Urgent query for all you MIDAS/RD Experts

[Miguel]

I got this guy 2 weeks ago and he was placed in one of my MFK tanks.

He was a perfect orange. Had a sizeable nuchal hump.

He is a mellow guy, does not pick fights, neither did he in his previous owner's monster tank.

In my tank he cohabits with large Aros, 4 Oscars, 2 Jaguars, a couple of Pacman cats , 1 Cichla and a Black Wolf ( Curupira ).

In his previous tank he was also with a lot of large fish, with one difference: he had a female with him.


During the first 10 days he behaved normally, eating normally with the other fish.

I should say that feeding in this tank is a frenzy, with lots of splashing, and you name it....

In the last couple of days I notice:

- Loss of colour, from a vivid orange to a clearly pale orange.

- Hump is allmost gone.

- The moment he notices that I am about to feed, he retreats, timidly, as if afraid or disturbed of the feeding frenzy of his tank colleagues.

- Feeding is over, he comes back to the front and behaves normally.

The attached pix already show the "downgrading" from how he was 2 weeks ago. He is less orange now and has less hump...

Opinions?

 

[DCOWBOYS]

Hump doesnt look like it got too small(maybe he misses his old lady)he may be stressed out in his new tank(not eating)give him some time see what happens,good luck!!

 

[Aquanero]

Sounds like he lost his mate and now has no one to display for, that and the fact that his place in this tank might not be at the same level and/or might still be displaced an is adjusting to the new pecking order. Is that a sore on the top of his head? I almost didn't want to relpy because you used the word expert and I hardly qualify.

 

[Miguel]

Sounds like he lost his mate and now has no one to display for, that and the fact that his place in this tank might not be at the same level and/or might still be displaced an is adjusting to the new pecking order. Is that a sore on the top of his head? I almost didn't want to relpy because you used the word expert and I hardly qualify.

If you don't qualify, First Sargeant, there will be few who do.

The point is he ate and acted normal during the first 10 days. His timidity just showed up beginning last weekend ( and his colour and hump loss - hump wash huge ).

I tend to think, from observation, that he is afraid of the Black Wolf, but none of the others are.....could this be a reason?

Small thing on the top of his head must have been from a bump in the driftwood. Happens a lot in this tank......

Should I take him out and put hin in a partitioned tank with this guy?

His hump was bigger than this one....Would this kind of competition revive him?

 

[Gruff Master]

His place in the hierarchy may have changed. There may be another fish that has proven its dominance and now your RD is showing signs of his new status.

 

[Miguel]

to the point of retreating at feeding time?

will it resume feeding in this current status...

 

[Aquanero]

Yes, I do think if you remove him and put him in the partitioned tank it Could bring him back to his bull midas look by displaying to and chalanging the other fish.
However and there's always a however, from what you discribed he has assumed a lower place in the pecking order whin the current community and is showing his submission thru a decreased size of his nauchal hump. As far has him acting normal for ten days and now being skiddish, it could be due to a confrontation you did not wittness. If he is fine otherwise you could leave him in the current tank and let things sort themselves out as long as no ones getting hurt. Both options are viable, if you go the partioioned tank rout and then put him back in the community the whole thing will start over, might be best to leave him for a while and see what happens.

 

[Miguel]

brought him because, as so qaptly put by you, he was a BULL.

Now he is looking more and more like a female or a low hierarchy male. If he is to stay like that, there is no point in keeping him in the monster tank.

I want my bull back.

 

[Miguel]

Bump for more opinions, please?

 

[dlp40]

Is the female available that he was with? The reason i ask is, maybe if he had his female back he would get the bull look going again. Not to say that once he's bigger and higher up in the socail structure in your tank that you couldn't remove the female. I'd try it, sounds to me as if he's just relizing that she's gone.