My red zebra cichlid and the albino red both are always at the filter swimming into the water and bubbles coming out of it. Are they just playing/entertaining themselves? or is this just normal weird cichlid behavior? They actually have been fighting over who gets to be right in the bubbles, normally the red beating out the albino and my blue cobalt.
weird behavior
- Thread starter rabbithearted
- Start date
My fish sometimes swim straight into the powerheads and then launch themselves across the tank. Sounds like normal behavior to me unless you have a more dominant fish that is keeping them up there.
It is actually the dominant one of the tank that is up there doing it the most. I think it may have claimed that part of the tank for itself. It allows my convicts to go up there with it but the other Africans it chases away. He is either swimming up into it or on the side of it 'biting' at the bubbles.
Its probably the fact you have "convicts" multipule in an african tank zebras are mbuna and should be kept with other mbuna. Convicts should be kept with other new world cichlids and convicts although small can be super aggressive and if they form a pair look out that tank will be ww3
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They are in there right now as my tank for them is getting ready. The tank showed up later than it was supposed to so it's taking a bit long on setting up. They honestly have not been aggressive with any of the fish. Very passive actually which is not what I had expected. They stay together and tend to avoid the others unless it's feeding time. They will be moved out in about a week as the tank finishes its cycle 
I wouldn't worry about that my mbuna constanyly swim up and down and through my air stones constantly taking turns I think they are just playing around. If you don't like them by the filter add an airstone or two and they may play in that instead.
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Oh I don't mind them by the filter, it's kind of cute in a fish way. I've moved their tank around and created more hiding spaces so now they're just distracted with all the new hiding spaces.
I keep americans with africans also, no problems... but to answer your question, the first thing I thought of was maybe your fish aren't getting enough oxygen ? Do you have a nice sized air pump thats agitating the surface well ? None of my cichlids play in the current of my filters; so I think maybe your fish are hanging out there because its the part of your tank that has the most oxygen
Also how often do you do water changes? I ask this because that could also be a reason as to why they are doing that. Improperly maintained aquariums can be oxygen-deficient.
Also how often do you do water changes? I ask this because that could also be a reason as to why they are doing that. Improperly maintained aquariums can be oxygen-deficient.