Please help im a beginner

[❤️ my yellow lab]

Hi everyone, I've been given a 75 ltr tank basically I went to the pet shop with my granddaughter and picked out the prettiest looming fish. ..I knew absolutely nothing about them.i later started to learn about them,first that there called African cichlids malawi mbuna..I no there's different types and I no I have a yellow lab I did look up the others but there long names..I have five in total..I don't know if there male or female..I looked up about how males have egg spots and I seen some on 3 of ny fish but then I read females do too..I'm slowly learning about them n so far..think I. Doing OK.. got p.h at 7.8 temp is 27° so at first I brought aquarium fish food but I started to find out there herbivores..I got them some pellets from amazon but they just spat them out ..how do I get them to eat pellets and are they the best food for them???....I live theses fish and am really trying to learn about them..I'm getting a BIG tank for my birthday in January.. this time everything will be diff kl use sand substrate n plenty of rocks. Any advice would really help me...many thanks for by our time.

 

[Deadeye]

Welcome to the forum!
Post some pics of the fish, there are plenty of people here who can properly ID most mbuna.
Most Cichlids aren’t too picky - they’ll eat anything. Most pellets formulated for African cichlids should suffice, and you can supplement with algae wafers.
How new is the tank? How long have the fish been in there? Both of those could answer why they are not eating.

 

[DJRansome]

Further to Deadeye's questions, did you use dechlorinator and how did you cycle the tank?

 

[tlindsey]

Hi everyone, I've been given a 75 ltr tank basically I went to the pet shop with my granddaughter and picked out the prettiest looming fish. ..I knew absolutely nothing about them.i later started to learn about them,first that there called African cichlids malawi mbuna..I no there's different types and I no I have a yellow lab I did look up the others but there long names..I have five in total..I don't know if there male or female..I looked up about how males have egg spots and I seen some on 3 of ny fish but then I read females do too..I'm slowly learning about them n so far..think I. Doing OK.. got p.h at 7.8 temp is 27° so at first I brought aquarium fish food but I started to find out there herbivores..I got them some pellets from amazon but they just spat them out ..how do I get them to eat pellets and are they the best food for them???....I live theses fish and am really trying to learn about them..I'm getting a BIG tank for my birthday in January.. this time everything will be diff kl use sand substrate n plenty of rocks. Any advice would really help me...many thanks for by our time.

Welcome aboard

 

[AR1]

Hi everyone, I've been given a 75 ltr tank basically I went to the pet shop with my granddaughter and picked out the prettiest looming fish. ..I knew absolutely nothing about them.i later started to learn about them,first that there called African cichlids malawi mbuna..I no there's different types and I no I have a yellow lab I did look up the others but there long names..I have five in total..I don't know if there male or female..I looked up about how males have egg spots and I seen some on 3 of ny fish but then I read females do too..I'm slowly learning about them n so far..think I. Doing OK.. got p.h at 7.8 temp is 27° so at first I brought aquarium fish food but I started to find out there herbivores..I got them some pellets from amazon but they just spat them out ..how do I get them to eat pellets and are they the best food for them???....I live theses fish and am really trying to learn about them..I'm getting a BIG tank for my birthday in January.. this time everything will be diff kl use sand substrate n plenty of rocks. Any advice would really help me...many thanks for by our time.

welcome to the forum!

 

[deeda]

Welcome to MFK!

A 75 liter tank is about 20 gallons so you may want to reconsider keeping African cichlids, especially 5 of them. Also egg spots are not a definite way to tell between male and female.

 

[SilverArowanaBoi]

Hi everyone, I've been given a 75 ltr tank basically I went to the pet shop with my granddaughter and picked out the prettiest looming fish. ..I knew absolutely nothing about them.i later started to learn about them,first that there called African cichlids malawi mbuna..I no there's different types and I no I have a yellow lab I did look up the others but there long names..I have five in total..I don't know if there male or female..I looked up about how males have egg spots and I seen some on 3 of ny fish but then I read females do too..I'm slowly learning about them n so far..think I. Doing OK.. got p.h at 7.8 temp is 27° so at first I brought aquarium fish food but I started to find out there herbivores..I got them some pellets from amazon but they just spat them out ..how do I get them to eat pellets and are they the best food for them???....I live theses fish and am really trying to learn about them..I'm getting a BIG tank for my birthday in January.. this time everything will be diff kl use sand substrate n plenty of rocks. Any advice would really help me...many thanks for by our time.

Welcome to the fun group! lol

 

[SilverArowanaBoi]

Hi everyone, I've been given a 75 ltr tank basically I went to the pet shop with my granddaughter and picked out the prettiest looming fish. ..I knew absolutely nothing about them.i later started to learn about them,first that there called African cichlids malawi mbuna..I no there's different types and I no I have a yellow lab I did look up the others but there long names..I have five in total..I don't know if there male or female..I looked up about how males have egg spots and I seen some on 3 of ny fish but then I read females do too..I'm slowly learning about them n so far..think I. Doing OK.. got p.h at 7.8 temp is 27° so at first I brought aquarium fish food but I started to find out there herbivores..I got them some pellets from amazon but they just spat them out ..how do I get them to eat pellets and are they the best food for them???....I live theses fish and am really trying to learn about them..I'm getting a BIG tank for my birthday in January.. this time everything will be diff kl use sand substrate n plenty of rocks. Any advice would really help me...many thanks for by our time.

Here are some questions and positive/negative answers that some have already mentioned that will help everyone help you (choose which letter applies to you) :

1. Has your tank gone through the nitrogen cycle (another way to say it: How new is your tank?)?

A. If it hasn't, then your fish will not survive for long, and they won't eat.
B. If it has, then your fish should be fine temporarily in a 20-gallon, and they're just being picky with food.

