ari_enchanted
08-13-2006, 3:11 PM
I just got a neolamprologus sexfasciatus cichlid yesterday, and am planning on taking him (her?) to college with me. I'm a little concerned. Yesterday and this morning he was just hiding in rock caves and not being very active or eating. This doesn't bother me so much, as I've heard that a lot of cichlids take time to adjust to a new aquarium. What worries me is that just the last two times I've gone into the bathroom (where he is) he's totally freaked out. He comes darting out and crashes around the tank and shoves himself into plants, actually acting a lot like my female betta did with the male before she was completely ready to spawn. When he's not freaking out, he shoves himself into a crevasse somewhere and doesn't move for ages. Is this normal? The amm. and nitrites are at 0ppm, temp. is about 82-83 degrees F, pH is around 8.0, and the water is hard. He's quite small, about 1 1/4", and alone in the tank. The tank he came from had about 50 fish. Is he just adjusting still, or is something wrong? I'm going out in a few minutes to get a background for the tank, which I'm hoping will make him feel a little more secure. I'm wondering if adding a few danios as dither fish would help, or if I should just wait and let him relax. I did read in one place that Tanganyikan cichlids never become as tame as Malawis (although no explanation for this was given, so I'm somewhat skeptical). Any thoughts are appreciated.
ETA: I forgot to mention that he also has really great color, especially considering how young he is. This makes me think (hope) that he's not sick.
ETA: I forgot to mention that he also has really great color, especially considering how young he is. This makes me think (hope) that he's not sick.