chiclid problems

[dannyday5821]

by the way, chiclids are african fish! but anyways, i bought a new fish tank recently, followed the instructions, cleaned the tank, cleaned the stones, put the water in and waited for the tempreture to get right (about 1.5/2 days) so i got some chiclid, i only got two to start, as i read somewhere they need time to adjust to their new environment. i got three fake grass thingys and half a ship wreck. now, i have a tall fish tank, rather than wide. the ship takes a lot of room.

but...the chiclids have spent all their time hiding in the ship, especially the blue one, who seems to be hogging it! so i thought, maybe with some more chiclids things will liven up...

i was wrong. i added another three, but they are just the same. some dont even wonder, they stay still hidden behind the ship where we cant see them, and dont appear to even be swimming!

equally as worrying, they dont even seem bothered about food. after doing some reading, some say they aggressivley eat anything you put in the tank!

with all due respect to the entire fish kingdom, whats the point of having a fish tank if the fish just lay on the bottom looking depressed!? can anyone help me with this chiclid problem...did i do something wrong?

[wildwood]

Yes, you certainly did something wrong! Firstly, you should have found about about the fish you intended to get before you you actually got them. Assuming the water is ok... chiclids species should not be mixed - some are ok but mostly the dominant one(s) will bully the other one(s) to the point of them succumbing to stress. Even when you get one species you should only get one pair, specially in a tank that is higher than wider.

Chiclids like to have a hiding place and until they feel safe they won't come out. They don't need to eat for a fortnight or so, so rather stay in their hiding place than risk getting attacked by the others.

To solve your problem you need to get back to those books and determine just which species you have aquired and keep one pair of them. Take the others back to where you got them from as they should not have sold you them.

You can get some other tropicals which will fill the empty space higher in the tank but take note that some chiclids can get very big and can become obsessively protective of their little territory. With a bit of luck and providing you have a true pair, they may even breed for you. Most are excellent parents.

[B00]

totally agree with Wildwood, it really annoys me when people buy fish and assume that dumping them in a tank and feeding them is all that is required. Fish are living beings and like any pet that you take on, you really should do your research before aquiring them!

(ok, rant over- lol)

I'd also keep a very close eye on your PH levels of your water, did I read it right? you only waited 2 days max before you introduced the fish?

[dannyday5821]

yeah 2 days max we waited. it was strange...we read in a leaflet we got in store, it said 2 days so we followed...now im beginging to realise it was blindly...everyone i see says 4-6 weeks we shouldve waited before putting them in the tank...

secondly...weve got malawi chiclids, wildwood was asking. and yes, their all off the same variety.

since posting this initally, weve noticed the positioning of the tank itself might be a problem. its right next to the kitchen door, and in our house, this door is forever opening and closing banging and shutting. The tanks in the hallway where everything happens. it looks like the fish are almost shy! they hide when were around, but if we sneak up on them, they wonder around the tank happily. seemingly so anyway!

so were going to move them into the living room, should be a little more peaceful in their. Plus we found out that the fish tank should be like a miniture eco system. we didnt realise that. we just thought, tank, water, fish, sorted. we now know the fish need to be living within an environment that itself is living. so...weve added some live plants also and something that makes with the bubbles! lol!

also...BOO, why is PH level important? what level should it be at especially for malawi chiclids?

and i also read something somewhere about the water. somewhere it said ordinary tap water had to be treated so fish could live comfortably in it. Something to get rid of chlorine and stuff...honestly...i didnt know about this...if i shouldve done, what should i do now? empty the water and start again?

[wildwood]

All cichlids native to the Malawi lake should be kept in water that has a PH of around 8 as that is what the water in their natural habitat is. Also a fairly soft water and not too warm, under 80�F.

It is not easy to grow aquarium plants or even keep them alive in water that alkaline and the cichlids may also destroy them. You may need to go for the plastic ones eventually.

Your best avenue now is too take some water (from the tank) in a jar to your nearest aquarium shop (not pet shop) and they will test it for you and sell you suitable stuff to remedy your probable water problem.
While there, you may want to look at getting a small test kit for yourself as they are not very dear so you can test it yourself periodically.

Google for 'malawi cichlids uk' and you should get more info than you can handle on a rainy sunday. I do hope you continue with your fish interest and, although you've plunged in somewhat headfirst, you'll have already become aware that fish are more than just decoration.

[dannyday5821]

Thanks for the advice wildwoods, ill see if i can sort out the PH problem, and in the meantime do some reading. i did try googling chiclids but i just got general jargon, nothing specific to the malawi variety...ill try again to see if i can find something....

thanks for all your help! dont hold ya breath though...ill probably be back soon with another question!

[Avatar]

Sounds to me like you are absolutely clueless about fish keeping and your local fish shop even worse if they did not even bother to explain to you about the nitrogen cycle and how a tank matures. And if they didnt even mention that tap water needs dechlorinatin additives added before going in the tank Im surprised your fish are still alive.
Have you even got a filter? Lights? Proper stand? Hood over the tank? The correct food? Water test kits?
You should have read/found out about all this before you even started and still ought to.