Convict Cichlid Help

[FireStarNuyre]

Hey. I have a Convict Cichlid, she used to swim out and come over to my boyfriend and I whenever we walked over to her tank. She would be out swimming, and moving her gravel. About 4 days ago she started acting weird, hiding in her log/stump and not coming out. She hardly even comes out when we put her food in her tank. This is very weird behavior for her. Her tank is set up with a log on one side, a little tomb thing in the middle, and a stump on the other side. We have a filter, which we've changed, and my boyfriend has cleaned her tank. We tested her water and the pH was a little high, so we put some pH balance in it and just checked it today, and everything in her water is fine. She is still acting this way, some people have said that she could have been laying eggs, but we're concerned since she never acted this way before. Another suggestion we've gotten is to add a male to her tank, which concerns us since every other fish we've ever had in with her shes killed, and most of the males we've looked at are quite a bit smaller than her. I was just wondering if anyone ever had this problem, or if anyone knew of anything we could do to try and make her happy?


Thanks (:

[Fisharefriends27]

It sounds like the male is bullying the female, but I don't know cichlids very well. Also ph products are no good, a stable pH is key.

[FireStarNuyre]

She is the only fish in her tank. Her pH and everything was fine today when we tested it. I've had suggestions that shes just lonely, but I'm afraid if I add a male he will bully her, which is the last thing I want.

[angel_love]

Ph is not a big issue. You said you changed the filter? Did you check for ammonia and nitrite?

[FireStarNuyre]

We did, everything came back fine.

[angel_love]

Are you using strips or a test tube kit?

[FireStarNuyre]

We've used strips, and we've taken it to two different stores and had them test it. All came back fine.

[fishguy66]

We've used strips, and we've taken it to two different stores and had them test it. All came back fine.

Have you checked for nitrates? High levels can stress fish & make them act strange. Four questions: 1) How long has your tank been set up?
2)What size tank?
3)What kind of filtration do you have?
4)How often do you do partial water changes?

[andreahp]

+1 with fishguy66 - fish are very good at letting you know that your water parameters are not great due to not enough filtration, overfeeding, not enough water changes or because the tank might be cycling. I'm not saying these are your problems, but answers to fishguy's questions will help forum members.

[angel_love]

:+1: answering those questions will help us narrow down/rule out problems.

[FireStarNuyre]

Have you checked for nitrates? High levels can stress fish & make them act strange. Four questions: 1) How long has your tank been set up?
2)What size tank?
3)What kind of filtration do you have?
4)How often do you do partial water changes?


My tank has been set up for about 4-5 months. It is a 20 gallon tank, with a top fin 20 gallon filter in it. We've done about 3 water changes since we've set up the tank.

[Fisharefriends27]

That's not enough filtration. You should go for 2x the filter rating. You would need a filter rated for 40 gallons. (an Aquaclear 50 is a good choice, ditch the carbon and have extra biomax, run it for a couple of weeks with the filter you currently have, if you can't get a filter upgrade make sure you stay on top of water changes)

You should do water changes at least 1 time a week, it depends on the fish for the amount you do.on my low stocked planted 29g I can get away with at least 10% per week better off 25%

@angel love. Ph is important. It's just that you shouldn't mess with it. But anyway could you find out your exact readings for ammonia nitrite and nitrate?

I also can't comment on convicts in a 20 gallon not sure if it is too small, I never kept convicts before.

[FireStarNuyre]

We had her in a 10 gallon tank before, ive read that a pair of cichlids should be kept in a tank no smaller then 40, so it seemed like a 20 would be big enough. She didnt seem to have any issue with it before, from what a couple people have said the laying eggs makes sense as when she comes out she darts back to the log the moment we look at her.

[fishguy66]

My tank has been set up for about 4-5 months. It is a 20 gallon tank, with a top fin 20 gallon filter in it. We've done about 3 water changes since we've set up the tank.

What you have is an OK mechanical/chemical filter, but when you change filter pads, you will lose any biological filtration you have. I would suggest(if your budget permits) to go out & get a Penguin bio-wheel (2X rated for your tank) & run this as a dedicated bio-filter(in addition to what you already have). Also, you are saying you do water changes, but are you doing partials? You should never change all the water @ one shot(barring some mishap) & doing so could stress out your fish. Once your tank is established, partials should be done once a week, in a tank that size maybe 10 gallons, & you should also clean the gravel. I would also go out & get a nitrate test kit & check your parameters, as I have a suspicion that you nitrates are off the charts. Nitrates @ low levels are not really harmful to freshwater fish(especially a tough fish like a convict), but at elevated levels will cause them to act "strange'.:22:

[angel_love]

That's not enough filtration. You should go for 2x the filter rating. You would need a filter rated for 40 gallons. (an Aquaclear 50 is a good choice, ditch the carbon and have extra biomax, run it for a couple of weeks with the filter you currently have, if you can't get a filter upgrade make sure you stay on top of water changes)

You should do water changes at least 1 time a week, it depends on the fish for the amount you do.on my low stocked planted 29g I can get away with at least 10% per week better off 25%

@angel love. Ph is important. It's just that you shouldn't mess with it. But anyway could you find out your exact readings for ammonia nitrite and nitrate?

I also can't comment on convicts in a 20 gallon not sure if it is too small, I never kept convicts before.


Ph is not important if you don't mess with it. Fish can acclimate to ph as long as it is not off the charts. Ph swings are bad for fish, which is why you shouldn't mess with it. In this case ammonia nitrite and nitrates would be more important, especially since they said they recently cleaned the filter which could cause an ammonia spike.

That filter is fine for 1 fish, it could use an upgrade but with their stocking level it is sufficient.

1 convict in a 20 gallon is fine.

Sounds like the op should be doing water changes and gravel vacuuming more often...that's the only thing I can comment on from the info given.

[Fisharefriends27]

Ph is not important if you don't mess with it. Fish can acclimate to ph as long as it is not off the charts. Ph swings are bad for fish, which is why you shouldn't mess with it. In this case ammonia nitrite and nitrates would be more important, especially since they said they recently cleaned the filter which could cause an ammonia spike.

That filter is fine for 1 fish, it could use an upgrade but with their stocking level it is sufficient.

1 convict in a 20 gallon is fine.

Sounds like the op should be doing water changes and gravel vacuuming more often...that's the only thing I can comment on from the info given.
That's what I mean. Ph is important, but you don't mess with it. Ammonia nitrite and nitrate are always more important. What I mean is leave the ph alone, we are on the same page.

[angel_love]

Ok! *hugs* :imsorry:

[FireStarNuyre]

Everything with her water is fine, she comes out and swims but when we look at her she heads back to where is always is. Perhaps she laid eggs, and is "protecting" them? Would that be typical behavior if that were the case?

[angel_love]

I think by now she would have eaten the eggs because they aren't fertile, only way to know is to stick your arm in there and find out.