Pearsei hiding and not eating

[RemainVayne]

I moved my juvenile Pearsei from a 20 long into a 37g both to give it more room to swim, but more so to keep it from stealing food from the baby endli bichirs that were also in the 20 long.

This move happened about 4 days ago and the Pearsei is super jumpy in the 37g and always hides when I approach the tank to feed - lights on or lights off.

Any ideas in how to help him overcome this? In the 20g, the guy ate SO MUCH and even though it's only been less than a week, I'm worried about him not eating enough.

 

[RemainVayne]

Oops, some additional details -

There is a juvenile delhezi and juvenile Teugelsi in the 37g with the pearsei; however, these bichirs are very tame, keep to themselves, and don't pay any attention to the Pearsei.

 

[philipraposo1982]

Picture of the tank would help to get an idea. It's likely too bare, add lots of cover and floating fake plants or real. Keeps lights not super bright. Ensure you approach the tank slowly as to not spoon the fish.

They need time to adjust that's my thinking anyways.

 

[RemainVayne]

Picture of the tank would help to get an idea. It's likely too bare, add lots of cover and floating fake plants or real. Keeps lights not super bright. Ensure you approach the tank slowly as to not spoon the fish.

They need time to adjust that's my thinking anyways.

It's bare bottom with a couple fake plants and pieces of Driftwood. The Pearsei typically either hides behind the sponge filter stuck to the back wall of below a piece of wood seemingly whenever it senses I'm even thinking of approaching the tank. I can't for sure add some fake floating plant coverage and see if that helps.

Also, the lighting is from a very old fluorescent light that's quite dim.

 

[dan518]

Was the old tank he was in bare bottom as well,
What are the water parameters of the new tank, can the filtration cope with more bioload, how big is he now.

 

[RemainVayne]

Was the old tank he was in bare bottom as well,
What are the water parameters of the new tank, can the filtration cope with more bioload, how big is he now.

Yeah the old tank was also bare bottom. The 37 has 2 HOBs and a sponge filter. He's maybe about 3" or so.

 

[duanes]

I find bare bottom tanks for cichlids to be very unsettling, even though the 1st tank was bare bottom, being uprooted changes everything.
Cichlids are very aware and highly developed, so changes, even if for the better size wise, need adjustment time. Also cichlids in nature are surrounded by shoals of livebearers that they watch for the threat of danger, without that instinctive threat barometer can become paranoid and reclusive.
The video below, does not contain pearsei, but was taken less than 100 miles from where they live, so is a good indication of the requirements they may prefer, and even though your tiny tank is nothing like nature, a few million years of evolution does not go away after a few generations in a glass box.
Azul imovie edit

 

[RemainVayne]

I find bare bottom tanks for cichlids to be very unsettling, even though the 1st tank was bare bottom, being uprooted changes everything.
Cichlids are very aware and highly developed, so changes, even if for the better size wise, need adjustment time. Also cichlids in nature are surrounded by shoals of livebearers that they watch for the threat of danger, without that instinctive threat barometer can become paranoid and reclusive.
The video below, does not contain pearsei, but was taken less than 100 miles from where they live, so is a good indication of the requirements they may prefer, and even though your tiny tank is nothing like nature, a few million years of evolution does not go away after a few generations in a glass box.
Azul imovie edit

So would it be best to move him into the final destination tank, which is a 170 that's got a bunch of flora as well as numerous other fish, including giant danios as dithers? Nothing in this tank would hurt him at his current size. Or should I just give him some more time to settle into the 37g to grow out some more?

 

[Reiner]

If there is nothing in the 170 that can hurt him I'd move the fish there.

 

[dan518]

+1