dumb @*# fish

shawnr

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I have a 55 gallon tank that is made up of 2 small Jack D's and one small green terror along with 2 pleco's. I recently moved and the fish went from a bedroom with little traffic to a dining room with light traffic. Whenever someone walks in the room my fish run for the hills as if Jaws just entered the room. (trust me when i sneak a peek they are frolicing around) I have checked my ammonia and ph levels. Neither are perfect but by no means are terrible. The other problem I have is the fish wont eat. I have been feeding them cichlid pellets from the start and dont understand the lack of appetite. If anyone has any ideas on these problems please advise. Thanks
 
I have no experience with these fish but I think I might have spotted your problem. You say theat ammonia levels are not perfect but you infere that there is a positive reading. If you have ammonia showing then you have a tank that is in the early stages of cycling. Ammonia is very poisonous to fish, even in small concentrations. You have, I assume, rebuilt your tank from scratch after the move. Effectively you now have a brand new tank which requires maturing to build up the biological action in the filter once again. It's the bacteria in the filter and gravel that uses the ammonia that the fish produce and turn it into nitrite and then nitrate, each chemical being less dangerous to your fish than the last. Without these bacteria the fish are effectively killing themselves with their own waste. Try drinking urine and see how long you last! :crazy:
Read some of the pinned notices in the beginner section to understand fully what I have just said. It's explained better in those than I have typed here.

As for them being a little skittish with people in the room, give them time. I'm sure if you lived in the countryside and were forcibly removed to a house on the side of a motorway you would take some time to settle in too. They'll get used to the sudden appearance of people in the end.

WK
 
well here is what I recommend, one I am hopping that you are going to have room for a much larger tank in the next year or so. I have a 7 inch JD and a 5 inch GT( actually it is a gold saum) in my 55 gallon tank and I am not going to be adding any others into that. as far as the water prams go it just start doing small water changes every day
 
I have to agree with both above. If there are traces of ammonia or nitrites that will make some fish skittish and add to the fact that you just got them and they are smal, which all 3 reasons are enough to make fish skittish.

Like mentioned do 5% daily wc's and give them time. Cichlids aren't skittish and once they settle in they will be fine and outgoing for you.
 
My JD is pretty skittish. He runs for cover unless I'm putting food in the tank. Thats really the only time I can get him to come out when I walk in the room.
But, this is the same JD that spent nearly a month trapped inside a tank decoration!
And moving them is probably having an effect on them, just like when you first bring them home from the LFS. Give them a little more time to settle, follow the previous advice about getting the water chemisrty back in line and most likely everything will be fine once again!
Good luck! :nod:
 

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