Chocolate cichlid beats himself up in the mirror!

[FishDorkMike]

This is true, Mike. Try the solution as I find it more reliable as well. Hang in there and I am sure that everyone is just trying to help in their own way!

You need to post some pictures!

I have posted pictures of the sickly green looking chocolate in my album on my profile. I will be posting pictures soon of a much better looking chocolate in a tank that most of you say is unsuitable...the water is a bit green, gotta clear that up first. (my chocolate already named Chocko) Already exibits better health and behavior in the tank I put him in against many you guys advice. Not trying to be crass, but I do know how to use google. I just wanted to see what the know it alls on this forum had to say.

 

[FishDorkMike]

This is true, Mike. Try the solution as I find it more reliable as well. Hang in there and I am sure that everyone is just trying to help in their own way!

You need to post some pictures!

I also use PRIME water conditioner and detoxifier (much better than startright) I also test the water for ph with wardley mid range ph indicator. I do everything I know how. ( I dont only use the test strips)

 

[ibz_rg]

Google's not exactly a credible source. Most of the results you find on there will be of people who don't know what they're talking about. I've seen several sites say that a 30 gallon is suitable for an Oscar for life. This and a select few forums devoted to fishkeeping are the only places you should go to find valuable information about how to keep fish. We may have acted a bit harsh, but if you have to provoke your fish to eat correctly, something obviously isn't working.

 

[FishDorkMike]

Google's not exactly a credible source. Most of the results you find on there will be of people who don't know what they're talking about. I've seen several sites say that a 30 gallon is suitable for an Oscar for life. This and a select few forums devoted to fishkeeping are the only places you should go to find valuable information about how to keep fish. We may have acted a bit harsh, but if you have to provoke your fish to eat correctly, something obviously isn't working.

No, mostly what I find for an oscar in a 30 gallon is that it will be quite unhappy although will survive for its expected life expectancy...Also, google is a resource to other fish forums other than this one. THIS is not the only source of information about any sort of fish. Also, when i see folks like kdrun saying you cant mix cichlids like i want to...and I see it done in real life..(and have someone contradict him on this thread or another) it really doesnt do much for my faith in advice of people on this forum. I HAVE followed alot of advice from folks on this forum, and nothing seems to work for me but what Ive found through my own research.

 

[FishDorkMike]

I would recommend against the test strips mike, most on here like to use the API solution test kit. The issue with the strips is that they are unreliable, their results can be skewed by spilling water on them, improper storage or something as simple as humidity.

And I think everyone needs to calm down, including you Mike. I'm tired of seeing a Mod in every thread within the CA/SA section just to stop the arguements.

the results can also be reliable by not spilling extra water on them, and i promise the humitidty is not 1 degree different 5 miles away from my house. I also read the directions on the container and keep the strips how they are supposed to be kept. Yes. I can read. I do read. I am sick and tired of you god complexed people trying to pick on the new person like he doesnt know ****. Dipping a test strip according to instructions is not hard. Nor is using the water liquid based tests. I do use them both They both prove that my water conditions match the contitions of my LFS as closely as humanly possible. THe only difference between my tanks and my LFS is that I use white substrate and she uses black. I will be mixing black substrate in with the white I have tomorrow. Although I only expect that to have an effect on my new jewels. My chocolate is behaving perfectly like every source outside of this forum has said it should even with the mirrored tank!

 

[jgentry]

No, mostly what I find for an oscar in a 30 gallon is that it will be quite unhappy although will survive for its expected life expectancy...Also, google is a resource to other fish forums other than this one. THIS is not the only source of information about any sort of fish. Also, when i see folks like kdrun saying you cant mix cichlids like i want to...and I see it done in real life..(and have someone contradict him on this thread or another) it really doesnt do much for my faith in advice of people on this forum. I HAVE followed alot of advice from folks on this forum, and nothing seems to work for me but what Ive found through my own research.

Certain cichlids can be mixed quite successfully. Many cannot though. Please realize that what you see in a pet store is often not what you should try to recreate. They often have all kinds of fish mixed together because they need the tank space. It is short term and they often do not have issues because the fish are packed in the tank and there are so many the aggression is spread out or they are still to stressed from shipping, different water, etc to show there normal behavior. If any of the fish are harrased or killed they are quickly removed so you would never know that there was a problem. Also, pet stores do not quarentine fish. They have many tanks on one system and simply rely on a UV sterilizer to hopefully kill everything. The constant adding of newly shipped fish always leads to parsites and ick issues so you really need to quarentine after you buy the fish if you can. I realize most people do not have other tanks to do this.

As far as the mirror, if it is working and the fish is not hurting itself then there isn't really a problem. In the long run you will probably need to remove it, so just watch for your fish getting too aggressive or attacking it to much. Chocolates are weird little fish and some of them can be extremely shy. A friend had one that hid all the time. I've had one that is always out and active. Maybe as it gets bigger it will be more active and you will not need the mirror. A 60g will be fine for your chocolate. I wouldn't add much else as chocolates get pretty large and are a chunky fish.

 

[FishDorkMike]

Certain cichlids can be mixed quite successfully. Many cannot though. Please realize that what you see in a pet store is often not what you should try to recreate. They often have all kinds of fish mixed together because they need the tank space. It is short term and they often do not have issues because the fish are packed in the tank and there are so many the aggression is spread out or they are still to stressed from shipping, different water, etc to show there normal behavior. If any of the fish are harrased or killed they are quickly removed so you would never know that there was a problem. Also, pet stores do not quarentine fish. They have many tanks on one system and simply rely on a UV sterilizer to hopefully kill everything. The constant adding of newly shipped fish always leads to parsites and ick issues so you really need to quarentine after you buy the fish if you can. I realize most people do not have other tanks to do this.

