# New Rainbows not eating?



## Jaws (Oct 30, 2003)

Hi all its been awhile.

Picked up two Rainbows (multispinosa) about 2" on Sat still not eating. Tank is fully cycled 55g with five 2" firemouths for tank mates, N03 20ppm, ph 7.6, temp 76 degrees.

Both fish are active but noticed one (believed to be female)has a small reddish anal bump along with white stringy poop. Otherwise fish seem fine.

Any ideas? I'm about to bring them back to the store if they don't eat!

Thanks for any input.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I've just got my first spawn of rainbows going but I have to say they were a bit of touch and go. They came from the store very small back in January and showed ich as soon as they were in the tank. Got them past that without losing any but it was a major struggle. They were just extremely slow to get around to accepting flake food or any that fell from above. It seemed they could not figure it falling but after it was on the bottom they would pick some up. Anything solid like pellets were taken in and spit out. I finally found frozen bloodworms worked and once they got the hang of them falling, they ate them really well. They now will eat most any soft or small food I feed but it took a long time. I found them to be the most timid fish of any kind I've ever kept. Until they spawned. Check my item about nature. Got a bunch of crummy pictures of what you might get if you can get them straightened out. White stringy sounds serious so I might try Pimafix and Melifix together. It seems to be the one pair of meds which work and are cheap enough to treat even in a large tank. I've been impressed with them. Good luck.


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## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

I have a mated pair of rainbow cichlids and nine of their babies (now teenagers). They are a fabulous fish. My pair came via Aquabid and were healthy from the start, but the adults are definitely more shy than their children -- who come to the glass to "talk" to me whenever I'm in the room. (Weirdly enough, if I'm sitting on the computer working, they swim over to the side of the tank nearest me and just hang out.)

Anyway, I did find they could be somewhat picky about flake food initially. Mine like frozen bloodworms and tubifex worms. They don't care for frozen brine shrimp. They also are crazy about duckweed. I had it covering the tank (and considered it a terrible pest). They mowed it down like crazy and there isn't a single leaf anywhere. If you can get your hands on it (from the LFS?) try throwing that in and see if that helps.

Also, make sure your tank has lots of plants and places to hide, keep your light dim. I keep my temp at 78 and my nitrates below 20. Good luck!


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## Jaws (Oct 30, 2003)

Update...

Bought some bloodworms and don't you know they ate them! That makes me very happy to see. I guess your right about Rainbows being fussy eaters.

I tried two different pellets, soaked and even broke them up. Tried steamed swiss chard from the garden. Also tried krill and cut up red wrigglers! Bloodworms are magical I guess.

Thanks for the info. I don't think I would have tried bloodworms due to the fact that I never buy them. My fish thankyou as well.

Now hopefully they catch on with the other items on the menu.


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## FishFlake (Mar 7, 2010)

Good luck with your Rainbows. Sounds like they might be coming around. My adult pair have never eaten anything dropped from above. Pellets actually bounce off their heads and they don't react at all. They did wipe out my water lettuce, and they like raw romaine lettuce. They mostly forage around on the bottom, eating what they find and spitting out the sand. Sometimes they will pick up an algae wafer that I feed my bristlenose plecos. They will pick it up and chew it, spit it out, pick it up and chew it, spit it out... They do this until its gone. Quite entertaining.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I failed to mention the algae tabs. My rainbow also love them. I break them into smaller parts and they cause a food fight!


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## Jaws (Oct 30, 2003)

Well they are eating the bloodworms still. Seeing how that is all they are taking I setup a 10g hospital tank for them. Took filter media out of one of the filters and drained tank water right into the 10g. Instant tank!

I don't think they are getting enough to eat in the 55g plus the smaller rainbow (female?) still had a protrusion at the anus. Not sure what it is. So I'm going to med the 10g and fatten them up before dumping back to the 55g. Once they start eating pellets they'll be on there way

It sure seems like a pair and I'm wondering if they are ready to breed and the bump at the 
anal area is normal before spawning?

Fishflake, how do you feed romaine? I also have a garden, well hoophouse full of romaine and other salad greens! If they eat it that would be nice and cheap.

I always liked the aquadine spirulina flakes when I did the african thing. Perhaps I'll get some.


