My yellow labs are hiding?

[Diego21]

I am really confused and worried, I have about 13 yellow labs in my 75g and starting a couple weeks ago, almost all the labs started hiding behind my 3D rock background! Both males and females are hiding back there and sometimes dont even come out to eat! I put some food back there and then they will eat. All my water parameters are good. If they do come out they only stay out till I walk to the tank and then they all scurry back behind the background. I am started to feel like I emotionally scared them somehow, lol. I only mess with the tank when I do weekly water changes or when I have to put fry into the grow out tank. How do I get my fish to come out and play and be happy? please help :-(

 

[tgodwin90]

Just labs, no other species in the tank? Is it in a busy area of your house? PH ,temp?

 

[Dean jones]

Diego21 my African cichlids also did the same mate ? Just spend some time in front of your tank,so your cichlids can get to know you mate ;-( and pay them attention,they will then get to know yourself and your way of life trust me they will over many days know your a friend in every sense of the word mate...Mine now absolutely love me just coming over to say hello,and of course to feed them these fish are so beautiful and intelligent that I wouldn't want it any other way

 

[Diego21]

Just labs, no other species in the tank? Is it in a busy area of your house? PH ,temp?

No, I also have 6 red zebras and three convicts but only one at the moment cause the other two had babies so I relocated the whole family to the grow out tank. My temp is 79-80 degrees and ph is at 7.9

 

[Diego21]

Just labs, no other species in the tank? Is it in a busy area of your house? PH ,temp?

Sorry, also it is not in a busy area, the tank is in our formal living room

 

[tgodwin90]

The convicts might be the problem. They are called zebra cichlid but have no relation to the Africans. Africans communicate with each other so if a s.a. is put with them a social structure can't be made. Its like speaking to someone who doesn't understand English.

 

[Dean jones]

Diego spend some time in front of your tank,and the Cichlids will come out and get to know yourself mate ? Trust me,there above all very intelligent fish,who in time get to know there keepers mate