Cichlid related crisis/catastrophe- GETS WORSE!!

[Maroonostrich]

Ok guys I'll level with you- I messed up! I didn't want to admit all this as I thought you'd think I was a MAJOR idiot but I am in a hole now and really do NOT know what to do! Strange sort of emergency as no one life is at stake NOW, but I'm stuck as to where I can go from here- and pretty fed up.


I started out on my tank with the sole objective of keeping and spawning golden eyed cichlids.

I first wound up with 3 males, they were IDed as such here on the forums, and so I took the two boys back to my aquarist. He had no females so I bought one in from trimar, along with the pygmy cories who, as you all know, died pretty quickly.

What I could not tell you yet and admit now is that the female died! She lasted almost a week. Thing is I realise now, I never saw her feeding happily. My male followed her everywhere but never seemed aggressive, I thought they were just getting on real well.. towards the end I saw him really nip her a couple of times- I wonder if she was rejecting him and he just would not have it as this was his territory- a pair up or ship out sort of thing. So I found her dying on the floor of the tank and soon she was gone. Basically that was my whole shipment of fish gone! But probably all my fault so... moving on..

It gets worse, I was very stupid- decided to cheer myself up after this I wanted to do a major clear up of plant debris in the tank - this meant moving all the large bits of bog wood- and caught all my fish out to place in a bowl temporarily for their own safety. All the neons survived this little upheaval but Dave, my male, was super hard to catch- why did I persist! . I think he got stressed. The day after I put him back he was dead too!

No sign of disease on either of these fish.

So to try and make myself feel better (because believe me I felt terrible) and telling myself lessons had been learnt, I called Trimar again and ordered in a set of more golden eyed cichlids for breeding, specifically asking for 2 females and 1 male. This also appears on my receipt...


AAARGH now it just gets so bad... *bangs head on wall in despair*

The little fish- they are young I think- arrived safe and sound..


I have put them in the tank and they are already eating and behaving normally- normal that is- for THREE MALES... They are not interacting like my male and female did- and worst of all- the two little 'females' have faint, but definite irridescent scaling near their faces- as you guys have stated- this denotes MALE. They even have pointed dorsal fins and a more masculine facial arrangement.... they look nothing like the girl I had....


I can't believe I'm apparently *insert swear word here* back where I started from!!!!


So first things first, what the heck do I say to TRIMAR?!!

Even if it turns out I am wrong and there is a female in there- I need to report my concerns now don't I?

If I have a female, great, it's what I wanted, and maybe it's a bit quick to judge off behaviour- but they are 'scrapping' already like my three males did and they just don't look like the girl, now I've seen one...

I am at a total loss for words here, I'm convinced I have not got exactly what I ordered but what on earth can I do?! I'm stuck with two males to try and rehome somewhere again- doubtless at a loss to myself- as my kind local aquarist is already full up with males- and I still don't have my breeding pair!!



HELP- what would you do people?!! I am so desperate for advice- not emailed Trimar yet and I just do NOT know what to say or what to ask for, clearly I'm not equipped to package up and sent back the males safely all that way..

Feel so stressed *sigh*

 

[WILDER]

You might be better off putting this in the cichlids section, i would email them telling them you didn't get what you ordered, don't no the fish at all so couldn't say what you have .

 

[Maroonostrich]

Thanks Wilder- thing is the Cichlid forum can be so quiet- if I am going to do anything about this clearly need to email Trimar tonight and don't know what to say about all this- I need some suggestions within the next two hours!!

I need as much help as I can get- where should I go?!

 

[WILDER]

Try searching on the net, i will try to but not promising i will find anything.

 

[Maroonostrich]

Thank you Wilder, appreciate any help at all. Wits end here!

 

[WILDER]

Take a look here first.

http/www.aquarticles.com/articles/breedi...,%20New%20World

 

[WILDER]

Is it african or another one not sure.

 

[WILDER]

Also it's proper name would help might fetch more up.

 

[WILDER]

http/www.fishhead.com/articles/ventsex.htm

 

[jollysue]

Maroonostrich, Hey girl.

I would call them and talk to someone live. I don't know Timar. But I just went though some simular stuff with shipping fish from a big supply company. I have spoken to 3 people so far and everyone was great and understanding and sympathetic. I know that my ignorance was the major cause of the losses I suffered. They know it too. They have not once shoved my nose in it. They suffer a calculated loss. And are all fish keepers.

Maybe there's nothing that can be done about the luck of the draw. I'm a little surprised they didn't let you know that they wouldn't sex your fish for you. I asked mine to sex my plecs and they emailed back and told me that wasn't an option for those fish. They advised me how many to order to get a calculated chance of getting a couple.

You will feel better if you just openly and honestly discuss what you've been through and what has happened and let them tell you what they can do.

Take the bugger by the horns and wrestle it to the ground.

 

[WILDER]

http/species.fishindex.com/species_252na...rf_cichlid.html

 

[tttnjfttt]

I know there are a few cichlid guys who come around almost daily and help out. FreddyK and VantagE are two of the guys who have really helped me out alot. Sorry I can't give you any specific advice, as I am just starting with african cichlids myself.

 

[Maroonostrich]

Hey Wilder, yep, you found my fish! I had a look on the sites- I think a couple in particular would be very helpful if I had a pair to start with- book marked!

JS- lol, you think I should call them tomorrow then? I just hope they are not insulted that I query their ability to sex- just honestly, have been here before!

I'll do it, hope there will be folk on here to hand hold though...!

 

[jollysue]

When I was ready to order the BN, I emailed them and asked them if they could send me a male and female, they explaned that they were in (I don't remember) Illinois or something. But the fish would be shipped from a large fish palce in CA. (Where I am by the way.) It seems that the fish distributer/holder/shipper/packer people wouldn't sex that particular purchase. (I'm not sure they actually could in this case. The fish are really little guys.) I checked the website, and certain special expensive fish could be purchased as pairs, but they were specifically offered as pairs. As I said they recommended that I would probably get a male and female if I purchased a specific number of fish: 15 or something.

That's why when you made the request, I think they should have called or emailed to let you know that they couldn't do that. And they should not have shipped until that was settled.

If they aren't nice to you (providing of course that you are civil to them) we'll sic Wilder or maybe ttnjfttt on them

 

[Maroonostrich]

OH PANTS!!


Now the male who arrived yesterday has popped his aqua-clogs

Found floating upside down this morning in the tank. Other two are doing ok but they definitely have raggedy finnage.

This just gets better and better doesn't it?!!!