# Mbunas actinging very skittish



## Sand Man (Oct 12, 2006)

Ok, so we all know that Mbunas are almost like pets. They get excited when they see you, they try to tear through the aquarium to get to you as they want to be fed.

Two days ago, I go walking by my tank and my mbunas are all gone. Well, not gone, just hiding.

I hang out looking to see if all of them are in there and they slowly come out. Yep, I still have all 13 of those little buggers and they all look nice an healthy. But as soon as I move, they all dart back in to the rocks.

What the heck is going on? Everytime I enter the room or move if I am already in the room, there is a mass exodus from open space. Even when I feed them, they dart out to grab the food, but then dart right back into the rocks.

Thoughts?


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## ibr3ak (Jan 4, 2008)

I used to have the same thing in an all male tank, one skittish lab sent the whole freaking bunch into hiding everytime someone was around the tank, I've tried everything (hanging around the tank more, feeding them a small amount everytime I'd pass by, etc..) nothing worked until I've added a small group of juvies that didn't care much for other skittish fish and were always hanging at the top, about a week later I didn't have a problem with other fish hiding anymore.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

The first thing I would do is check my water parameters. This can cause fish to behave oddly.

If all is well with those, has anything else changed? Is the tank in a high traffic area? Has the lighting in the room changed?

Has the aggression level inside the tank increased?


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## ash01 (Feb 24, 2008)

I have the exact same problem. When all my fish were juvies they were always out at the front of the tank and when you went near the tank they would all start begging for food and not bothered by anyone walking by or going up to the tank. It was like this for months and months.

Now they are reaching adulthood they have completly changed. When you go anywhere near the tank they all dive behind the rocks even when feeding them but once you put food in they will come out but if i make any type of movement they dart behind the rocks again.

The only way they will stay out is if i do a very slow and calm walk up to the tank then most of them will stay out.

Like yourself i have noticed that a couple of younger ones i have recently added arent doing this and i have also noticed once one of them darts they all take off. So i wonder if its because one is skittish it is making the rest be the same ??

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5

No change to decor,lights substrate etc all of these have always been the same. Nobody has ever tapped/banged the tank to cause them to fear people coming near the tank.

Anyway i would be intrested in seeing other peoples replys as this is really annoying the **** out of me. Also i am buying a 5ft 400ltr tank in the next couple of weeks and most of them will be going into this so it will be intresting to see if this may cure their problem or not.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Maybe the juvies that played nicely together have matured and some are being aggressive to the others causing them to hide.

I added a group of yellow labs in the spring to a tank that has been established for 2 years. Already adults.

One of the two male yellow labs that were added is a terror, and also skittish himself. First I had to remove the other male who was getting beat up, and the remaining male dives for cover when anyone comes near causing the others to do so as well. There are times when you can't see a single fish in the tank, and I have 40-50 of them in there!

I'm going to remove the evil male (he has a lot of black on him anyway) and replace the "nice" male after he recovers.


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## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

If someone banging on the glass etc. didn't cause it, it could be one skittish fish making the others fearful.

I had the problem one time because of my grandson scaring the fish. He must have been wearing a black shirt the day he frightened them because I had fooled with them so much that I about them cured of it until I noticed if I wore black they went right back to their hiding. They still do it if I wear black and come up on them quick. I don't wear black anymore :lol:


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## ash01 (Feb 24, 2008)

I can understand bits of everyones replys but for me i defiantly don't think it is because any of my fish are bullied badly. If you sit back from the tank every single one of them is swimming about doing their own thing the whole day the only time they ever dart and hide is if you go up to the tank obviously too fast for their liking obviously. My old heater in the tank seemed to always make them jumpy when it made a clicking noise when it switched on and off and i replaced that a while back and they don't seem to be jumpy when this one goes on and off anymore.

It could possibly be that there is one fish more skittish than the others and when it darts the others think they need to aswell.

Also i might add that not one of my fish suffer from any nipped fins, bulling, hiding etc which i am very surprised about although in the past i had to take out a couple of my fish as they were bullying other fish but for months and months there is no bullying/biting whatsoever and i defiantly don't have the so called 'perfect' mix of fish in my tank just now. Haps,Mbuna,Tangs. Tangs,Haps will be going into a 400ltr 5ft tank soon so it will be intresting to see if the fish are more aggressive or even less aggressive than they are now.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

All it takes is one spooked fish to make the others behave this way, so I tend to agree with DJR on this, as usual. :wink:

Some fish are more easily intimidated than others, and as they mature, their behaviour is certain to change. We don't always witness intimidation or aggression, no matter how much time we spend staring at those fish!


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## weldeng (Jul 20, 2008)

I have had the same problem since I started my 75 gal tank four weeks ago. I thought it was normal behavior for Mbuna.


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## tankCrazy (Aug 9, 2008)

I had the same issue with my tank of mixed peacocks, all I had to do is raise the water temp from 78deg to 82 and it's seemed to fix the issue. They are out and active and I can once again enjoy them. 

:fish:


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## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

hmmmm might be worth a try raising the water temp.. just do it slowly and not to high.

Come to think of it, I had lowered my temp. from around 82-84 where my LFS told me to keep it because I heard here that lower temp. will slow the fish down and they won't be as aggressive. That along with my grandson might have caused the skittishness with mine. I worked alot with mine and got them out of it. I also added some young fish and got rid of some others so that might have helped too.

Like was said before, just one fish can cause it though. Be it aggression or just skittishness on the one fishes part and the others follow.


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## weldeng (Jul 20, 2008)

tankCrazy said:


> I had the same issue with my tank of mixed peacocks, all I had to do is raise the water temp from 78deg to 82 and it's seemed to fix the issue. They are out and active and I can once again enjoy them.
> 
> :fish:


My water temp is currently 77F. I will raise to 81F and report back if it works.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

cichlidaholic said:


> We don't always witness intimidation or aggression, no matter how much time we spend staring at those fish!


So true.


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## Corey (Jan 4, 2008)

from my exp sometimes juvies do this when they get introduced to a new tank but they quickly get over it so i wouldnt worry. GL


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## weldeng (Jul 20, 2008)

weldeng said:


> tankCrazy said:
> 
> 
> > I had the same issue with my tank of mixed peacocks, all I had to do is raise the water temp from 78deg to 82 and it's seemed to fix the issue. They are out and active and I can once again enjoy them.
> ...


Water at 81F now, no change in fish behavior


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## fishwolfe (Mar 27, 2005)

my .02 with my tank i added some acei and my other fish ,red top ndumbi, yellow labs, red zebras are now out in the open more often.if anyone other than me comes up to the tank they still hide.water temp is 78.
maybe the black shirt makes your head look like its floating?a floating head would make me hide too. :lol:


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## tankCrazy (Aug 9, 2008)

Well it was worth a try...

:?

:fish:


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