Worried About New Severum

[fishnovice]

Is it normal for a large sev to hide and stay at the bottom just above the gravel?
At last the timid sev has plucked up the courage to explore his tank and even came to the front and went to the surface today. He's been hiding in a corner all day for a week since I got him and rarely ventured out except late at night after 10pm. Yesterday he came out at 6pm. I guess this is a good sign but he's still not eating, unless he scavenges the bottom and eats the plec's catfish pellets after lights out. He shows absolutely no interest in flakes at feeding time when all the others are grabbing food. Tried feeding him everything I have - freezedried bloodworm, fresh cucumber, flakes, even large 4mm floating koi pellets when he came to the surface but he just won't eat. Part of the problem is he's so easily frightened that he dashes off to the corner and hides whenever I open the tank lid to drop food in so he misses it. Don't want to risk polluting the tank with too much uneaten food but worried he may starve. He's a big adult sev, much larger than all the other cichlids so there is no reason for him to be scared. They just ignore him anyway and the tank is relatively peaceful for a cichoid tank with no serious bullying

 

[hamfist]

Sevs differ enormously in their character, and one of my sevs was very similar to yours. Took a long time to settle in, was very nervous. He's fine now. Just give it time. Being a large fish, he can go quite a long time without food. Is it possible to find out what he was being fed on before ... might be able to tempt him with something familiar
Make sure you give the tank lots of attention, lots of cleaning etc., then the sev will start to get used to you moving around and in the tank.

Last point ... are there enough hiding places in the tank ? Cover will make him feel secure.

 

[fishnovice]

Sevs differ enormously in their character, and one of my sevs was very similar to yours. Took a long time to settle in, was very nervous. He's fine now. Just give it time. Being a large fish, he can go quite a long time without food. Is it possible to find out what he was being fed on before ... might be able to tempt him with something familiar
Make sure you give the tank lots of attention, lots of cleaning etc., then the sev will start to get used to you moving around and in the tank.

Last point ... are there enough hiding places in the tank ? Cover will make him feel secure.

Yes lots of hiding places -that's why he hid for days! He's much better now and is swiming all over.
What is Sev's favourite food? He was an unwanted unloved fish, one of about 20 I adopted 19 days ago as owner no longer wanted to keep them and sold tank. She said he was a fussy eater

 

[hamfist]

Yes lots of hiding places -that's why he hid for days! He's much better now and is swiming all over.
What is Sev's favourite food? He was an unwanted unloved fish, one of about 20 I adopted 19 days ago as owner no longer wanted to keep them and sold tank. She said he was a fussy eater

The obvious answer to that is to ask the previous owner, if possible.

Two of my sevs are greedy guts and will eat virtually anything. The one fussy sev I have generally only eats frozen bloodworm, and a bit of veg (lettuce and cucumber). Just try lots of different stuff. Floating AND sinking pellets, flake, all sorts of frozen food, cucumber, de-shelled frozen peas, lettuce .... all are things that most sevs will eat.

Let us know how it goes.