Some of my Cichla.
- Thread starter krichardson
- Start date
I've been thinking about getting some red hooks so if I can find some nice sized young ones they should make perfect dithers.....I've been trying to fatten this guy up on feeders but it does not appear to be filling out.gangster;4805248; said:
I know what you mean,I can't afford to lose any more kels or any other fish.It's been a rough past few months in that regard...I didn't get at boosten yet but I will hit him up and get him on the case.gangster;4808933; said:COuld be internal parasites.....seems to happen to a lot of these wc kelberi....DId you get at boosten our mfk kelberi expert? You dont wanna lose any more kelberi...im havn a hard enough time gettn one for my tank
FunWow!;4803775; said:
I second that, it forces them to come around and become bolder, but everyone has their preferences on tank decoration.
gangster;4808933; said:COuld be internal parasites.....seems to happen to a lot of these wc kelberi....DId you get at boosten our mfk kelberi expert? You dont wanna lose any more kelberi...im havn a hard enough time gettn one for my tank
Lol I'm an expert on them all, Kelberis are just my favorite. LOL JK I'm making myself sound like a real tool bag here.
Internal parasite are a potential problem when keeping wild caught fish. To be perfectly honest with you, it is hard to say for sure without doing test on the fish's tissue and or stool, you can only assume otherwise. There are many different type of internal parasites that live in a fish's blood, tissue, intestine...
Back to the real topic. As we all know Rapps's Kelberis that are collected from the Menias Gerias area tend to have a more slender or tapered body shape. I think the Bahias are the only kelberis that I have seen in the U.S. with an obese body shape. (this does not include japan and s.a.)
So you've had this Kelberi for about a month now, correct? It hasn't put on any girth or length at all? It's hard to tell by the pics, some look ok and some don't. Are the fish's bones showing? Any signs of a bloated stomach? Is the fish crapping normal? Is it crapping clear? Have you noticed anything weird beside the fish not gaining weight? How is the fishes appetite?
The only thing I can tell you without testing chemicals on your fish is place him in a tank alone and pump him with food twice a day or so.. I wouldn't stock the tank with feeders. Instead, I would feed him one feeder at a time to keep him aggressive. If he continues to put on no weight, looses weight while it is eating its daily meals, stops eat completely, it's crap is on the clear side for a long period of time or looks bloated at all times even when it's not eating meals then you know it's most likely an internal parasite. These are a few of the most common signs.
Don't get frightened by my post, I am not trying to worry you. Answer the questions above and use your best judgement. I'm sure everything is fine.
Take out all decor and throw in some massive powerheads. Seems to do the trick for me as far as keeping them muscular, but not obese. I'm running 3000gph through my 120g...1500 through the sump and 1500 via powerheads in the display tank. They look good regardless! Let me know if you ever decide to part with any 
Thank you.thaos95;4813397; said:
Will do Mike,I'll keep you pposted....Maybe we can work something out for that beauty that you'e got that I've had my eyes on.shookONES;4813234; said:Take out all decor and throw in some massive powerheads. Seems to do the trick for me as far as keeping them muscular, but not obese. I'm running 3000gph through my 120g...1500 through the sump and 1500 via powerheads in the display tank. They look good regardless! Let me know if you ever decide to part with any
