# rusty cichlid ?



## ped82 (Dec 31, 2012)

hello again i have a group of rusties in my tank but the bigger one has a white patch around his mouth ? i have coral in the tank and i think its thru digging also there are couple scratches on him i think from digging under the slate .. i wondered if rusties are known for digging or could this be somthing else my parrameters are all bang on .ill upload a pic in hour or so i hope theres someone to help ?? thanks in advance dave


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## ped82 (Dec 31, 2012)

http://postimg.org/image/lkceuoty7/


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## ped82 (Dec 31, 2012)




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## ped82 (Dec 31, 2012)




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## ped82 (Dec 31, 2012)




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## car0linab0y (Aug 10, 2009)

Comes from fighting and/or grazing off of rocks. He's ok.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

The white lips are common among mbuna and caused by browsing on rocks for algae as well as lip locking. Pretty much all mbuna dig and peacocks and haps sift sand as well.

If they are not doing any other damage to each other (no missing scales, no split or bitten fins) and the white lips don't get fuzzy, you are good.


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## ped82 (Dec 31, 2012)

thankyou ever so much ,, a couple of them have a nipped tail or two but only a couple . the one rusty has a nipped tail only very slightly though . this is my first cichlid tank and got all stocking advice from this forum maybe even you ? quick question i have millions of micro bubbles in tank *** read sometimes it causes gas in fish??


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Micro bubbles should not cause problems. What is your gender ratio? Maybe you have more than one rusty male?

What are the dimensions of the tank? What is your stock list?


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## ped82 (Dec 31, 2012)

yes i have 2 male 2 felale i think but they were hard to identify . so i put them all in and thought id see what happens .. i also have 2 male rep tops in there and they seem to act the boss but dont actually get into fights . from what *** seen they get along quite good together . saying that i have seen the rusties chase eachother about pointlessly


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

What size tank is this? Are the 'red tops' perspicax???


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## ped82 (Dec 31, 2012)

its a 5ft tank ill post a pic tomorrow im not sure ndumbi super red tops from i think midland malawis ? ill double check the names thanks


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Well at minimum you need more rusty females (end up with at least 4), and probably to lose one male too. Better to add them now than wait until the injuries get more serious.


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

yep. i have 5-1 f/m rusty. And they get that white lip from time to time. seems it will go from fish to fish. not always on the same fish. i did notice aftr water changes they lip lock alot, spin in circles together..as do some my other fish and i notice that white lip on some of them. weird. then goes away seems like . :-?


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

Rusties are big in algae grazing, so the white lips are common.


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## master chi (Jan 3, 2010)

It's funny that I have yet to have a rusty who digs.
All my other mbuna males dig,quite a bit as a matter of fact.but of the 5 rusty males I currently have housed,not one of them digs,at all.

It does say in their proflie that they will not dig,I thought this was simply the case with all Rusties,but I have been told by other keepers that their Rusties do it as much as any other mbuna. But my guys get the liplock white all the time. females too.

As far as grazing goes,I have noticed that they tend to be at it more than my Labs,and I could see how because of their mouth shape this could cause the white lips.

They probably graze as much as my male Estherea. Who does nothing but Chase girls,Graze,and Dig. Typical!!
But of course when he Grazes it's with that metriaclima "Wide Mouth Scraper Style'' ( insert horsey dance here). LOL!!


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## ped82 (Dec 31, 2012)




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## k7gixxerguy (Jan 12, 2012)

Your rusty in the pic third from last I think looks a bit beat up. It seems to have some scales missing on its side and damage to its dorsal fin. My male rusty looked like this about two weeks ago yet he is the tank boss. When I did a thorough cleaning and water change I realized why. There were a few fry in there as I havent stripped any of my fish for a couple months and as I moved rocks out I saw him trying to squeeze under some very rough rocks trying to catch the fry. Seemed like a viable explanation to me for damage on a dominant fish in my tank.


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## ped82 (Dec 31, 2012)

makes sence ,, but this is my first cichlid tank and i havent seen any fry . sayin that i rarely move rocks about as they dig beneath them anyway . ill keep a eye on him but other than that is there any other tips for a perfect tank . thanks .. dave


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## Borsig (Nov 21, 2012)

I hate to bump this old thread - but it is relevant to my question -

I got my first rusties last night - 9 of them, and many of them display these "white lips". More so than any other cichlid I've ever had - This appears to be common thing with this particular breed of fish?

I need to get a closer picture, but I thought one might have had a fuzzy look to it, as if it might be a sign of columnaris. I will have to get photos up of them.

Thoughts?


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## Borsig (Nov 21, 2012)




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