small tank, and they'll almost certainly pick on the labs and maybe the demasoni. I bet if you got rid of the kennyi you'll have better luck...

JIm
 
well the kenyi are the smallest in the tank and they dont pick on any of the fish probably because of that
 
The demasoni are very aggressive as well. 29 gallon tank is much too small for those fish, the only ones that might be okay are the labs or the acei, and only up to three fish. (ie- a trio of labs OR acei, and nothing else).

If the fish are scratching i would try adding some salt to the water. (1 tspn per 10 gallons, roughly). If they scratch it usually means something is annoying them. Might be the new tank environment, though.


I would plan on upgrading to at least a 50 gallon tank soon for that mix, and not keep labs with the kenyi or demasoni.


-Diana
 
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