Cuban Cichlid Growout Help

[stiker]

Hello,
On the 19th of April 2019 I had 10 small Nandopsis Tetracanthus same day freighted to me. All of them arrived alive and well. I acclimated and introduce them to a 4 ft 75G tank that contained only 2 L002 as a growout. (The L002 will be removed soon)
I did notice from the beginning that they were very skittish and shy and not eating very well but I attributed that to them being new and settling in.
A week after I acquired 9 Parachromis Multifasciatus (formally Friedrichsthalii) which I also added to the 75G along with 9 Melanotaenia Trifasciata which purpose was to be dithers and help the Cichlids feel comfortable.
At this point all the cichlids were around 2.5cm - 3.5cm (approx. 1 inch - 1.5inch)

Fast forward around 1.5 months (N. Tetracanthus now range in size from around 3cm - 5cm approx 1.2 inch - 2 inches with only a few at the larger end and the P. Multifasciatus range in size from around 3cm - 5cm approx 1.2 inch - 2 inches with only 1 being towards the smaller size) now and my concerns are with the N. Tetracanthus. I recently have noticed them to be thin and not very aggressive eaters compared to the P. Multifasciatus (the smaller N. Tetracanthus I barely see eat at all they seem to just watch the pellets fall and then stare at them for a bit before taking them into their mouths) I have also noticed that the P. Multifasciatus to be growing much faster and on the whole seem to be the more dominate species. Both species are still dominate and aggressive when guarding territories but when it comes to eating the P. Multifasciatus definitely win. The N. Tetracanthus I have also noticed some have had short white feaces, which I have read can be from not eating enough or from stress. I did not notice this before say 2 weeks ago.
As a precaution I have been feeding them exclusively a Gel food mix that contains metronidazole to combat the possibility of internal parasites., even though I believe it may be more likely attritubed to nto eating enough or stress.

Previously I was feeding a variety of foods:
- Dainichi Ultima Krill
- Dainichi Veggies Supreme (Began using this around 1 week before I started feeding the medicated gel food)
- Repashy (3/4 Grub Pie, 1/4 Super Green)
- Live Blackworms
- Frozen Bloodworms

For the medicated Gel Food I have switched to the New Life Spectrum Gel Mix and I have noticed the fish just seem to take in the food and spit it out.

I perform 50% water changes every two days and feed twice a day (feeding reduced to once a day with the medicated gel food)

I have plans to move the N. Tetracanthus to a 6x2x2 ft tank with a sump, but I need to move on some fish first, and am concerned about putting them in such a large tank for their size if I am not 100% sure that they are eating properly.

For say the next 2 week until I have the larger tank ready to go for the N. Tetracanthus what would be my best course of action?
Should I put a divider in the 4FT tank and seperate the two species to make sure the issue is not the P. Multifasciatus purely out competing the N. Tetracanthus for food?

I have tried to include some videos to show the fish. The videos are 1-2 week old. I appreciate all the advice.

Sorry if this is hard to understand I tried to expalin as best as I could. If you require anything clarified or more information ask.

 

[Gourami Swami]

I think your idea of the divider is a good one. It could very well be the parachromis just out competing the more timid tetracanthus. Unless they are eating well and aggressively I wouldn't put them in such a big tank just yet either. I'd divide, and put some floating plants or fake plants suction cupped to top of tank, to provide some cover. often small fish not eating well just don't feel safe or comfortable in my experience. Have some dithers in with them as well to show them when the food comes. If you've been feeding metro for a couple weeks now, I would switch back to regular food. The white poop could be hexamita, or it could just be the intestinal liner due to stress or other factors. If it's hex, and they have been eating metro for a couple of weeks now, they should be good. If not, then better to get them on a food they like.

 

[stiker]

I think your idea of the divider is a good one. It could very well be the parachromis just out competing the more timid tetracanthus. Unless they are eating well and aggressively I wouldn't put them in such a big tank just yet either. I'd divide, and put some floating plants or fake plants suction cupped to top of tank, to provide some cover. often small fish not eating well just don't feel safe or comfortable in my experience. Have some dithers in with them as well to show them when the food comes. If you've been feeding metro for a couple weeks now, I would switch back to regular food. The white poop could be hexamita, or it could just be the intestinal liner due to stress or other factors. If it's hex, and they have been eating metro for a couple of weeks now, they should be good. If not, then better to get them on a food they like.

Thank you for the response,
Tomorrow I will try and make a perspex (what is is called in australia not sure about other countries) divider with drilled holes in it as egg crate will be too big and they will be able to fit through.
I have only been feeding the metro gel food for 3 days and as I said they just seem to pull of chunks of it and spit it out

 

[duanes]

With cichlids I always consider how it may fit into the habitat in nature when trying to achieve success with a species.
Tetracanthus is the only cichlid in Cuba, in its part of the island, so they don't have competition with any other similar cichlid species. Same with haitiensus in Hispaniolla, so when keeping haitiensus, and combining them in a tank with other cichlids there are often stress induced problems, to the point where stress causes the less adapted to the situation species to bloat, and die of illness. This could be the case with tetracanthus too.
Where multifasciatus are endemic, there are a number of other cichlid species, so competition is part of the normal life experience, and they have evolved to cope with it. This may give the multifasciatus enough of an edge, to eliminate competition, one that is not equip to handle it, especially in the grow out stage, where even a slight edge can be critical.
You may notice in any natural habitat, there are seldom 2 species of a genus together, like Parachromis, or other similar genera. Over time the best equip species edges out the other to the point of extinction of the weaker,ot its adaption to a completely new species to cope, this is one reason I never try to keep two of a single genus in the same tank, unless it would occur that way in nature. Of course a tank is not nature, but in the confines of a tank, this may only serve to amplify the problems of cohabitation, as opposed to making it less an issue, or less critical.

 

[duanes]

By the way I realize Nandopsis and Parachromis are not the same genus, but for a long time they were considered part of the same genus because they were so similar in looks, attitude, and requirements.
Enough so that I personally would not keep or even try to grow these two out, in the same tank.

 

[stiker]

By the way I realize Nandopsis and Parachromis are not the same genus, but for a long time they were considered part of the same genus because they were so similar in looks, attitude, and requirements.
Enough so that I personally would not keep or even try to grow these two out, in the same tank.

Do you think it would work for a little if I divided the tank like Gourami Swami suggested? I worry about putting the Tetracanthus in the 6x2x2 tank at the size that they are especially considering they aren't eating strongly yet.
Do you also have any suggestions for good foods I can feed them at the size that they are?

 

[duanes]

A divided tank would be much better than having them together.
As a normal practice, in growing out haitiensus, many people will divide a tank in compartments with 1 haitiensus to a compartment (each compartment with a flowerpot as a cave), because they are so hard on each other. Don't think you will need to be this anal with tetracanthus though.
But tetracanthus have been known to kill each other if space is limited..
With my first half dozen, the largest ate all his brothers and sisters, by the time they were 4" in a 55 gal grout tank.
This of course, is "cichlid normal" behavior, I bought a bag of half dozen gram modes at an American Cichlid Association Convention auction, and put them in a 75 gal to grow out, within about a month, there were only 2 left.

 

[garnett]

Tetracanthus isn't the only cichlid in Cuba ,Nandopsis ramsdeni is also inhabit in Cuba.

 

[duanes]

Ramsdeni is also Cuban, that's why I said " on its part of the island", because ramsdeni is only endemic to a small area, an area where tetracanthus isn't common.
Later on, to save it from going extinct, ramsdeni was transplanted to other areas of the island.
Whether it was successful colonizing the other sections is anybodies guess.