hi... i have 2 kenyi cichlids currently ina 20 gal... im planning to move them to my 50 gal in the coming weeks.. they are around 1.5 to 2 inches... one is really colorful and the other one is dull in colour with a hint of yellow and an egg spot... so im guessing i have a male and a female.. recently the female stopped eating and always hides in the corner.... why is this..?? is this because there is only one female to the male..??? and also the male kinda vibrates its tail infront of the female... are they trying to mate..?? arent they too small..??
kenyi cichlid not eating
- Thread starter moosZ
- Start date
If it's not bullying, it's most likely bloat. What have you been feeding them?
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Great then this is simply a case of bullying so you can just work on evening out the aggression. I guess you already understand that your Kenyi are mbuna (rock dwellering cichlids from lake malawi), and they will eventually need a bit more space than a 20G, however at that small size they will be ok for a bit longer. The best ways to ease aggression in mbuna is to make sure you have enough hiding places for each male to grab a territory and to overstock the tank. I would add some more fish and add plenty of cover. Kenyi are lovely but notoriously fiesty. Maybe add another typr of mbuna like yellow labs. To be hinest there are so many to choose from you can add what you like, but i would avoid any of the Melanchromis for now as your tank is too small to add another aggressive group.
In a word yes, egg spots are not a sure indicator. Some males have them, some don't and some females do and some don't.