Picky Fish

[aschueler]

I have 3 african cichlids -- a rusty, an auratus (evil), and a third one that I don't know what it is.

The rusty doesn't seem to like anything I give it to eat -- I have two kinds of cichlid food (sinking pellets) and some tubifex worms. Because of the evil auratus, I am dropping the food close to the other two so that they get a chance to eat it. Yes, my hands are clean. Really clean. The rusty cichlid will pick up a pellet, even one that has been softened in the water, and spit it right back out. No matter what kind. I saw it do it to the tubifex worms, too.

These guys are still little (1.5-2 inches), and have been in my tank for the past 10 days together or so.

Is it getting SOME food? Am I more neurotic than my fish?

Any advice appreciated.

 

[semper fi]

would keep offering the food. sooner or later he will eat. do not leave the food sit in gthe tank though hoping that he will eat. this can cause your ammonia levels to raise. your fish will not starve. a female can go three weeks without food while holding.

auratus are evil. the most aggressive out of the mbuna along with the chippokae. to help lower his aggression level, try adding three females to the tank.

 

[thecichlidaddict]

Expose that Auratus to females and you will probably find his aggression will climb. Stocking a few more fish in general will help to distribute his aggression.

I do not recommend that you keep feeding tubifex to these fish, it is not good for them. I suggest that you go and buy a container of Spirulina flake food to feed them as a supplement to the pellets that you are already using.

The fish will start to eat once they get used to the food. As already mentioned don't let the food decay, and keep trying.

 

[aschueler]

Thanks for the advice. I was already stopping the tubifex based on some things I have seen here.

The auratus is gone. It was getting meaner. Since it is gone, the pickier fish has developed a voracious appetite, so I believe it was the aggression that was getting to it. I do notice it sits and 'chews' its food, but usually now snaps up the pellets on the fly and doesn't spit them out.

I feel better with two cichlids in my 29 gal -- they seem to be not crowded, and I like them both.