Texas cichlid not eating

P

Preeths

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Jan 15, 2008
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I got the texas from the LFS on Saturday. he looks and acts healthy, he is showing all the normal behavior of cichlids. he is more than 4 " long. he is all over the tank and flaring at the Green terrors. Tank is cycles and AOK, the only problem is that he is not eating. on the first day he ate a few pellets, but till now he has not eaten anything else. his underside is concave, like he has been starved for a long period. the LFS i got him from is good and he was housed in his own 20 gal there. currently he is in my 135 with 2 Green terrors that do not trouble him.

I will be visiting the LFS today to find out what he was given before and try the same feed, if this does not work i dont mind spending money on live feed either.

So what do i feed him?
 
What do you usually feed it aside from pellets? You could try bloodworms for awhile but not too much though. Once every other day will do until it gains weight. Try soaking the foods with garlic to stimulate its appetite.
 
I am sorry but if he has a concave belly , then most likely he is so used to not eating that he may not eat for you and will end up dying. If he does not eat in the next day or two,I would return him to the LFS and either get another one that is in healthier condition or get a refund.

Marinemom
 
I'd go ahead and return him now. Of course it is a Texas Cichlid. They're pretty cheap if he doesn't recover and you can't get a refund for some reason.
 
What's your water temperature? Sometimes if it’s too cool it can suppress a fishes appetite. Of course you have Texas Cichlid and they can take pretty low temps.
 
Aquarium fish are quite cheap here about $3, but that is besides the point. The LFS do not take back the fish once sold. can I force feed him some how?
 
Forcefeeding is not exactly a good idea. The fish will only end up severely stressed. You need to be patient when dealing with fish that will refuse to eat the food.

Any chance getting levamisole hydrochloride? Have you tried garlic yet?
 
If you try a variety of foods, ensure you siphon out anything uneaten.
 
The LFS guy said that the fish will start eating in a few days time after it settles in and not to worry. I am trying garlic now, I will let you know the results tomorrow.
 
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