Electric Yellow Not Growing

[bonez]

Hi,

Can anyone give me advice on my electric yellow? I have had in now for about 8 months and has not grown at all, It is about an inch long.

The tank size is more then ok for this fish Temp and Cycle are ok except for the odd occasion. The diet is mostly bloodworms and floating pellets

It is the only one in the tank should I have more Electrics

I will have my new 6 foot tank in a week so If I need to par it then there should be no problem.

Regards,
BoneZ

 

[saz326]

Very strange. Sounds like its getting plenty of protien in its diet so it should be putting down muscle tissue etc.

Does it look like a perfect "minature", or does it have sunken sides, and look a bit sad for itself? I wonder if it was the "runt of the litter" and so may be deformed.

....does the tank have fast flowing water. I.e. is the fish having to use all its energy swimming so it hasnt the energy to grow?

 

[SharonCC]

Don't feed the yelluw lab bloodworms. It causes them to get "bloat"... I'm not sure why the little guy is not growing, if he's looking like a healthy fish. I have a Kenyi who doesn't grow...she's a beautiful fish, just stays small!

 

[bonez]

Hi,

The electric Yellow looks fine nicely colour looks mature just very small.

The tank has no fast running water

Do they take a long time to Grow?

 

[Ace Of Spades]

Hi,

The electric Yellow looks fine nicely colour looks mature just very small.

The tank has no fast running water

Do they take a long time to Grow?

How big is the tank and what else you got in it?, Please dont feed Mbuna bloodworm, it is really bad for them

 

[WILDER]

Size of tank in gallons or litres.
How many fish and which type.
Water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.

Does the fish look skinny in appearance.
Does the fish have a sunken in belly.
What does it look like when the fish goes to the toilet.
Check the anus of the fish to see if its enlarged or red and inflamed.
Does the fish have any deformaties like a bent spine.

Feeding to many bloodworms is bad for fish shouldn't feed them more than twice a week.
Need to feed more frozen foods like daphnia which is good for digesting the fish food, and brimestrimp.
Do a search on the fish diet needs to see if you are feeding a good varied diet.

[URL="http/www.sydneycichlid.com/electric-yellow.htm"]http/www.sydneycichlid.com/electric-yellow.htm[/URL]

Taken from the above link.
Food: L. caeruleus is an omnivore, feeding primarily upon plants, algae, insects, snails, small crustacea (and their larvae) and molluscs. The teeth of the Labidochromis are long and pointed. They perform like tweezers, prying their prey out of tiny fissures in the submerged rock face. These fish need be fed a wide assortment of foods that include a large amount of vegetable matter. A good spirulina/vegetable based flake food (OSI, HBH, Sera Flora) with occassional frozen/live brine shrimp supplements provides most of their dietary needs. Shelled peas, lettuce and spinach are welcomed. L. caeruleus is very susceptible to Malawi bloat, a disease that is difficult to treat and usually fatal. Less than adequate water conditions and a high protein diet will lead to disaster. Do not feed them Tubifex or blood worms. As mentioned earlier, they love to graze upon algae and nibble plants.

 

[Ace Of Spades]

Size of tank in gallons or litres.
How many fish and which type.
Water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.

Does the fish look skinny in appearance.
Does the fish have a sunken in belly.
What does it look like when the fish goes to the toilet.
Check the anus of the fish to see if its enlarged or red and inflamed.
Does the fish have any deformaties like a bent spine.

Feeding to many bloodworms is bad for fish shouldn't feed them more than twice a week.
Need to feed more frozen foods like daphnia which is good for digesting the fish food, and brimestrimp.
Do a search on the fish diet needs to see if you are feeding a good varied diet.

<a href="http/www.sydneycichlid.com/electric-yellow.htm" target="_blank">http/www.sydneycichlid.com/electric-yellow.htm</a>

Taken from the above link.
Food: L. caeruleus is an omnivore, feeding primarily upon plants, algae, insects, snails, small crustacea (and their larvae) and molluscs. The teeth of the Labidochromis are long and pointed. They perform like tweezers, prying their prey out of tiny fissures in the submerged rock face. These fish need be fed a wide assortment of foods that include a large amount of vegetable matter. A good spirulina/vegetable based flake food (OSI, HBH, Sera Flora) with occassional frozen/live brine shrimp supplements provides most of their dietary needs. Shelled peas, lettuce and spinach are welcomed. L. caeruleus is very susceptible to Malawi bloat, a disease that is difficult to treat and usually fatal. Less than adequate water conditions and a high protein diet will lead to disaster. Do not feed them Tubifex or blood worms. As mentioned earlier, they love to graze upon algae and nibble plants.

