Maingano question

[millerb7]

I got a maingano 2 days ago (almost exactly) when I got all my other fish... he has gotten along well with all my other cichlids (yellow lab and rusties)... but he's pretty much been held up in his little "hut" non-stop. He never comes out.

How long will this behavior last do you think? Normal due to the stress? Or should I be worried?

0ppm ammonia
0ppm NO2
about 10ppm NO3
pH is 8.0-8.2
temp is 77 F

He comes out occasionally (like 2-3 times a day) does a swim around the tank then back into his "hut" he goes.

 

[toddnbecka]

Sounds pretty average to me, I have 5 of them in a 75 with a bunch of peacocks and a ton of rocks. They do like to stay under cover, even more since I stripped down the tank to move some fish and rearranged the rocks. Add some more maingano's and he'll probably be more active.

 

[millerb7]

He's coming out more and more but still really shy. He also doesn't really come out during the times I feed. He gets a piece or two that's it if it lands in front of his hut.

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

what i did with my wierdly shy fish was gave it a shell structure to hide in near the front of the tank so i could watch it, then dropped food straight into the entrance (putting my arm right in the tank lol). it soon became the grumpy grandpa fish as it found a greed for the food and chased everything, especially if they were attempting to spawn.

so maybe u could reach in and actually deliver stuff? it may help alot x

 

[kay-bee19]

Shelters are prized possessions by mbuna's. Your maingano's near continuous occupation of his 'hut' may not actually be shyness. The ability to retain possession of such a shelter can be considered a form of dominance.

The alpha fish in one of my rift lake tanks is a seven year old red zebra which seldom leaves his prized cave. He'll leave it to eat, spawn or break up fights in his line of sight anywhere in the tank, then promptly return to his cave.

Some fish just like to be secure. In one of my other tanks I've got a foot long frontosa who is not the alpha fish, and he very rarely leaves his PVC pipe, even during feeding time. He manages to nab a pellet or two during feeding sessions if they happend to drift near the entrance (but his dietary share is far from the larger amounts that the other frontosa's get), but he's the second largest frontosa in the tank so he's sustaining himself somehow.

 

[millerb7]

Shelters are prized possessions by mbuna's. Your maingano's near continuous occupation of his 'hut' may not actually be shyness. The ability to retain possession of such a shelter can be considered a form of dominance.

The alpha fish in one of my rift lake tanks is a seven year old red zebra which seldom leaves his prized cave. He'll leave it to eat, spawn or break up fights in his line of sight anywhere in the tank, then promptly return to his cave.

Some fish just like to be secure. In one of my other tanks I've got a foot long frontosa who is not the alpha fish, and he very rarely leaves his PVC pipe, even during feeding time. He manages to nab a pellet or two during feeding sessions if they happend to drift near the entrance (but his dietary share is far from the larger amounts that the other frontosa's get), but he's the second largest frontosa in the tank so he's sustaining himself somehow.

Yeah he loves that hut. He does the same thing. Comes out to keep all in line then back in he goes lol.

 

[kelbaker79]

Shelters are prized possessions by mbuna's. Your maingano's near continuous occupation of his 'hut' may not actually be shyness. The ability to retain possession of such a shelter can be considered a form of dominance.

The alpha fish in one of my rift lake tanks is a seven year old red zebra which seldom leaves his prized cave. He'll leave it to eat, spawn or break up fights in his line of sight anywhere in the tank, then promptly return to his cave.

Some fish just like to be secure. In one of my other tanks I've got a foot long frontosa who is not the alpha fish, and he very rarely leaves his PVC pipe, even during feeding time. He manages to nab a pellet or two during feeding sessions if they happend to drift near the entrance (but his dietary share is far from the larger amounts that the other frontosa's get), but he's the second largest frontosa in the tank so he's sustaining himself somehow.

Good to know, mine is doing the same thing...got him a couple weeks ago. Thanks for the info!