# cichlid is not eating



## ucool80 (May 12, 2008)

One of my cichlids, which i think if I remember correctly is a mbuna is not eating. Its dark blue with black stripes on it. The fish stays most of the day in the middle of the aquarium, but doesnt play around like it used to. I have noticed that it tries to hide itself away. Could it be pregnant? The fish itself looks healthy of what I can tell, its colored up well and fins are in good shape, there are no ick spots, and it was fine till this past saturday. Oh and I think its breathing hard, it opens up its mouth much more often than the other fish. I have one yellow lab, one blue lab, one kenyi, one zebra, one jewel cichlid and not sure about the other two of which one of them is this one (the one acting up is blue with black stripes, and the other one is yellow with a purple head and grey stripes on it)

Any Suggestions?


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## ucool80 (May 12, 2008)

I am positive actually that its a mbuna, and the fish are in a 50Gallon tank. temperature stays between 78 and 80.


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

Can you post a pic also do you have a test kit for your water. Do you do water changes .Pat


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## Westender (Mar 24, 2006)

A few more questions ucool80 -

what are you feeding your fish? 
Are the stripes horizontal or vertical? 
Is it rubbing itself against anything or just hiding?

Do these look like fish in your tank?

http://www.malawimayhem.com/profile_show.php?id=399

Note that the blue one is the female and the yellow is male.


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## ucool80 (May 12, 2008)

Actually I have noticed once or twice one or two fish rub themselves against decoration or gravel but not the mbuna in question. But all the fish are active and eating. I did do a water change around 20% this weekend, and post water change I have noticed the rubbing and the lazy mbuna. I feed them flake food for tropical fish, and once every two days i give them frozen shrimp pellet. 

I got the water tested at Big Als and they said the water was fine for the fish. Not sure if they did a ph test. the mbuna is just being lazy, this morning when I fed them, he took a flake away and was almost like blowing it out of its mouth chasing it and catching it again, eventually ate it. He tries to hide away from me. 

I will post pics later today.


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## ucool80 (May 12, 2008)

the stripes are vertical, the fish pictures you have posted are actually similar to the other fish I have but not the one I am concerned about. I will post the pictures up today.


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## Brian (Mar 14, 2006)

How many other fish are you keeping it with?


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## ucool80 (May 12, 2008)

altogether there are 6 malawi cichlids and one south american jewel cichlid.


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## Westender (Mar 24, 2006)

Your fish may be being bullied. It may be ill. It may be carrying eggs. It may be something completely other. It's really hard to say.

Can you get a photo of it?

Try Googling mbuna under images and see if you recognize anything.


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## ucool80 (May 12, 2008)

now all of a sudden its a happy camper! three of my fish have developed these yellow spots on their fins, I read about them they say its mostly males that get these spots and its nothing to worry about.

I have attached the pictures, sorry couldnt take very good pics they just wouldnt stay at a place.


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## fishlover93 (Feb 25, 2008)

did you buy that tank from one of our members? looks very familiar


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## ucool80 (May 12, 2008)

LOL no, that was me selling it. I decided to keep it and hope that the temperature will remain stable. It has for the past few weeks so I should be ok although I really dont like the location of it.


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

Hard to tell from the pics but does not seem to have any signs of ick or anything how many caves hiding spots to you have you should have a cave for each fish and a few extra, kind of like this. Hope this helps Pat


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## ucool80 (May 12, 2008)

Actually I dont have that many caves\hiding spots. But yeah there is no ick of what I can tell. I think I was just being paranoid, they seem to be fine now.


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

You need to create more caves and hiding places in that tank, as Pat suggested. Chances are your fish are likely a bit stressed out.


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