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## FishFlake (Mar 7, 2010)

I just attach a raw lettuce leaf to a small rock with an elastic and sink it. Both the plecos and rainbows graze on it. It works best for the rainbows if the leaf is sticking up and not just lying on bottom.

The protrusion could be the ovipositor. Can you post a photo? It becomes quite pronounced when my female is "in the mood", but it is also accompanied by dramatic mating color changes and behavior. The lower half of her body turns nearly all black. The male, if interested, turns brilliant yellow and becomes territorial. They also spend a lot of time cleaning their chosen breeding surface.

Maybe someone with more knowledge / experience than me can weigh in.


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## Jaws (Oct 30, 2003)

Good idea. Thanks FF. I'll give it a try. I know these fish eat algae in the wild so it makes sense to feed plenty of greens.

The fish seem to swim together and wiggle at eat other but I'm wondering if they are to timid/stressed to breed. They were quite dark showing mostly black since I've had them. Maybe they were about to spawn at lfs?

Getting a pic is not going to happen at this point. They have been hiding in a granite cave for the most part.

I will say they are starting to show more yellow.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

Whoops! You are a really bad boy as they were all set to play house and you moved them! Both my male and female turned almost solid black when they spawned. Returning to yellow means back to normal for my group. No big thing though. When you get them eating right they will do it again soon. I'll post you up a picture of my pair shortly. Pretty hard to get DAD to stand still for pictures. He is still in guard mode and fights the glass every time I get close enough with the camera.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

A couple pictures of my rainbow during spawning. I've gotten by the first couple days without losing very many but the fry are now getting really active and the adults just cannot be everywhere at once. 
The pair who are not spawning now. I took this picture a day or so ago as they were having to stay out of the cover of the rocks and log. Lots of nice yellow with touches of black. 









Now the spawning pair are into full protection mode and almost solid black from the middle of each side down. You can just make out some of the fry as little specks near the bottom. 
Mom does her best to keep them in a pile but she's losing the battle and they are spread pretty wide. 









Dad caught me looking and is fighting the glass to get to me. Maybe he still remembers me siphoning off about 25?? 









I'm working on the theory that maybe one of us will be able to save a few. I left maybe 50-75 with them and the other pair of rainbow in a 75 with lots of cover and moved 25 into a planted 20 with no other fish.


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## FishFlake (Mar 7, 2010)

It's crazy how dark they become! Thanks for the pics.


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## Jaws (Oct 30, 2003)

Awesome looking fish! Thats an awesome pair! Thanks for the picks.

I'm really beginning to think these fish were ready to spawn at the lfs because they were black just like your pics. Now they seem to be a bit more yellow and the darkness is fading.

Do rainbows also turn black when stressed out? I think they turn pale, no?

I will say they are quite shy for my liking by themselves. Nothing like my Midas. Speaking of my midas she had a little treat today, a 2" tad pole I collected this morning!


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

When mine were new and scared, they were pretty pale. I now have an update on my spawning maniacs. The first pair are beginning to lose control of their little herd as time passes and that leaves the fry wandering around the tank. That big cedar log behind them is where the eggs were laid and they stayed until they were free swimming. They also have been going back there at night. That left the second non-spawning pair out in the open at night. Once the fry moved out in the open the second pair moved under the log most of the time. I thought it was just them doing what they were told, but now I see something else. Big, bad, black DAD went searching for stray fry under the log today and came backing out face to face with the still yellow guy. I peaked under the log and the yellow guy is dancing for a totally blackened female!!! I think I have a second spawning coming in almost the same spot as the first. It should be interesting to see who gets to sleep under the log tonight!  :dancing:

I hope nobody gets hurt in this argument!


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## Jaws (Oct 30, 2003)

Update, the believed to be female still has the bump on the anus but it could be the egg tube?

How large is thise on your females?

I really think these fish are ready to spawn cause the female has been do the wiggle/shake and saw her cleaning off the granite a few times. I'm not sure the male is ready though.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I don't see any bump on mine. I should also say that they spent a good amount of time behind and under the log where they spawned before I found the fry. It's possible there was a tube that I could/did not see. When the pair came out the fry had been free swimming for at least a day. I currently have a second pair in the same spot turning black but I can't see much more than a glimpse now and then by peeking under the log. Can't really vouch for bump or no bump.


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