scared timid chiclids (lake maliwi?)

[dr.gonzo]

I have some chiclids but im not sure what type they are. I have a 55 gallon that has been set up for about a year. at first I had 8 chiclids I think 2 of them were balck/white convicts anthor 2 or 3 were a solid blue with yellow fins and I had one that was a little larger blue and black and sorta silver with a single horizontal stripe insted of the common vertical multy stripes. and the rest were solid orange. things were going ok, untill I added a holy limestone rock. (I tried to clean it but It still made the water cloudy) I prob didint pay attention to the ph and I lost a few so I took out the rock and did a water change and things were ok for about 7 months and I had a little more knowledge about the maliwi chclid ph (dont pay attention to watmart brands apperently to them 7.0 and lower is for all fresh water fish) and the ammonia was all fine and a couple of weeks ago another one died but I dont know the cause. at the time I didnt have a lot of hiding places but I reclently broke up the holy rock into a lot of places and now there is alot.my question is that the fish seem to be scared any time I turn the light on( I move the light back so it isnt that bright) and they will only eat flake food. if I feed them the top floating food they will never eat it. I though my tank was set up good becase the orange ones have breeded and now I have 2 more orange ones. but I though chiclids were supposed to be active and atleast swim around when there hungry. they sit on the bottom and scatter when I walk by. do you think I need more fish? one 4" blue died recently about a year old. I currently have a 4" orange, 4" blue, 2" orange, 3/4" orange(new breed), and one that I noticed when I was doing a water change so small about a centameter long orange one. so thats 2 full grown ones and the little guy that never really got big and the 2 babies. a total of 5 chiclids in a 55 gallon. should I ad more? I have a ph test and ammonia tester. What other testers should I buy? also are the orange ones supposed to have like yellow/white polka-dots on there lower fins?

here are some pics that look like my kind. I cant tell the diffrance between the types.
mine is a darker blue and used to have yellow fins

exactly like mine

I just found this pic of my favorite fish that died before I added the holy rock. this is the one with horizontal stripes I mention above. why do the good ones always die?

 

[DeRo316]

Ok paragraphs are your friend.

Yes the orange ones are most likely supposed to have "egg spots" on their anal fin like this:

I suggest you get a Freshwater Master Test Kit, it has tests for Ph, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. It would be good to test your water and post the readings, it makes assisting your situation a little easier.

Lake Malawi cichlids MUST have multiple hididng spots/caves. Lack of shelter stresses them out and this can lead to death. Im afraid your broken up rock may not be enough. I would visit a local landscape store or riverbed and pick up some stackable rocks, slate works great.

Some people like to overstock african cichlid tanks to spread aggression. It has worked great for me, I also have all males which helps. In a 55 gallon aquarium the overstocking recommendation would be anywhere from 12-17 fish. It is suggested that you keep all males or 1 male to 3 females of the same type. Keep in mind overstocking carries the responsibility of more filtration and more frequent water changes. Its a little extra work but its definitely worth it.

Oh, and almost forgot, ditch the flakes and get a good quality cichlid pellet, like Hikari or New Life Spectrum. I would also suggest you get some spirulina pellets, mine love the HBH super soft.

 

[fishlips]

The hiding is typical for your african cichlids. If you want fish that will feed from your hand I'd go for a RD, Midas, oscar or even cons.

I have blue gill's that feed from the hand!

 

[dr.gonzo]

I have the Hikari pellet but all it does is float on the top and they never eat it. I have one fish that will hit the top of the water and run to a cave.

The holy rock I broke up was about 20lbs and before I set the tank up I didnt put any support like foam or wood underneath the glass. anyone else have a problem with leaks and forgot to do this?


Do you think the fish will starve or will they be bright enough to relize where the food is. and do they make a sinking pellet? they are hungry but too shy to go to the top.

Do you think a sucker fish will help clean the tank at all and if so what type should I get.

and how do you tell a male from a female? they dont have an adams apple

 

[liv2padl]

a total of 5 cichlids in a 55 gallon

malawi cichlids need to maintained in groups which consist of 1 male + 4 females of the same species. that means a group of one species consists of 5 fish. you have no groups since you have mixed cichlids. fix this problem and end up with a total of two groups and your timid cichlid problem will disappear. Malawi cichlids are anything but timid when behaving normally.

moreover, you should check your water chemistry. malawi cichlids are not hardy to ammonia, nitrite or high nitrate levels. additionally, these are 'hard water' species. your water should have a ph of 7.7-8.6, a hardness of 160-280 ppm and a kH of 180-240 ppm as minimum values.

Yes the orange ones are most likely supposed to have "egg spots"

this is not true. only males have eggspots and this is not a particularly accurate means to discern males from females. either way, there are several species of "orange" malawi cichlids which are female and have no eggspots.

 

[DeRo316]

this is not true. only males have eggspots and this is not a particularly accurate means to discern males from females. either way, there are several species of "orange" malawi cichlids which are female and have no eggspots.

He said "also are the orange ones supposed to have like yellow/white polka-dots on there lower fins?" as if he was asking if they shouldnt be there, not if thats a way to tell sexes. I just posted a pic to let him know its normal for egg spots to occur, letting him know his fish isnt sick, but it could have been taken that way.

If by suckerfish you mean common pleco, I would stay far away from that idea. If you would like a bottom feeder that is compatable with africans I would suggest a synodontis catfish, that seems to be the popular choice.

Yes sinking cichlid pellets are available, but they will find the food sooner or later when they get hungry. The leftover food can just be removed when you do water changes.

 

[dr.gonzo]

your water should have a ph of 7.7-8.6, a hardness of 160-280 ppm and a kH of 180-240 ppm as minimum values.

what is KH? and what kind of test will detect it.

 

[liv2padl]

kH is a measure of the buffering capacity (carbonate level) of your water. there are test kits for these specific parameters.