Fish are all hiding

[Sky042]

Read the update at the bottom with most recent events

So I've stocked my 125 with the following.
firemouth x2 (Now one dead one removed)
Jack Dempsey
Oscar
Green Texas Cichlid.


Everyone is hiding.
The firemouth seems to think he's a boss. But in general they all just hide behind the large rocks in the tank. I'm wondering if it's just still an adjustment period? They've been in the tank 4 days now.

Or perhaps I'm wondering if the current is too high? I bought the filtration thinking ahead for adult size and have twin cascade 1200's filtering the tank with spray bars. This does create quite a current in teh tank though.

So could it simply be hiding from agression despite the fish that are hiding should be meaner.

Is it just they're Not used to the new environment and therefore scared

or could it just be current related?

the ones that are hiding are pretty much breathing somewhat rapidly and clamping their fins about 80% of the time with exception of the oscar he really doesn't seem to care about the hubub.

Though it really isn't a factor I know someone will ask for my water stats which are
7.2, 0, 0, 30

 

[Sky042]

They also seem to not really eat aside from the oscar. If I put flakes in they'll pay attention but they seem to care less about cichlid pellets.

 

[Isis_Nebthet]

I would see how they react to bloodworm.

I have a jd and an oscar but I don't know enough to tell you why they're hiding.

 

[Sky042]

Anything that blows around the tank and sinks they'll all eat such as bloodworms or mysis shrimp.

 

[freddyk]

Just give them a chance to warm up to their new home.

Always keep an eye out for aggression, cichlids are naturally enemies and as they mature it's not uncommon for one or another to suddenly get thrashed by another, even when things look like they're going well. If after a while you still find a certain fish is constantly hiding, or constantly up at the top of the water in a corner, it's probably trying hard to stay out of the way of an aggressor and would likely be best removed.

 

[Sky042]

Well the submissive firemouth has died.
The Texas Green Cichlid is MIA(I think hiding in the huge rockpile)

The Dominant firemouth is still running the tank.
The Oscar could care less about anyone else in the tank and comepletely ignore the firemouth and mostly looks for food.
The Jack Dempsey is still submissive but he eats and seems to be trying to claim some territory.

Oddly enough this little 2 inch firemouth is able to run my 6 inch clown loaches off bloodworms(their favorite)

 

[Boxcar Muzzdogg]

I think they are all probably too afraid to come out and "compete" for food and would rather guard their territories so they do not get taken by others.

 

[NinjaSmurf]

I've had my one inch firemouth for a while now, he still hides to the point of starvation, and all he was in with was some guppies and cories, two of which he managed to stress to death while I try to keep him from croaking (moved the cories btw). He won't grow, maybe I'm just used to oscar type growth but...

 

[Sky042]

I've had my one inch firemouth for a while now, he still hides to the point of starvation, and all he was in with was some guppies and cories, two of which he managed to stress to death while I try to keep him from croaking (moved the cories btw). He won't grow, maybe I'm just used to oscar type growth but...

Actually the firemouth that's still living is the most agressive fish in the tank at the moment. between an oscar, jack dempsey, texas green cichlid.

He's a mean little bugger.

 

[Sky042]

Well today I took the firemouth out and gave him back to the LFS. Immediately the Jack Dempsey came out of hiding and started swimming in the open again. I bought a replacement Green Texas Cichlid for the one that the firemouth killed.

I also added a few more clown loaches to help out the whole schooling makes them feel more comfortable aspect(They were actually rehomes from my 46G)

Only problem I'm now having is the clown loaches. The two that were in there hid all the time because of the abuse handed out by the firemouth. He'd run them off bloodworms and force them into the rocks.

The two I added from my 46 had learned that I wasn't scary and that swimming out in the open meant food. However they haven't helped coax the big clown's into the open. I tried tonight tempting them with some blood worms and mysis shrimp but they didn't really come out. I'm not even sure if they've eaten in a week. I'm wondering what else I could put out there to try to get them out in the open or at least make sure they eat.

Tonight I dropped some algae discs in with the lights off but they haven't ventured out as of yet.

I really hope I don't lose them to malnutrition. They're 6 inchers and you know how hard it is to find clowns that big in the stores not to mention they're expensive when they're that large.

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

I think you'll find all the trouble with the now gone firemouth stressed them, and then new arrivals on top of that......
Might be worth putting the two in a seperate tank (do you have a quarantine tank or some such spare?) for a little while until they feel happier then try re-introducing them. It would be a shame for them to starve to death just because they're too freaked out.
Hugs,
P.

 

[Sky042]

I think you'll find all the trouble with the now gone firemouth stressed them, and then new arrivals on top of that......
Might be worth putting the two in a seperate tank (do you have a quarantine tank or some such spare?) for a little while until they feel happier then try re-introducing them. It would be a shame for them to starve to death just because they're too freaked out.
Hugs,
P.

I don't have an empty tank that could really easily fit those clowns (they're 6 inches each) I don't think they're having a problem with the new clown loaches since I've seen the new clowns swimming with the old ones who did venture out for about 10 mins a couple hours ago. And the new ones are hiding with the old clowns.

Though admittedly it's been a stressful day in that tank as in order to catch the firemouth that was causing all the trouble I had to remove ALL the rock and driftwood from the tank.

Since it's only been maybe 10 hours since the firemouth has been gone I guess I'll give them some time to decide to come out again.

For now what I did was take two algae discs and a few sinking catfish pellets and dropped them directly into the crevice the clowns are hiding in. Figuring that if they don't have to leave their solitude they can still get a meal.

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

Ah well, it still being so soon after all that hubub they're probably still calming down. Hopefully in a day or two, especially if they're already interacting with the other two clowns, they'll be right as rain. And yes, all that moving things around won't have helped either. That firemouth sounds like it's caused serious problems! Little blighter. Can't do anything now but give them time and no stress. I suspect they'll be fine.
I don't have a Q. tank for larger fish either. And with some big un's on the way soon it worries me slightly. Every time I get a tank I find it hard not to have anything living in it permanently. )
Hugs,
P.