Advice Needed On Cichlid

[9murphy9]

Hi
I have a texas cichlid and a red devil the texas cichlid seems to be being bullied by the red devil and does not seem to want to fight back
I have noticed that the texas cichlid keeps going to the top of the water and seems to be laying on its side a lot and only moves if another fish comes near it when it will then swim under the water but only for a little while and then it returns to the top of the water, I am wondering if this is the usual behaviour of a fish that seems to be being bullied or if the cichlid is sick (I have only had the cichlid for a day
thanks for help

Alex

 

[star4]

That texas is extreemly stressed I would suggest you remove it immediately before the midas kills it. I am guessing that the texas is about 4-5" from the pic. Mixing semi adult cichlids is really difficult. What else is in the tank? I am presuming you had the midas first and its taken a big dislike to the new commer. This is typical avoidance behaviour for a bullied fish (playing dead floating at the surface), the stress it is under will kill it if the midas doesnt first.

Sorry for the bad news.

 

[9murphy9]

i only just put them both in the tank is there anything i could do ? , could i place him in a differant tank until he's confident then change the tank decor and 40 % of the water and re introduce him ? in the tank i a bumblebee, jewel and a spanner barb with 13 caves and plants the red devil is around 5 inch so is the texas the rest all range thanks

Alex

 

[star4]

Move the midas to another tank, let the texas recover. Do you have a pic of the whole tank, I might be able to help better if I can see the whole set up. Caves are ok, but texas usually like to be in the open or within plant cover. I cannot coment on the midas as I have never kept one, but I do keep large cichlids together.

You need plenty of decor to break up the fishes eyeline, wood, branches etc and some tall robust plants to provide cover. I have used these

http/www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GIANT-LARGE-PLASTIC-AQUARIUM-FISH-TANK-20-50cm-PLANT-5-/150389855200?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item2303ef13e0

They are very tough and bush out a fair way to break up the tank, depending on the size of your tank you want 3 or 4 of the above plants (if you check on the sellers site they do other styles). Try to have them either end of the tank and another in the centre, this should give plenty of cover.

Also what size is your tank, it might be the angle of the picture but it looks quite shallow, but again these plastic plants are about 18" tall so give cover at the surface too.

Once you have added more cover then try the midas again, hopefully the texas will have picked his chill out spot and the midas might leave him alone.

Hope this helps

 

[9murphy9]

i've tried to keep the water open the tank is 50 " x 18" x 18" i'll have a look at some large plants and wood i placed a plastic floating fish ornament in the tank earlier and alll the fish seemed to attack it if i left some of these in would it tank the attention away from the texas ? thanks

Alex

 

[star4]

hmmmm never tried that one before, plastic dying fish decoy lol. In my experience open water tanks with multiple cichlids has always been trouble, yet I have also seen it done. This is the trouble with cichlids they never play by the rules lol. The plastic fish may work for a while, but they are not stupid they will soon learn its not real and the texas will cop out again. IME cover breaking up the fishes eyeline works best, but it can never be a guarantee, I have 16 tanks of cichlids and I can have peace and harmony for months on end then suddenly two decide they hate each other. Your tank is long enough to do some good break up points using some plastic plants (they dont have to be the ones I pointed out to you, its just I have used them with strong cichlids and they can take tugging at really well), but move the midas while you do it and leave the texas in the tank, it will give him the slight upper hand, he will need it with a midas.

Hope this helps

 

[9murphy9]

thanks mate you've been a massive help i'll move the midas tonight and let the texas settle for a day or two once the tank is decorated and then introduce the midas thanks again

Alex

 

[Squidward]

I can have peace and harmony for months on end then suddenly two decide they hate each other.

Funny how this happens.
The Blue Acara in my CA/SA cichlid tank has suddenly gone insane. For no apparent reason it is chasing some of the others, and ignores the rest.

 

[star4]

thanks mate you've been a massive help i'll move the midas tonight and let the texas settle for a day or two once the tank is decorated and then introduce the midas thanks again

Alex

Your welcome I hope it works ok.

I can have peace and harmony for months on end then suddenly two decide they hate each other.

Funny how this happens.
The Blue Acara in my CA/SA cichlid tank has suddenly gone insane. For no apparent reason it is chasing some of the others, and ignores the rest.

Same thing really, remove the ba (if possible) re-arrange the tank giving cover for the other fish and try it back in the tank. I had the same with my ba, she was a cow to my severums, I moved her to another tank and she is calm and peaceful (for now!! lol)

 

[9murphy9]

sorry to drag this back up but could anyone confirm if he is a texas cichlid as ive looked at the green and red variety's and he look similar to none of them so what is he ?

thanks

Alex

 

[star4]

Have you a better pic of him? side on view?. There are different species of texas, Herichthys cyanoguttatus (green texas) Herichthys carpintis (pearlscale texas, sometimes also called green texas) but there are also variations on the carpintis, 'escondido' and "Vontehillo", plus a few others that can be just labled as "texas" There are other herichthys species that do look just like the "texas" eg, herichthys deppii is sometimes just labled as "texas".

I put "texas" because its one of those cichlids that kind of just gets lumped under the same name, like blue acara do. Unless its from a dealer or breeder who knows catch location etc it can be hard to distinguish sometimes, it depends on fin rays and markings, but I am waffling, stick a pic up and I will have a look, see if I can help

 

[9murphy9]

thanks here it is sorry about the picture quality but it's the best i could get, he never stay still.

thanks

Alex

 

[star4]

Oh my he does look different the right way up!!. hmm I am thinking there you have a hybrid, possible texas x red devil, parrot, midas, something to give the redness in the fins and body anyway or its a flowerhorn, a hybrid fish thats "recognised" as a "breed" of fish (sorry for all the """ but its not easy to get accross without waffling too much), but its not 100% texas, very pretty though! Where did you get it from? was it labled as a texas?

 

[minxfishy]

Looks alot like a Vieja (paratheraps) species to me.

 

[9murphy9]

mm i know what you mean do you think it could have Texas,red devil and jack Dempsey in it as when i look at these three i see resemblances personally though i can't see much texas thanks

Alex