# Swimming near top next to heater



## chaderic81

I'm hoping someone can help with this. I have tried searching google and have not found any good answers. One of my cichlids (electric yellow)has been swimming near the top of the tank next to the heater. He will stay there until startled, swim around fine for awhile than return to the same spot. His eating habits are the same and this is the first day that I noticed this behavior. There are no visable signs of parasites or any other diseases. I am really concered because I lost one of my colbolt blue zebras back in January. That fish was doing the same thing for three days then was found dead one morning. All other fish are acting normally.

I do a partial water change every week to every other week (at the most) and use AquaSafe and Stress Zyme during changes.

-=Tank Setup=-
Started: April 2008
Size: 29g
Substrate: Eco-Complete African Cichlid
Filter: Tetra Whisper 30 w/ Drs. Foster & Smith Bio 3 filter cart. and a BioMedia biological filter pad
Food: Hikari Cichlid Gold Pellets and Hikari Brine Shrimp
pH: 7.6 / Ammonia: 0.0 / Nitrite: 0 / Nitrate: 20 / Temp: 79.2

1- maingano
1- colbalt blue zebra
1- electric yellow
4- black convicts
1- pictus cat
1- pleco

Thanks for your help I hope I can find an answer I dont want to lose another fish.


----------



## lloyd

IME, your situation is caused by aggression. intimidated fish, always rise to the surface, as substrate spawners vie for territories. watch them after feeding, and you may get the chance to identify the perpetrator, before the yellow fish gets chased to isolation again. i could guess who is the problem (group of convicts need more than a 29g tank, many mbuna males are intolerant to each other), but you would do better to see it for yourself, since you have already lost a fish to this phenomenon. HTH.


----------



## Robin

ditto what lloyd said.

You may not have seen ANY aggression but you've described the classic example of a harrassed fish. They eat, they're not flashing, there's no sign of fungus or bacterial infection but they stay up at the top in one little spot. 
Try this: 
sit somewhere where you can see the fish but they can't see you. At some point the electric yellow may move or turn as if he's going to swim down away from the surface--watch the movement of your other fish at this moment! One of them will likely turn in the yellow's direction, start to swim in his direction or perhaps just look in his direction--and you'll see the yellow quickly return to his spot. No physical contact between the two fish: stink-eye does it all! :x

You can also try removing the yellow to an isolation tank and see if his behavior changes. I would also do a partial water change and then watch and see if the yellow's behavior changes right after the change. It definitely sounds like aggression but we don't want to miss it if its something else....

Robin


----------



## earache

So what do you do in this situation with one aggressive fish? I'm new to cichlids and am experiencing the same situation with two out of three of my blue pindani. Do you remove the aggressor?


----------



## chaderic81

Thanks for your help. I was told when I started the tank that it is a little over crowded and to remove the convicts. That could be my problem. I also should add more hiding spots for them to all have their own territories. I currently only have 2 large castles which pretty much covers the one maingano and the one cobalt blue zebra (definitely one of the bullies). All of the female convicts claimed sections of the substrate that they dig out. Like everyone else I am dreaming of a larger tank.

Thanks again for your help!


----------



## Robin

Unfortunately, as you seem to already know, a 29 gallon is too small for most cichlids. Adding more hiding places just isn't enough. 
Do what you can now: remove the convicts or remove all but the convicts--it may work for awhile but really you need a larger tank if you want to enjoy these fish and have any hope of a successful tank.

earache: having one or two aggressive fish in a cichlid tank is to be expected. Ideally you want to start out with nothing smaller than a 55 gallon tank and then before you buy any fish do some research on what fish SHOULD get along in the size tank you have, (check out our library and the 'cookie cutter' suggestions for stocking tanks). 
Then once you stock your tank with fish that should get along you need to be ready to take action when they don't get along.  It happens. . . 
Sometimes it means removing an aggressive fish. Sometimes it means adding fish in order to get the male/female ratio right. Sometimes removing a less dominant fish will even things out in an aggressive tank. Every situation is different and can change drastically as the fish mature and/or more fish are removed or added.

Robin


----------



## webgirl74

As well, you're mixing African with South American cichlids, which is not generally recommended. They have different water and dietary requirements. Electric yellows are usually fairly peaceful, but convicts and zebras can be nasty when mature. Plus, in a 29 gallon, there just isn't enough space to make everyone happy. If at all possible, you'd be better off researching some smaller cichlid species and putting those in your 29 gallon and getting rid of your current stock. Or, upgrade to a larger tank and mix species (either all Africans or all S. Americans) that will get along.


----------



## lloyd

earache said:


> So what do you do in this situation with one aggressive fish? I'm new to cichlids and am experiencing the same situation with two out of three of my blue pindani. Do you remove the aggressor?


 the only answer, is to give the fish you keep more floor space. the logic, of adding hiding space, is incredulous, if you truly want to keep your cichlids content long term. and removing the aggressor, or the intimidated, will not change the inherent desire of healthy fish...to acquire a safe place to entertain breeding. as they continue to mature, one aggressor will be replaced by another. and the intimidated, will continue to line up behind the heater, until the remaining fish are finally content with the arrangement. not ever likely, with this fish list, and a 29g.
IMO, you can keep a single of some types of cichlid in a (not too) small tank. non colonizing type species do not comprehend loneliness. in fact, some prefer it.


----------

