I need some help on this one. I recently got a Paratilapia bleekeri on September 5 from LFS. He's about 6-7 inches. He went into a 135 gallon tank that is newly cycled, (Ammonia =0, Nitrite = 0, Nitrate = 10). I am testing the water daily. There were no other fish. Temp is 76F. pH~7.5. I don't know the exact hardness, but I am on Austin, TX tap water (medium hardness) if that helps.
He has refused all food at all times of the day. He seemed interested in some food items, coming up to the food item and "smelling" it, sometimes even giving it a taste but then spitting it out. I've tried: flake, cichlid pellets, shrimp pellets, the cichlid pellets that the store was feeding him, live crickets, live guppies, live worms, frozen mysis shrimp, frozen krill, frozen bloodworms, plus the garlic extract trick.
On September 11, I purchased 15 giant danios as dithers. His behavior has certainly improved. He is more outgoing, but even still seems shy. He has a hiding place where nothing can see him, including me. He still doesn't see me as nonthreatening, so he always swims away when I am around, or watches me suspiciously.
While he was at the LFS, he was in a tank with other cichlids. He was top cichlid in that tank.
And now, because I can't get his stress level down, he is starting to develop hole in the head. It's small, but there. His color is good and vivid. I've not seen any stringy poo or other signs of disease.
I don't think this is a food issue so much as an environment/stress issue. The water is fine, but I'm missing something. Any ideas? Does he need another cichlid to boss around? This is the 9th day not eating.
Thanks!
Jillian
He has refused all food at all times of the day. He seemed interested in some food items, coming up to the food item and "smelling" it, sometimes even giving it a taste but then spitting it out. I've tried: flake, cichlid pellets, shrimp pellets, the cichlid pellets that the store was feeding him, live crickets, live guppies, live worms, frozen mysis shrimp, frozen krill, frozen bloodworms, plus the garlic extract trick.
On September 11, I purchased 15 giant danios as dithers. His behavior has certainly improved. He is more outgoing, but even still seems shy. He has a hiding place where nothing can see him, including me. He still doesn't see me as nonthreatening, so he always swims away when I am around, or watches me suspiciously.
While he was at the LFS, he was in a tank with other cichlids. He was top cichlid in that tank.
And now, because I can't get his stress level down, he is starting to develop hole in the head. It's small, but there. His color is good and vivid. I've not seen any stringy poo or other signs of disease.
I don't think this is a food issue so much as an environment/stress issue. The water is fine, but I'm missing something. Any ideas? Does he need another cichlid to boss around? This is the 9th day not eating.
Thanks!
Jillian
