# Cichlid Behaviour



## FrazaFraze (May 30, 2008)

Hello,
I have had two cichlids (One male One Female) in my 30 gallon tank now for about 3-4 months. Every morning when I wake up they used to come up to the glass swimming up and down back and forth eager to eat, almost excited to see me. They would come to the surface and stuff their faces.

A week or two ago I did my bi-weekly water change and when I was taking out one of my ornaments the female fish got caught inside. I looked around for a second thinking it had jumped out and after about 20 seconds I realized it was still in the ornament and lowered it back into the tank so it could swim away. I completed the tank clean.

Ever since this happened all the fish do is hide from me. As soon as I enter the room they hide, when I wake up they hide, when I go to feed them they dart in and out of hiding every time they eat one food pellet and don't dare come to the surface.

Are they mad at me? Are they breeding?
Please advise


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

What type of cichlids do you have?


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## FrazaFraze (May 30, 2008)

I tried my best to take a picture of them but they are either hiding or when I take the ornaments out moving non stop. Ill do my best to describe them. They are about 2in in length. They each of 3 black blotches on both the left and right side of their body. The female has a white/gray tone to it and the male a brownish tone. They both have red and blue tips along their top fin. The male has a bit of yellow on its bottom fin. I paid $30 for the two of them at a local pet shop.

I don't know if this helps, with them acting so crazy I can't snap a photo and I just forgot what type they are. African cichlid something 

Any advise anyways?


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

Sounds like it could be Bolivian rams, which are South American, not African.

But it's impossible to say for sure without seeing a pic of them...

Kim


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## CICHLUDED (Aug 4, 2006)

FrazaFraze said:


> They each of 3 black blotches on both the left and right side of their body. The female has a white/gray tone to it and the male a brownish tone. They both have red and blue tips along their top fin. The male has a bit of yellow on its bottom fin.


For some reason my first thought was Otopharynx lithobatesâ€¦

But like Kim said, it is impossible to say without a pictureâ€¦

You need to find out what you have before any advice can be given.

.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

CICHLUDED said:


> FrazaFraze said:
> 
> 
> > They each of 3 black blotches on both the left and right side of their body. The female has a white/gray tone to it and the male a brownish tone. They both have red and blue tips along their top fin. The male has a bit of yellow on its bottom fin.
> ...


Oh, wow...That too... 

See what I mean? We need a pic!

Kim


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## CICHLUDED (Aug 4, 2006)

FrazaFraze,
Does your fish look anything like this?


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