AboutRon Coleman Expertise I am an expert on cichlid fishes, particularly New World cichlids. My broader expertise includes the behavior, ecology and reproduction of fishes in general. (I am NOT an expert on Goldfish. Please do not ask me questions about why your goldfish are sick -- they are almost always sick due to the way that they are sold). Also, please do not use abbreviations, such as "my GT has a swollen
eye" because I don't know what a "GT" is. The more clearly you can explain your question, the better chance I have of understanding what it is that you seek. Thanks.
Experience I teach at the California State University, Sacramento in the Department of Biological Sciences, and I run a website, called the Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>. I also write for many popular aquarist magazines, and I am editor of Cichlid News magazine. I am a scientist and I spend my time teaching fish biology, ecology, behavior and evolution and doing research on the reproductive biology of fishes, particularly cichlids. I do research in the laboratory and in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Mexico. My main interest is understanding the evolution of parental care in fishes. I am interested in encouraging greater public awareness, understanding and participation in science.<BR><BR><B>Organizations belong to</b><BR>American Cichlid Association, Pacific Coast Cichlid Association, American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, etc<BR><BR><B>Publications</b><BR>Cichlid News, Tropical Fish Hobbyist, Freshwater and Marine Aquarium, Science, Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology, Copeia, Canadian Journal of Zoology, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, AUK, Environmental Biology of Fishes<BR><BR><B>Education/Credentials</b><BR>PhD (Toronto, 1993) MSc (Simon Fraser, 1986) BSc (British Columbia, 1983)<BR>
Expert: Ron Coleman Date: 3/23/2008 Subject: African Cichlid Sick
Question QUESTION: I just bought a tank and some African Cichlids today and I set up the tank, got the water circulating for an hour, acclimated the fish to the water, and released the fish from the bag. Its now been three hours and one of my fish is on it side on the bottom of the tank acting like its fixing to die. What's happening please help. ASAP.
ANSWER: Hi Thomas,
You really shouldn't put fish in a tank that you just set up. It takes a tank awhile to settle down. You should always wait at LEAST a day and a few days would be much better.
What is the water temperature?
What kind of filter do you have in the tank?
-- Ron
rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>
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QUESTION: What water temp do they require? I figured since they were from Africa they would need warm water so I put water around mid 70s in the tank hope is not too warm or too cold. The water is the same temp as the water I had in my tank in Okeechobee, Florida, in which I had a different kind of Cichlid that I caught in Lake Okeechobee. Not the same tank though. My other two Cichlids are doing just fine chasing each other around the tank and playing by dashing between the holes in the ornament in the tank. I think the fish may have been sick before I got it because when I got it its belly where it intestines and stomack should have been was kind of sunk in a little bit. I don't know if that is normal or not. Also how much are Cichlids supposed to eat because I put about five freeze dried fresh water shrimps in the tank to feed them and the haven't touched them so I put a pinch of flake food in there this morning and they went to town on it. Also to answer the other question the type of filter is an over the top filter that kinda looks like a water fall and has a filter in it that is some kinda fiber bag filled with activated carbon.
ANSWER: Hi Thomas,
Mid to high 70's is good for African cichlids. You should avoid buying fish with "sunken" bellies. That is not a good sign.
I feed as much as they will eat right away.
Your filter sounds fine.
-- Ron
rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thank you. I have some final questions. First, will my African Cichlids eat "Tetra brand Baby Shrimp Sun Dried Gammarus" because I put some in their tank and they don't seem to like them as they are not eating them. And, second, are peacock bass a member of the cichlid family or the sunfish family. And do they grow to the size of their tank or outgrow it. Is a 10 gal. tank O.K. for a peacock bass. Will they get along with my other two cichlids which are white and black on their back and halfway down their sides and bright yellow on their stomach. Also what kind of African Cichlid is the one I just described.
Answer Hi Thomas,
Some cichlids like the shrimp, some don't. If they don't like it, don't feed it to them.
Peacock bass are cichlids that come from northern South America. They grow very large (2-3 feet in length). You should NOT even consider putting one of these in a 10 gallon tank. A peacock bass will not get along with small cichlids -- it will eat them.
The fish you describe sound like Melanochromis auratus (from Lake Malawi).
-- Ron
rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>
