Weird behaviour

I've noticed that everything in the new tank is pretty skittish today, even the corys which is quite unusual. I've just stuck some peas in for them, as the whole tank generally goes nuts for them. But watching some of the fish's behaviour has got me a bit worried. I've just seen the smaller of my krobia flash really quickly on the substrate a few times, and then twitch like mad. Peas were properly de-frosted and then de-shelled and crushed. I saw an albino cory do the same very briefly earlier.

Everyone else is eating, although they spit their food out and then re-eat it (I'm guessing they're chewing it down to a manageable size), but the Krobia are refusing to eat at all. They've gone from being pigs and eating everything I give them, to just spitting food out and swimming away. The only thing they will eat is blood worm. Are they just being ridiculously fussy, or could they just be under a lot of stress from the tank move, and then the temperature of the tank going up and down? I'm finding it really difficult to get the temp to stay stable at the moment.

I've done a small water change today (doing small ones daily at the moment just to help), and I've got an air pump with two outlets running on the tank. I'm waiting on APS to send me a missing part for the internal filter, and then I should be able to get a better flow going, as I know lack of oxygen is a problem when water temperature raises.

I've bought some Vitazin so that should arrive some time this week, just as a boost for my elderly bronze corry, who didn't cope well with being moved. Whilst researching it I came across fish Anorexia?! What the hell? Which is where no internal parasites are present, but the fish just continuously spits food out and refuses to eat. It claims Vitazin cures this, so I'm hoping that'll help. I'll start soaking their food in garlic too.

I'm probably just being paranoid and over re-acting (it's what I do best!), but after the stress they all went through on Friday, I just want to keep an extra close eye on them all.

fish do suffer from anorexia especially when they get old, or just get very thin. The daemon I showed you in the kitchen, she has it. Vitazin is helping but I doubt she will ever get back to normal because of her age.

I think the krobia are being fussy, the two I had off you wont eat either, I put in last night brine shrimp, bloodworm & Krill then that ate. I think they are just a little stressed and fussy because of the move.

Yeah, I realised as soon as I posted this that I had over-reacted

I think I've spoiled them too much with blood worm recently, going to have to really make them eat normal foods. On the plus side though, they're already becoming a lot more out going and seem to be enjoying the newer and bigger tank

It is easily done to panic , I would recommend though keeping a close eye out for any signs of Ich as they have been stressed a couple of times now, chances are they wont but its worth checking just in case

Haha, if I say "There's something wrong with the fish!", Bryn just rolls his eyes at me because he knows how easily I worry

That had come to my mind too. So far they seem ok, but like you said they have been stressed out twice over the past 3 weeks or so.

Bryn's impatient and really wants me to get "something interesting" *rolls eyes*, but I don't want to risk adding anything new for a good while yet.

No you are right there, treat the whole tank as a quarantine tank at the moment with them being moved twice, personally I wouldnt add anything for at least 3 weeks just to be on the safe side as all the substrate has been disturbed etc.

I figured as much. The poor little buggers deserve a rest!

Garlic soaked algae wafers are going down a treat, even with the Krobia

he he he he, that doesnt suprise me one little bit

Yeah, the lot of them didn't know what to do with it at first- it's been so long since I soaked food in garlic that they obviously didn't know how to react at first, until the biggest Krobia swallowed a piece in one go. Didn't spit it out once

I have been having a think about your stocking and a nice "centerpiece" fish. Thinking along the lines of the butti you posted the other day, what about Archocentrus centrarchus - flier cichlid. These are not overly big 6" max , not aggressive and unlike other americans they have a tiny mouth making them relativly ok with smaller fish (ok neons etc they would have a go at) they shouldnt hassle the krobia or keyholes, but would stand up to the naughty pearl gourami. They are a nice looking fish with hints of green and blue along the lateral line and belly. They are not from the same family as the convict and HRP which because of their colouration they are often thought to be.

I really, really like Fliers and I'd love to have one. Yours was an absolute beauty. But *roll eyes* Bryn's reaction was: "NO! RUMMYNOSES!!!!!" He has his heart set on a shoal of rummynose tetra. He also likes Electric Blue Rams, don't know if there'd be enough room for a small group of these?

As much as I'd love to stock the tank with everything I like, he put more money into the new tank than I did so I think it's fair that he gets a say in the rest of the stocking. Poops though, because he likes small shoaling fish and I like cichlids!!

