Yellow Peacock not coming up to eat

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ck986

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 5, 2010
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NJ
I purchased a yellow peacock a few days ago and after the initial chasing by a similar size female auratus mbuna the dominant fish in the tank my yellow peacock now hides in caves and doesnt come out to eat. He/she at first stayed up top and ate a couple of pellets, but since getting aclimated to the tank and no longer being chased he/she hides all day. Will this fish ever decide to come up for food or starve in a cave.

My water conditions are perfect, all of the tests for Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate reflect the lowest levels on the chart. I have the following fish in my 55g tank:

3 1.5" female yellow labs
1 2.5" female auratus
1 2" female Red Zebra
1 3" Jewel Cichlid
1 3" Albino Oscar
1 3" Tinfoil Barb
2 2" Bala Sharks
1 2.5" Yellow Peacock

All the fish play well together. The Auratus can and will chase all of the fish except for the Jewel and the Oscar, the red zebra chases the labs. The peacock was at first chased by the Auratus, but after a day in the tank she stopped chasing the peacock. Now the peacock just goes from cave to cave hiding all day.
 
a reclusive fish that stops eating is the sign of a sick fish. with africans this can mean bloat. i'd probably quarantine to prevent it from the being the victim of aggression and also give it a chance to eat.
 
Its not that the fish stopped eating its just not coming up to eat. I have only had it in the tank for a few days and when it was scared to go down near the substrate it stayed up top and did eat a few pellets. Since the fish started swimming down by the substrate it doesnt seem to come up. This fish is thin so I dont think it would have bloat. I unfortunately have not set up a quarantine tank yet. I have been eyeing a 10g setup for $20 at petsmart for this purpose. Whenever I put sinking pellets into the tank for the peacock they get snatched up by the other fish.
 
bloat may or may not involve a bloated appearance. that is usually the last sign.

sounds to me like your fish is at the very least stressed from aggression and a recent transport. at the worst it could be bloat.

if it is not coming up to eat and it is being reclusive i would be concerned.
 
I wonder if I purchase another one if it will feel more comfortable in the tank. I purchased one yellow lab first and she was being chased by the red zebra, I then picked up two more and the red zebra now will chase one of the three from time to time. None of the fish bother the yellow peacock.

I hope its not a parasite. I just got over ich due to incorrectly setting up the tank and endured a nightmare getting over that and cycling the tank. The labs and peacock were added after the tank was cycled.
 
It is a peacock, which are much less aggressive than the Mbunas you have listed.

Auratus are just plain mean. You also have the SA cichlid in there, which is a big no-no in most people's book (I have seen it done, without issue but its not advisable).

Give him a couple of days to get fully acclimated in the tank, but definitely keep an eye on him.

What are you feeding them? What was the peacock being fed before? He might need to get used to your food options. I have never seen a fish that didn't love frozen brine shrimp.
 
I figured it might take a few days, but most fish I have had have not really had trouble feeding and neither did this one until it seemed to get more comfortable and begin to swim around the tank.

I feed them cichlid pellets, flakes, algae disks, freeze dried bloodworms, sinking shrimp pellets. I will try frozen brine shrimp.
 
It might just be sacred of you. My big male convict rules my 55 but hides whenever I come near. He won't come out to eat unless I back away. Could be the same with your fish, or it just needs to get used to it's new surroundings.
 
I realize the Oscar is not an African fish, I had owned one back when I was in HS and really wanted to have another, but dont really like other SA cichlids. I may buy a larger tank solely for African Cichlids and leave the Oscar, bala, and tinfoil in this tank at some point. They all seem to get along fairly well though.

The Auratus can be a mean fish. All the fish in the tank stay clear of her with exception to the Oscar and Jewel.
 
Yeah same thing happen with me my male auratus chased my bumblebee and now she wont come up to eat anymore she just hides but before she was eating just fine. my tank parameters are perfect also... i think the auratas is just a mean fish lol.
 
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