|
Posted by Jim Anderson on June 7, 2005, 8:16 pm
Please log in for more thread options
says...
>
> > On Mon, 06 Jun 2005 03:48:25 GMT, "Meghan Young"
> >
> >>Hello everyone,
> >>I am a newbie with cichlids and was hoping for some help. The firemouth I
> >>have does not do a lot...he sits on the bottom of the tank in his cave
> >>most
> >>of the time. He doesn't even come out for food (flake)...he only eats
> >>what
> >>drifts in to him. All levels are ok. Is this normal?
> >>
> >>
> > If you only have the one firemouth I think this behaviour can be
> > normal. What are the other fish in the tank? What size tank? What I
> > would suggest is that you acquire 2 more; if he has more of his own
> > kind he will stop being so meek and mild. Three is a good number of
> > these central american cichlids, if one wants to bully the other, it's
> > better that there are two to be chased around a bit instead of one
> > being chased constantly. You won't necessarily see anyone being
> > bullied, but you might.
> >
> > -Derek
> >
> There is only one firemouth. I have a 30 gal tank and besides the
> firemouth, I have a bumblebee, and electric yellow, and an algae eater. The
> electric yellow chases everybody else but only when they invade his space.
> The bumblebee and the firemouth often stay in the same hiding place
> together. Maybe I've overcrowded the tank?
> And I probably need to clarify...if the food doesn't go to the firemouth he
> will eventually go to eat. He has a few other spots he likes...but he only
> ventures out every couple of hours and he just sits in those spots too.
> Perhaps I'm overreacting (I've been feeding these guys for awhile and he
> better not die...fish are the only pets I'm allowed). The other three fish
> in the tank are very active...could be expecting too much.
> Any reassurance would be great.
> Meghan
You should not mix South American and African Cichlids as they do not
'speak' the same language. When there is a conflict, the weaker one can
not tell the stronger one 'I give-up' and will be killed for not giving
submitting.
I kid you not.
--
Jim Anderson
( 8(|) To email me just pull my_finger
| 
Yahoo! 
Google 
Windows Live 
del.icio.us 
digg 
Netscape 
XML Sitemap
>I am a newbie with cichlids and was hoping for some help. The firemouth I
>have does not do a lot...he sits on the bottom of the tank in his cave most
>of the time. He doesn't even come out for food (flake)...he only eats what
>drifts in to him. All levels are ok. Is this normal?
>
>