2. How long have your fish been in the tank? Did you get them and put them in the day of getting the new tank, or did you wait and put them in after cycling?

A. If you put your fish in the day of, your fish will not survive for long, and they are not happy right now, hence why they aren't eating. (related to the first question)
B. If your fish were put in after the nitrogen cycle and water quality, temperature, etc., is fine, then your fish are most likely just being picky. Try Deadeye's@ suggestion.

3. Are there proper hiding places for your fish?

A. If not: Mbunas live in a naturally rocky environment that has many hiding places; if you don't replicate that environment, then they won't be happy. Peacocks and Haps like open swimming spaces with minimal hiding spots, so a tank with sparse decor is fine for them. But for Mbunas like Yellow Labs, they need extensive rock work or caves in their tank to hide in. If they're stressed because there are no hiding places, they probably won't eat. Also, Texas holey rock would be ideal for your yellow labs.
B. If yes: Once again, they may just be picky, or it is one of the reasons above.

I won't state this one as a question, but you may have too small of a tank for 5 mbunas depending on their size, even if it's temporary. They may feel stressed and cramped, hence why they are not eating.

I wouldn't reconsider keeping Mbunas unless you don't plan on getting a much larger tank, like a 55-gallon or above. They get around 4-6 inches, and they need to be kept in a school, so they need a long-term minimum of 40 gallons, but preferably much larger. Since you mentioned that you are getting a new larger tank for your birthday, I don't believe this will be a problem. However, if you don't plan on getting something around 40 gallons or larger, then I would highly recommend taking those yellow labs back and figuring out something that is appropriate for your new tank. Remember to understock rather than overstock, especially with a new tank.

Others can give better info and ask better questions. I highly recommend taking the advice of most of these members as they are very knowledgeable and can really help you turn fishkeeping into a very enjoyable experience that will make you want to keep doing it for the rest of your life.

Good luck!

 

[❤️ my yellow lab]

Welcome to MFK!

A 75 liter tank is about 20 gallons so you may want to reconsider keeping African cichlids, especially 5 of them. Also egg spots are not a definite way to tell between male and female.

Do you think the tanks to small??oh no I hope im not doing anything to hurt the little guys.. I really love them...I've had them for 3 months now...as I said I made the terrible mistake of getting them without even knowing anything about them...I quickly realised these fish are not for the faint hearted...something I read once..I'd set all the tank up before they came here.the only reason I ended up with 5 is because I got 2 and the lady sold me a huge one and the little yellow lab..well the big one chased the little one round the tank non stop and honestly I couldn't watch that.so she's said oh yeh you need atleast 5...I told her the size tank I have...I'm getting a new one in january its a 120l...do you think they will be fine in that size?also it's just the pellets they can't eat the spit them out...I think il get this tank sooner if its in anyway distressing these beutifull fishxxx

 

[❤️ my yellow lab]

Here are some questions and positive/negative answers that some have already mentioned that will help everyone help you (choose which letter applies to you) :

1. Has your tank gone through the nitrogen cycle (another way to say it: How new is your tank?)?

A. If it hasn't, then your fish will not survive for long, and they won't eat.
B. If it has, then your fish should be fine temporarily in a 20-gallon, and they're just being picky with food.

2. How long have your fish been in the tank? Did you get them and put them in the day of getting the new tank, or did you wait and put them in after cycling?

A. If you put your fish in the day of, your fish will not survive for long, and they are not happy right now, hence why they aren't eating. (related to the first question)
B. If your fish were put in after the nitrogen cycle and water quality, temperature, etc., is fine, then your fish are most likely just being picky. Try Deadeye's@ suggestion.

3. Are there proper hiding places for your fish?

A. If not: Mbunas live in a naturally rocky environment that has many hiding places; if you don't replicate that environment, then they won't be happy. Peacocks and Haps like open swimming spaces with minimal hiding spots, so a tank with sparse decor is fine for them. But for Mbunas like Yellow Labs, they need extensive rock work or caves in their tank to hide in. If they're stressed because there are no hiding places, they probably won't eat. Also, Texas holey rock would be ideal for your yellow labs.
B. If yes: Once again, they may just be picky, or it is one of the reasons above.

I won't state this one as a question, but you may have too small of a tank for 5 mbunas depending on their size, even if it's temporary. They may feel stressed and cramped, hence why they are not eating.

I wouldn't reconsider keeping Mbunas unless you don't plan on getting a much larger tank, like a 55-gallon or above. They get around 4-6 inches, and they need to be kept in a school, so they need a long-term minimum of 40 gallons, but preferably much larger. Since you mentioned that you are getting a new larger tank for your birthday, I don't believe this will be a problem. However, if you don't plan on getting something around 40 gallons or larger, then I would highly recommend taking those yellow labs back and figuring out something that is appropriate for your new tank. Remember to understock rather than overstock, especially with a new tank.

Others can give better info and ask better questions. I highly recommend taking the advice of most of these members as they are very knowledgeable and can really help you turn fishkeeping into a very enjoyable experience that will make you want to keep doing it for the rest of your life.

Good luck!

Thanks for your post..much appreciated. As are all...the new tanks 120l..it has built in filter...I really don't want to take them back,but I will not let them suffer in anyway or form..as I said they are eating intact I have to remind myself no over feeding as they can eat and eat,it's just I see that pellets are best for them.so I gave them a whirl but no they wouldn't eat them..I got the small ones but it was like they didn't no what to do with them...I had them 3 months and they started growing although there all still small..Id like to think I've looked after them very well .they seem happy .I check the water everyday.. do my water changes once a wk at least 25/50% depending on the nitrate readings..I got a gravel cleaner to ..I was the filter out in the water from tank so I don't lose any good bacteria...I had ob thought about them growing hence the new tank ...thanks again