Diatom algae problem

[deeda]

Use a single edge razor blade if the tank is glass.

 

[Rocksor]

The thing about black out curtains is that i don’t know but I think it’s possible it may effect the flowerhorns colors and cause then to darken.

If you have a light above the tank the lack of light outside of the tank won't affect its color. Putting a fish outside in a tank that has direct sunlight will definitely brighten its color.

You can't have sunlight hitting the tank and no diatoms without manual work.

 

[Deadeye]

What about this( I don’t completely like the idea of intentionally not feeding a fish especially at this size for a day) if I feed one time in the morning and one time at night then the next day I feed only once in the middle of the day and I feed a lot less? Would that cycle be okay?

A fish like this at this size can go over a week before needing anything. I feed everything every other day except my puffers which have really fast metabolisms.

 

[Rtc/tsn]

A fish like this at this size can go over a week before needing anything. I feed everything every other day except my puffers which have really fast metabolisms.

So I’ll feed 1 time a day at roughly 3pm only one time every other day.

 

[Deadeye]

So I’ll feed 1 time a day at roughly 3pm only one time every other day.

Every day or every other day is fine, every day will help the flowerhorn to grow a lot faster. For the flowerhorns it is good to have a fast day because their impaired digestive tract makes it easy to get impacted.

 

[Rocksor]

Every day or every other day is fine, every day will help the flowerhorn to grow a lot faster. For the flowerhorns it is good to have a fast day because their impaired digestive tract makes it easy to get impacted.

How is their digestive tract impaired? Most look to be the same length as a midevil or vieja type. I can understand the short body types, but wondering about the normal body types.

 

[Deadeye]

How is their digestive tract impaired? Most look to be the same length as a midevil or vieja type. I can understand the short body types, but wondering about the normal body types.

Magnus_Bane would know this one better than me, but if I am correct, all of the hybridization and inbreeding resulted in blockages occurring much easier in the digestive system. I don’t know much about the anatomy itself. I think it also has a lot to do with them being generally weaker on the health/immune department compared to a pure, wild type cichlid. Short body would only make it worse.

 

[Rocksor]

Magnus_Bane would know this one better than me, but if I am correct, all of the hybridization and inbreeding resulted in blockages occurring much easier in the digestive system. I don’t know much about the anatomy itself. I think it also has a lot to do with them being generally weaker on the health/immune department compared to a pure, wild type cichlid. Short body would only make it worse.

I wondering if the blockages are more from an incorrect diet (built into the flowerhorn foods) rather than the hybridization/inbreeding. Quoting from duanes https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/...entral-american-cichlids.735367/#post-8288060

Most Central Americans are omnivores meaning they get a large chunk of their diet from algae, detritus, and other plant type foods.
Cichlids like Rocio (JDs, the Herichthys carpintus group, and many Amatitlania (convict type)) spend much of their day grazing on algae, and detritus, getting that plant based diet, along with a little extra protein from the small animals that live in it.
Some Central Americans, the genera Cincelichthys, Isthmoheros, and some Vieja are primarily vegetarian, eating fallen fruit, leaf littler, higher aquatic and terrestrial plants, and algae.
Vieja maculacauda are even know to enter the ocean to graze on nutrient rich marine (salt water) algae.
Whenever you see a disc shaped, and rather round flat cichlid, it is apparent they cichlids are not built to be a predator, and their mouth shape and type of teeth coincide with those meant to graze on plants.

 

[Deadeye]

I wondering if the blockages are more from an incorrect diet (built into the flowerhorn foods) rather than the hybridization/inbreeding. Quoting from duanes https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/...entral-american-cichlids.735367/#post-8288060

Quite possible. Those flowerhorn foods are probably packed with shrimp and fish meat to bring out the reds and other colors. Only plant matter is probably spirulina.
Makes sense from their amph ancestors, which are predators, but that Vieja in there (and whatever else) probably is not getting enough plant diet. Like if you had a hamburger for every meal for your life, you will have some problems.
I remember reading that feeding fresh foods helps flowerhorns and their digestive problems.
Probably that compounded with a messed up hybrid fish results in their bad digestion, where a normal cichlid may be able to take an all pellet diet a lot easier.

 

[Magnus_Bane]

Personally I would assume that the blockage rate is increased due to hybridization. Just remember, just because they look similar on the outside does not mean that their insides will match up. So when ya hybridize them together the genes don't quite know where to put what. I think it would be allot like combining the blueprints for 2 different houses together and seeing what happens. Sure the external designs may be the same but the internal structures could be totally different and possibly clash against one another.