N757QQ
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Hello all,
I have been cycling & trying to decide on salt or fresh for about 2 & 1/2 months. I, obviously I guess, decided to stay with fresh water & went with Malawi peacocks.
I bought 3 pairs from my LFS today. All 3 are male & female as that is the only way that this store will sell them. I have a German red, Regal, and Flavescent.
All of the fish are doing great, from what I can tell, except one. All of the males swam up & down the glass for about 10 minutes then the Regal broke off & started exploring. He is the smallest, at about 3". The other two males are 3-4". The German Red decided to hang out near the Flavescent, but not constantly swimming up & down the glass, then by 30 minutes in their new home, he was looking for food as well, and exploring.
The Flav took about 3 hours to calm down & is now swimming around quickly, but exploring. He has not eaten yet.
I explain all of that because I am new, and from my reading in the past few months I understand that this behavior is normal. The issue I am having is that one female (I do not know which she is) is just sitting in the water not moving around much & not swimming with the others, who are all in a 5 fish group. The other two females are smaller & more dull. The one that is worrying me is bigger & rather colorful for a female. She has a bit of vague color on the very tip of her dorsal, and is a bit colorful along her side, but again greyed out.
She is constantly 'mouth breathing' so to speak, quickly at first when she was in the tank for the first hour, but is now slowly continuing & is still off to herself.
Should I be worried about her? Is this normal for cichlids, because the others are now seemingly at home. Is she possibly pregnant? Is it possible that 'she' is a he that is just an early juvenile, trying to lay low until he gets bigger?
I will post pictures in a few in case that will help. I just hate to think that something is wrong & let her suffer if I can correct it.
Edit to add that the water conditions are:
Ammo: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 30-35ppm
PH: 8.2
Temp: 79.38
I do not have an air stone, but the filter does move & slightly rustle the top of the water. None of the other fish seem to be doing this at all.
Sand substrate, Texas holey rock deco.
She is not listing to one side or the other, She is just stationary in the middle of the tank, initially just above & behind the group, but now on the opposite side of the tank.
I have been cycling & trying to decide on salt or fresh for about 2 & 1/2 months. I, obviously I guess, decided to stay with fresh water & went with Malawi peacocks.
I bought 3 pairs from my LFS today. All 3 are male & female as that is the only way that this store will sell them. I have a German red, Regal, and Flavescent.
All of the fish are doing great, from what I can tell, except one. All of the males swam up & down the glass for about 10 minutes then the Regal broke off & started exploring. He is the smallest, at about 3". The other two males are 3-4". The German Red decided to hang out near the Flavescent, but not constantly swimming up & down the glass, then by 30 minutes in their new home, he was looking for food as well, and exploring.
The Flav took about 3 hours to calm down & is now swimming around quickly, but exploring. He has not eaten yet.
I explain all of that because I am new, and from my reading in the past few months I understand that this behavior is normal. The issue I am having is that one female (I do not know which she is) is just sitting in the water not moving around much & not swimming with the others, who are all in a 5 fish group. The other two females are smaller & more dull. The one that is worrying me is bigger & rather colorful for a female. She has a bit of vague color on the very tip of her dorsal, and is a bit colorful along her side, but again greyed out.
She is constantly 'mouth breathing' so to speak, quickly at first when she was in the tank for the first hour, but is now slowly continuing & is still off to herself.
Should I be worried about her? Is this normal for cichlids, because the others are now seemingly at home. Is she possibly pregnant? Is it possible that 'she' is a he that is just an early juvenile, trying to lay low until he gets bigger?
I will post pictures in a few in case that will help. I just hate to think that something is wrong & let her suffer if I can correct it.
Edit to add that the water conditions are:
Ammo: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 30-35ppm
PH: 8.2
Temp: 79.38
I do not have an air stone, but the filter does move & slightly rustle the top of the water. None of the other fish seem to be doing this at all.
Sand substrate, Texas holey rock deco.
She is not listing to one side or the other, She is just stationary in the middle of the tank, initially just above & behind the group, but now on the opposite side of the tank.