I only had one light on on the tank today, instead of the three, and the whole tank seemed a lot more comfortable

Rams require different temperatures to what you already have, they are a nice fish but very very weak strained sometimes.

Rummy nose are nice little fish, I have a single one, I keep meaning to get her some friends but there seems to be none around here

Yeah, I had thought about that. They need higher temperatures, right? Where as my Keyholes and some of the corys need cooler temps.

I'm happy to get rummynoses- I've wanted dithers for ages. I just don't know what else to get that Bryn will like too He doesn't like apistos, he doesn't like nanacara, he doesn't like checkerboard cichlids, he doesn't like this, he doesn't like that Fussy bugger!

You'll have to bring him here let him have a good look about, introduce him to Chops lol

Hahaha I'd love to see the look on his face! XD

I'm gonna kill him! I've just shown him loads of photos of beautiful dwarf cichlids, no no no no to every one. And then he declares "I bet I can find a fish I like" so I said go on then.

Next thing I know: "Green Terror! Oooooooh!".
He really loves to wind me up

Newest one is: "OOOOOOOH!!! This one!" as he scrolls through various pictures of Jack Dempsey's.

Oh, what's going on in here then?

Mrs. Flute seems to be quite partial to "blank canvas fish" (new term I just coined) so it's proving to be a little difficult. Especially since I have a pretty beautiful taste in fish.

I like killifish but I think she's making excuses not to have them so that she gets her blank canvas fish.

Cant fault your taste Mr Flute at jack dempseys lol lol. Youngsters are evil viscious little blighters but the adults are quite placid, wouldnt trust one with the fish you have now as they have HUGE mouths

I dont think killies would go with the fish you already have particularly the pear gourami. If you like the green terror, what about a blue acara? trouble is with the blue acara you get some that are placid and some that turn out nasty, so you would need a back up tank to move it if necessary.

As lovely as a Jack Dempsey would be....one day

The gourami has calmed down quite a bit- she was the last one added to the new tank, and everything is standing up to her again. But I don't trust her, or the male panchax that I already have with other killifish, especially with some of the smaller species. I thought about some sort of Acara too, but there's no where we could put an emergency tank if an acara did turn nasty

Do you think there's any way Honduran Red Points could work? Been doing some research on them, they're in the right temperature range for my tank (25-26c), I need to double check but I'm pretty sure that the pH in my tank is around 7. Information states that they are generally peaceful cichlids considering they're related to Convicts, and should be kept with small to medium cichlids and fish that grow larger than 2 inches.

Never kept a HRP, but they are from the convict family, the sajica or t-bar reads up the same as the HRP I have has those and they are nasty little blighters, personally I wouldnt say they would go with the krobia or keyholes, but saying that you might be ok. Its going to be difficult without an emergency tank to remove a trouble maker when you are looking at the convict family, hence why I suggested the fliers. What about angels, how does Mr-flute feel about angels? your tank has terrific height it would be ideal for angels

I've never seen HRP in shops anywyay, so I think they'd be buggers to get hold of, even if they were suitable

Why did I never think about Angels?! They'd look absolutely amazing in there, and I've wanted them for absolutely ages! Say we did go with them, how many do you think we could get?

Depends on the sort, some are larger than others, without googling I cant remember which is the larger! but 2 would definately fit, maybe 4

Altums are one of the larger types I think? They can reach 30cm in height O.O
Apparently Pterophyllum scalare are the most popular and commonly found, and the Pterophyllum leopoldi is the smallest, being referred to as the Longnose angel or Dwarf angel.

Bryn likes them too, so I think Angels will be the way to go

I was thinking the same number wise. One of our LFS specialises in Discus and Angels so I'll hopefully be able to get some lovely ones, be great if he stocks the dwarf species.

Thats it, I can never remember without checking if its the altums or scalare the larger ones. Leopoldi are returning in popularity you might be lucky and get some, rare aquatics are showing them in stock
https://www.rareaquatics.co.uk/shop/category_36/Angelfish.html?sessid=mJ2lPZCwg7owEsScPb7Vb5KHniCKjUKK4XyQXPe34LIYoJAGXmNaJLIjQr8SjjK0&shop_param=cid%3D%26