Copy and pasting info isnt really that useful as shown "Feeding to many bloodworms is bad for fish shouldn't feed them more than twice a week.". Mbuna should not be receiving any bloodworm in their diet what so ever. Its just no good for them, it like feeding a dog chocolate...

 

[WILDER]

A meant that you should really only feed bloodworms twice a week if the fish can eat them.

 

[Ace Of Spades]

A meant that you should really only feed bloodworms twice a week if the fish can eat them.

But instead of putting rules up for "general" fish, wouldnt it be better to give the exact requirement of the fish. The poster obviously does not know what his fish need, and saying that twice weekly of bloodworm is ok will just confuse him further and think it is alright to feed it to this HERBIVORE.

from your own quote, "L. caeruleus is very susceptible to Malawi bloat"

 

[WILDER]

That why is best to research the fish needs before you buy them.

 

[Ace Of Spades]

That why is best to research the fish needs before you buy them.

But he hasnt, thats the point and why we are saying this information now. I know you do a good job on emergencies etc, and im not trying to get into a argument etc, just cant stress the fact that bloodworm shouldnt be fed to mbuna as herbivoruus (sp?) as a yellow lab.

 

[WILDER]

I never said feed bloodworms I was just stating that they shouldn't be fed more than twice a week.
I didn't know the fish were not allowed to eat them till I did some research.
At least I have learnt something and hopefully the poster.

 

[bonez]

Hi

Thanks for the responses. I did not know blood worms did that the Guy at the fish shop seemed to know what he was talking about.

It is a standard 3 foot tank 152 Litres 40GAL 90% FULL

The lab is perfectly healthy not damage/defects ect.

I will be updating to a 6 foot tank in two weeks more info on that here
http/www.fishforums.net/content/Tropical...ot-To-A-6-Foot/

I do understand that the Bala and loach need groups I will be doing that once they are moved into there new home which because I can find a fast way to cycle the tank will be in 7 weeks ( I have no disposable media)

My current Fishy stock
All the fish get along well

1x Red Forest Jewel (1.2") only had for 3 weeks but as of today is bigger the the lab when brought 1/2"
1x electric yellow (1 inch)
1x Clown Loach(2 inch)
1x Lombardi (1.5 inch)
1x silver shark (3 inch)
1x plecto (1/2 inch) ( Not sure which one is brown with white spots)
1x Melanochromis (1 inch)
1x zebrathingy (2 inch) ( White body black strips and red belly) maybe Astatilapia Latifasciata
1x venustus (3 inch long)
1x blue yellow thingy (2.5 inch) blue body yellow fins with black strips could be Oto Lithobates Sulphur

 

[Ace Of Spades]

Hi

Thanks for the responses. I did not know blood worms did that the Guy at the fish shop seemed to know what he was talking about.

It is a standard 3 foot tank 152 Litres 40GAL 90% FULL

The lab is perfectly healthy not damage/defects ect.

I will be updating to a 6 foot tank in two weeks more info on that here
[URL="http/www.fishforums.net/content/Tropical...ot-To-A-6-Foot/"]http/www.fishforums.net/content/Tropical...ot-To-A-6-Foot/[/URL]

I do understand that the Bala and loach need groups I will be doing that once they are moved into there new home which because I can find a fast way to cycle the tank will be in 7 weeks ( I have no disposable media)

My current Fishy stock
All the fish get along well

1x Red Forest Jewel (1.2") only had for 3 weeks but as of today is bigger the the lab when brought 1/2"
1x electric yellow (1 inch)
1x Clown Loach(2 inch)
1x Lombardi (1.5 inch)
1x silver shark (3 inch)
1x plecto (1/2 inch) ( Not sure which one is brown with white spots)
1x Melanochromis (1 inch)
1x zebrathingy (2 inch) ( White body black strips and red belly) maybe Astatilapia Latifasciata
1x venustus (3 inch long)
1x blue yellow thingy (2.5 inch) blue body yellow fins with black strips could be Oto Lithobates Sulphur

The Melanochromis and Electric yellow will need their own tank, as a malawi tank atleast 4 foot long. these are species only fish and shouldnt be kept with any other apart from the same lake.