Big Bellied!

[sami the cichlid]

well, i bought her for a deal, five for 3 or summin. she killed the other 4....!

i no shes a she because they say females bellies go pink, hers is v pink, but she looks pregnant and i no she isnt beacause shes the only pike! can any1 suggest y she looks like this. she is defo not ill, and is v active and agressive (typical of her)!

 

[Wills]

What type of pike is she? There are quite a few different ones nice looking fish but Im not surprised she killed the rest nor am I surprised the store was getting rid of them. All cichlids are egg laying fish so she wont be pregnant like a mollie gets pregnant, unless she is gravid with eggs but this would be unusual if there is no male present as I think pikes are hard to breed at the best of times. So I would put it down to her eating too much or illness bloating can be a sign of a few diseases your tank is quite heavily stocked what are your water quality tests like with ammonia and nitrite? These can stress fish and lead to things like this.

Wills

 

[sami the cichlid]

lol, i no, i may give the rainbows away soon or put her in 1 of my 20g's. i no they are not ill and she has been like this ever since she has matured. btw, do u think my rainbows will work in my 20g?

btw shes a two-spot pike

 

[Wills]

I've not kept them but personally I believe they get to around 4 inches so idealy they should be in a 29g or 3 foot tank. Though personally I would keep them and the acara in your 74 and rehome the oscar and pike or get them a 125g tank and put the plec with them. But your choice...

If she has been like that since she has matured its possibly just normal as in most species the fish the females are usually a bit more rotund.

Wills

 

[sami the cichlid]

ty, im more likely to get rid of the rainbows as ive had the others for so much longer.

 

[Wills]

I would still rethink long term keeping of the pike and or the oscar both get to over 12 inches and the pike as a voracious predator - remember what happened to the other pikes that could happen to any of the other fish in the tank.

Wills

 

[sami the cichlid]

yhh, ty, im goin to uni in a few years tho so ill probs give a few away so ma parents can cope with the tank! as with the pike, shes a sore losser! she used to be top until the oscar and acara came in, now she dominates my fake skull!