Moving FM

[ddiienno]

Okay so I moved 2 of my FM to a new tank. I moved them one by one. When I moved the first one it hid in the rocks. A few days later when I introduced the other FM to the thank they did the usual chase around the tank a few times and then the newly added one is now hiding in the rocks and the other is out swimming more. How long before the other is out and swimming? Should I be worried? He doesn't really come out to feed but there are 3 guppies in there he could eat if he was desperate.

 

[swifty]

What size tank?

Common with cichlids when they're placed in a new environment to do that. I had a juvenile convict and juvenile firemouth hide for almost 2 months in a old 20g long. Dither/target fish will definitely help though.

 

[ddiienno]

Moved them from a 20 to a 30. What dither fish would you suggest?

 

[swifty]

Nice. I did the same for mine; upgraded my cichlids to a 20g long, then to a 29g, then later to a 40g. The first 2 times they acted like babies and hid for a week or so. The last one it only lasted for a few hours.

Any of the bigger bodied tetras will do fine. I've personally had success with black skirts, colombians, buenos aires, and serpae. My FM pretty much ignored all of them. He did take a chunk out of a black skirt a year or so ago, but other than that he's never done anything out of the ordinary. He's just under 4 inches, and about 18 months old.

Others have had success with tiger barbs, mollys, giant danios, and silver dollars, but I'd recommend the tetras mentioned above.

 

[ddiienno]

Okay you don't think I'm overstocked if I put a few in there?

 

[swifty]

If it's a standard 30 that's a 3' tank, which I feel is enough for 2 firemouths and a small school of tetras. Tetras are really light on the bioload of a tank. As long as you don't throw a dozen in there you'd be fine.

 

[ddiienno]

Yeah it's a standard. Okay thanks for the help!!