As far as the mirror, if it is working and the fish is not hurting itself then there isn't really a problem. In the long run you will probably need to remove it, so just watch for your fish getting too aggressive or attacking it to much. Chocolates are weird little fish and some of them can be extremely shy. A friend had one that hid all the time. I've had one that is always out and active. Maybe as it gets bigger it will be more active and you will not need the mirror. A 60g will be fine for your chocolate. I wouldn't add much else as chocolates get pretty large and are a chunky fish.

I know this, and as I said, I have a friendly relationship with the LFS. I woould not consider the tanks she kept the other chocolate i didnt buy (that was kept in a tank with firemouths, peacocks, parrots, and africans) as any sort of hostile environment. Many of you would say these combos of fish would constantly be hostile. I am at this LFS once a week. This obviously is not so. Yes, chocolates are finicky little ****ers. He behaves like all of my research indicates he should in the tank I have put him in. WITH THE MIRROR. My jewels are loving the 60 gallon without.

 

[FishDorkMike]

Certain cichlids can be mixed quite successfully. Many cannot though. Please realize that what you see in a pet store is often not what you should try to recreate. They often have all kinds of fish mixed together because they need the tank space. It is short term and they often do not have issues because the fish are packed in the tank and there are so many the aggression is spread out or they are still to stressed from shipping, different water, etc to show there normal behavior. If any of the fish are harrased or killed they are quickly removed so you would never know that there was a problem. Also, pet stores do not quarentine fish. They have many tanks on one system and simply rely on a UV sterilizer to hopefully kill everything. The constant adding of newly shipped fish always leads to parsites and ick issues so you really need to quarentine after you buy the fish if you can. I realize most people do not have other tanks to do this.

As far as the mirror, if it is working and the fish is not hurting itself then there isn't really a problem. In the long run you will probably need to remove it, so just watch for your fish getting too aggressive or attacking it to much. Chocolates are weird little fish and some of them can be extremely shy. A friend had one that hid all the time. I've had one that is always out and active. Maybe as it gets bigger it will be more active and you will not need the mirror. A 60g will be fine for your chocolate. I wouldn't add much else as chocolates get pretty large and are a chunky fish.

I know this, and as I said, I have a friendly relationship with the LFS. I woould not consider the tanks she kept the other chocolate i didnt buy (that was kept in a tank with firemouths, peacocks, parrots, and africans) as any sort of hostile environment. Many of you would say these combos of fish would constantly be hostile. I am at this LFS once a week. This obviously is not so. Yes, chocolates are finicky little ****ers. He behaves like all of my research indicates he should in the tank I have put him in. WITH THE MIRROR. My jewels are loving the 60 gallon without. The chocolate did react to his reflection in the mirrored tank in the first week or a few days...after that..he just wanted his cichlid gold floating at the top...thats all...yes, I am aware of the dangers of introducing a fish to a new tank and they come down with ick or what not....my LFS lady will NOT give me my ordered fish until she is sure....she quarentines them herself...we compare water samples....we have a friendly relationship...i bought a red devil from her 6 months ago that was a half inch long, i babied it to 6 inches long, and a mean ***** at that. she was beautiful, the LFS made atleast 50 bucks on her. I am sure she went to a good home because i KNOW this woman. This is why I trust her to quarentine my fish, i trust her to compare our water samples and such and say that its safe, and she has never failed me aside from this chocolate...she is even suprised that the chocolate would rather be in the mirrored tank...it does have a slower piece of junk filter...but it works and does its job..but the water is kind of dirty, like an oscar..chocolates are dirty fish i know. .ive read that chocolates dont like to much turbulance...to bad the piece of junk filter wont fit on the 60 gallon tank. the 60 gallon has a marineland penguin 350 (with all four cartridges put in) biowheel.....trust me...this woman does NOT need the tank space just to show off fish. lol. She has plenty of empties....some of which she uses to quarentine fish for folks that order from her....she has the most professional setup I have seen in the arkansas / texarkana area.

 

[FishDorkMike]

my LFS lady -WILL- tell you to go to hell if you dont have proper housing. I just thought I would add that. SHe is an honest woman that I have I been trading fish back and forth with for 3 years. i buy them...enjoy them...let them get perfect and big ..and people will buy them for insane prices..she knows this...it took her 2 days to sell my female red devil..i miss redina..she was awesome..but she wouldhave killed the two oscars i also gave away (that were bigger than she was) and she killed my male convict....either way....she didnt have a nick on her..nd the oscars (a red and a tiger with a nice EYE tail spot) got me nice credit...i traded them in on advice from THIS forum. Kdrun stuff himself when he says I dont want to take advice...my LFS made atleast 200 bucks off of this forums advice including his. ( i might have paid 50 all together...lol )

 

[JTRG05]

the results can also be reliable by not spilling extra water on them, and i promise the humitidty is not 1 degree different 5 miles away from my house. I also read the directions on the container and keep the strips how they are supposed to be kept. Yes. I can read. I do read. I am sick and tired of you god complexed people trying to pick on the new person like he doesnt know ****. Dipping a test strip according to instructions is not hard. Nor is using the water liquid based tests. I do use them both They both prove that my water conditions match the contitions of my LFS as closely as humanly possible. THe only difference between my tanks and my LFS is that I use white substrate and she uses black. I will be mixing black substrate in with the white I have tomorrow. Although I only expect that to have an effect on my new jewels. My chocolate is behaving perfectly like every source outside of this forum has said it should even with the mirrored tank!

You found nothing wrong with my post earlier giving you advice, now you think I have a god complex. The strips are innacurate not because they may read different at the LFS than at your house, but because if they are skewed your ammonia reading could read 0, while in reality it could be .5 ppm (common advice you can find through google). I can help you, but judging from your responses its not help you are looking for. Good luck.