Dolphin Moori blue patches

[Irecruitfish]

I grew this dolphin cichlid as a fry in my 29 gallon for over a year and now it graduated to my 125 gallon. Well I added it to the 125 over 2 months ago but just noticed its behavior is way off today. Water conditions are perfect even though I didn't change the water in 2 weeks. I missed 2 days worth of feeding.

Usually it's very aggressive at greeting me expecting a feeding. It's hanging out at the bottom of the tank and hardly ate. No clue what's going on but maybe another fish attacked it? I didn't notice any sparring today.


Here's more info
PH 7.5
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20

Tank is understocked with juveniles
3 inch dolphin cichlid
5 inch electric blue acara
4 inch leopard bush fish
5 inch African knife fish
6 inch Senegal bichir
7 tiger barbs
5 black skirt tetra
4 inch opaline gourami
3 syno catfish about 3 inches

 

[RD.]

Looks like a female holding a mouthful of eggs. The dark patches are typical when this species is stressed, quite common with holding females. I'm going to guess that your 5" blue acara is a male.

 

[mchad]

I have 4 blue dolphins, all about 4 inches. The spots definitely appear when they are stressed. They come and go. I have not had any breeding, but just from aggression and water changes, some of mine will get the spots. They are also not happy campers when we rake the sand back.

 

[Irecruitfish]

Looks like a female holding a mouthful of eggs. The dark patches are typical when this species is stressed, quite common with holding females. I'm going to guess that your 5" blue acara is a male.

Whoa really?? I was going to medicate the entire tank with API General Cure. Iwould be so happy if this is the case. Someone said it might be Malawi bloat?

 

[Grinch]

Whoa really?? I was going to medicate the entire tank with API General Cure. Iwould be so happy if this is the case. Someone said it might be Malawi bloat?

It's a new one on me if a blue acara (Neotropical cichlid) can hybridize with a blue dolphin (Malawi cichlid). It does not look like this fish is holding to me (the gular area looks a little distended but the mouth is pretty open), nor does it look like Malawi Bloat... it does look like it is in stress coloration.

 

[RD.]

I've been keeping C. moorii for many years, I still have an adult breeding group in one of my tanks that spawns on a regular basis. I currently have 2 females holding in that tank. It certainly looks like a young female holding to me. Keep in mind, that a holding female, does not necessarily equate to a female holding viable eggs. I have no idea what triggered her producing and dropping eggs (I assumed the "blue" acara male), but a mouthful of eggs is exactly what it looks like.

Not bloat, not even close ......

 

[Irecruitfish]

I've been keeping C. moorii for many years, I still have an adult breeding group in one of my tanks that spawns on a regular basis. I currently have 2 females holding in that tank. It certainly looks like a young female holding to me. Keep in mind, that a holding female, does not necessarily equate to a female holding viable eggs. I have no idea what triggered her producing and dropping eggs (I assumed the "blue" acara male), but a mouthful of eggs is exactly what it looks like.

Not bloat, not even close ......

It looks like she has something in her mouth as if she's slightly chewing/tasting something. I wish I could catch her but shes too smart and hides perfectly in unreachable areas. How many days do they hold the fry in their mouths?

 

[RD.]

There won't be any fry.

 

[Irecruitfish]

There won't be any fry.

Took a video just now

 

[RD.]

She is mouthing eggs, no question about it. The eggs will for almost certainty all be dead, and dropped over the next few days.

edited to add - if by some rare chance fry are produced, please grow them out!