Normal behavior for cichlids?

Bloopie

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Hi, just put 2 cichlids in my tank. (I aplogoize, at this step I'm not sure what their name is exactly, i'll post a picture later, but the male is yellow with yellow fins and a black/grey circle on his 'neck' and the female is purple.).

They are the only 2 fish in a 96 ltr tank.
Not sure if what they're doing is normal
they're swimming around quickly, stopping for a few seconds on the filter's tube and circling it.
I noticed the female just stops next to it and waves her gills fast.
If I had to guess (being a complete newbie) I'd say they look happy and checking out their new home, I'd say they're very energetic and that is a good thing isn't it? But what concerns me is that I tried feeding them and they don't eat. (the food was there for about 10 minutes and I took it out)... the food is JBL sticks (Novo Stick M).
Should I be worried?
Btw I put in some StressCoat.
 
I just changed my mind. I think for me, cichlids are much nicer than the gouramis and tetras.
 
You're not going to help me because I changed my mind about the fish I want? :/
 
You're not going to help me because I changed my mind about the fish I want? confused.gif

No, people change their mind all the time. I just think it's crazy to buy fish when you don't know what they are or if you can keep them properly. That's why you do research and ask around first. All it takes is another post or thread saying "Hey, I changed my mind and saw these cool cichlids at the LFS. What do you guys think?"

i'll post a picture later, but the male is yellow with yellow fins and a black/grey circle on his 'neck' and the female is purple.).

I don't think people can answer your question until they have a better idea what you have. Maybe once you have a pic...? If I had to completely guess based just on the above, I'd say you probably have a couple of mbuna, neither of which are appropriate for that tank size.
 
I see soooo many problems with your tank, I don't even know where to begin.

First of all, do you know anything about the habitat of african cichlids, or what their water needs to be like? What are the decorations in your tank set up like? What is your pH and KH?

Secondly, there are many reasons why NOT to buy cichlids out of a "mixed" tank. You never know how large they are going to get, how agressive they are going to be (ranging from a "peaceful" cichlid to very very agressive), what their dietary nees might be. Some cichlids are herbavores, while others are carnivore. How do you know what food they need? How big are these fish going to get? some cichlids grow to 4 inches, while others can grow to 10 inches or larger.

Another issue you may face is cross breeding. Cichlids from the same genus can sometimes cross breed, creating mutt cichlids. This is generally frowned on, because what will you do with the fry if they should breed?

Also, some species need to be kept as a harem, with one male for several females, because they will bully the female if there is only one the agression can't be spread around.

I STRONGLY STRONGLY STRONGLY recomend you spend the rest of today to and tomorrow figuring out what your fish are, and their specific needs, or take them back to your pet store.
 
I recommend you get rid of them. You don't know what kind they are and what to feed them. You don't know the environment they like (Rocky). You also don't know where they come from and if they are hybrids or how big they get?
 
The LFS assured me that these cichlids don't get much bigger than what they are in the picture, if at all. They also gave me food for them (JBL Sticks Novo M).

I will add rocks soon.

I will ask the LFS tomorrow exactly what type they are.
 
LFS information isn't always correct. I had them tell me I could keep a bala shark in a 15 gallon.
 
I'm going to go out on a limb and guess from the pictures Pseudotropheus sp. "Acei" (purple) and Pseudotropheus sp. "Msobo" (or similar Pseudo where both species are yellow/orange juveniles). I'm probably a little off, but I keep both of these fish and it would be amusing... Either way, it's something with somewhat unusual care requirements (diet, aquascaping, aggression) that you aren't aware of, including a need for a larger tank than you currently possess.

I don't mean to disrespect you. I really do just care about fish and educating people about them.

peace,

mh
 
Hey Bloopie.

Here's a test to see how your LFS has done so far.

He told you the fish you have will not grow any bigger, which means the fish you have purchased are about 5 inches long, right?

He sold you JBL sticks. I don't know what they are, but it is a good food for herbivores... right?

He explained to you how these fish, once mature, will often kill each other in tanks that are not heavily stocked enough, tanks too small, or if they are kept with incompatible species. Right?
 

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