They are very reluctant to come to the surface of the tank even to get food. Everytime I walk by the tank they all dive for cover. Is this normal, or do my fish have "issues"?
2007-02-07 14:40:29 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Fish
Most of the time when fish do this, it is a result from recently being added to an aquarium, or there aren't enough of the fish to get the courage up to come to the surface. Depending on what type of Malawi Cichlids you have, and the amount of them, tank size, etc, I would recomend getting a few more if you are getting sick of this behavior, but only if you have enough room for it. When my fish did that, they were young and fresh in my tank, all I did was put the fish flakes in the lid of the little food can, crush the flakes up and dip it under water near the location of the fish. This way, they don't have to come to the surface if they don't want to. If your fish get hungry enough however, they will eventually start to come to the surface upon your arrival.
2007-02-07 15:29:51 · answer #1 · answered by Flames Fan 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yep, cichlids take a while to get used to people, especially the African cichlids. Now South American cichlids are just plain aggressive and would rather attack than hide.
2007-02-07 15:38:29 · answer #2 · answered by bzzflygirl 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This behaviour can be normal especially if your Malawians are from the Mbuna group. Also if they are new to your tank it can take a while for them to settle and get used to you and their new surroundings. There is also the issue with establishing hierarchy and territory.
2007-02-07 15:29:39 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