Keyhole Cichlids

[Johnerz]

I absolutely love this fish. I have had 3 in the past and have had bad luck, 1 died mysteriously after about a year. Another one must have been the only aggressive one in the world. It harassed the other one till it died, then it start on the other fish. I had to take it back to the shop. Now I have a 180 litre tank set up, I've resolved a nitrate problem and I had and go myself two lovely keyhole Cichlids.they have have settled in nicely. Does anyone know if the change in their colour or formation of the spot on the abdomen indicate specific moods.one of mine almost always has a thick dark vertical line down the rear section his body so you can't really see the spot. The other has the classic spot and normal colour for the rest of the body. Both seem happy enough eating and swimming around. So I'm not worried, just intrigued.

 

[Homedog98]

I absolutely love this fish. I have had 3 in the past and have had bad luck, 1 died mysteriously after about a year. Another one must have been the only aggressive one in the world. It harassed the other one till it died, then it start on the other fish. I had to take it back to the shop. Now I have a 180 litre tank set up, I've resolved a nitrate problem and I had and go myself two lovely keyhole Cichlids.they have have settled in nicely. Does anyone know if the change in their colour or formation of the spot on the abdomen indicate specific moods.one of mine almost always has a thick dark vertical line down the rear section his body so you can't really see the spot. The other has the classic spot and normal colour for the rest of the body. Both seem happy enough eating and swimming around. So I'm not worried, just intrigued.

When they get scared, they go brown and get a stripe. This also happens with bad water, but since the other one is fine, he's probably still settling in. When did you get them, and how did you acclimate them?

 

[Johnerz]

When they get scared, they go brown and get a stripe. This also happens with bad water, but since the other one is fine, he's probably still settling in. When did you get them, and how did you acclimate them?

I got the fish 3 weeks ago. I did my normal water change 2-3 days before adding them, I also added the Terta water safe about 1-2 hours before putting them in. I had high nitrate so I reduced that to an acceptable level before buying the fish.

They both seem quite happy swimming around the tank at all levels, I have them in a community set up with 12 tiger barbs, 4 sissortails, 6 harlequins, 4 Cory Doras. They both swim around the tank without any trouble and they are getting enough food, even with the tiger barbs running rampant.

Neither of them hide away behind the rocks or plants very often only when the light is turned off. for a shy species these two are quite social.

 

[Homedog98]

Hmm... Ok then. I guess he/she is just kind different! That's cool.