Red Devil Cichlid Not Eating

[mikeybabs]

See I'm not losing my mind, that's why I wanted more pictures. Look at the vent but those last shots look a male to me. Females can have a hump to but it doesn't seem to change as much as males based on dominance.

Interesting, thanks for that.. I'm glad it's a boy cuz I always called it a him all along lol

 

[mikeybabs]

Okay here's an update. Today is the 13th day... I tried to feed the 4.5mm pellets and he doesn't seem crazy about them (however I'm not sure if my method of feeding is effective, all i do is put in 1 pellet and wait for him to go for it and if he doesnt eat it then i take it out, is this ok? or should i put a bunch in and just wait awhile?)...

but anyways... i got some good news!!

i decided to feed the last of the 2 crickets i had today (mainly because they would have died soon) and upon feeding him i decided to try something different... i mixed in some NLS Optimum Fresh H20 Flakes "plus garlic" into the take along with the crickets and he starting eating the flakes! He didn't go after them really fast but he did eat a decent ammount of them, and wasnt spitting them out! I'm really happy to see him at least start eating something besides crickets!! My brother is going to get me some worms to feed him eventually...

so now my questions are:

Are the NLS Flakes just as good as the pellets as far as a diet is concerned? Will they bring out the color just as much (IT says color enhancing on the container)
Should I feed the Flakes every day until he gets use to them and then try the pellets?

I'm so happy to see him actually eat the NLS Flakes... and I'm hoping he will transition into the pellets eventually... Didn't you say they're all basically formulated from the same stuff? Does that mean once he gets use to the flakes he'll jump at the pellets better?

How often should I mix live foods in with him and what are some good options? So far I can easily get crickets and worms, are these 2 good things to mix in once in awhile for a variety and how often should I do that? (I know I should feed him NLS mostly!)

THANKS!

 

[HUKIT]

That's good he ate some flakes but if you read the package it states it's nor enough daily nutrition for large fish. I would throw in some pellets and walk away from the tank, come back in twenty minutes to check and remove any leftover food. He was eating pellets before, what kind was he eating?

 

[mikeybabs]

That's good he ate some flakes but if you read the package it states it's nor enough daily nutrition for large fish. I would throw in some pellets and walk away from the tank, come back in twenty minutes to check and remove any leftover food. He was eating pellets before, what kind was he eating?

Tomorrow I will find out from the LFS what exactly he was eating... I will try feeding him some pellets and leaving them in for 20 minutes to see if he eats any... Thanks for the heads up on the flakes. I wasn't planning on feeding him flakes every day but I was just happy to see him eat I'll get back to you on his diet at the LFS... and tell you the results tomorrow of him responding to the pellets. Thanks!

 

[Batt4Christ]

Hey hukit... Ok so bubba still isn't eating... He spits out the NLS flake and pellet food I feed him. I fed him one cricket and he ate that no problem (on 3rd day). I bought 5 more crickets today but I'm deciding if I should feed him those or continue to starve him until he caves and eats the NLS pellets... Also he bit me pretty good when I was moving around the decorations lol... Is that cuz he was hungry? The pet store said he never did that before. I'm assuming he's hungry cuz he hasn't been eating regularly since I got him 10 days ago...

Thanks

Mike

Hate to tell you this, but male or female, a RD with any size is always a bite threat to anything in it's domain! I had one that pushed 13 inches several years ago that put a very similar bloody mark on my arm once. Mine would attack my siphon hose when I did cleaning. Plastic plants would get literally shredded.

 

[mikeybabs]

Hate to tell you this, but male or female, a RD with any size is always a bite threat to anything in it's domain! I had one that pushed 13 inches several years ago that put a very similar bloody mark on my arm once. Mine would attack my siphon hose when I did cleaning. Plastic plants would get literally shredded.

Wow! good to know someone else had similar experiences and I'm not alone lol... 13 inches geez... Mine is only 8-9" at the moment... Do you think it'll get bigger and how long will it take to be full grown? Do you think it's about 2-3 years old now? I'm wondering because hukit says I should put him in a bigger tank in the future (currently a 54 gallon corner)... Btw my devil also attacks my siphon during cleaning time lol. I'm scared to put my hand in there haha

 

[Batt4Christ]

Well- I can't tell you about age- I basically rescued the one I had from a lfs that had taken it in from someone who got upset that it killed/ate everything in it's tank! It was a almost 10inches when I got it, and 13 inches when I gave it away. It had a particular fondness for nightcrawlers... But what a mess!!! Feder goldfish were an appetizer.

As far as getting "that big" - if fed enough, and given the room- I sure can!

I believe the one I had was a male- it had a very pronounced he'd bump and amazingly long and quite beautiful fins.

I'm not sure I would ever want one again, though it was so beautiful. Just too cantankerous for me in my "old age"... While I still like cichlids, I also like natural tanks with plants... Plants + Red Devil = huge shredded mess! Plus- there really are no "compatible" tankmates, as anything you put in will either be a meal or someone to constantly fight with...

 

[mikeybabs]

It had a particular fondness for nightcrawlers... But what a mess!!!

Feeding night crawlers was a mess? How? Can you hold the worm above the tank and he will slowly eat a little at a time? Lol

 

[Batt4Christ]

Feeding night crawlers was a mess? How? Can you hold the worm above the tank and he will slowly eat a little at a time? Lol

Yeah- those things hold a BUNCH of "dirt"- and as violent and voracious as those Red Devils are, they just shred as the go. I finally figured out that I could "strip" the worm of most of the dirt before dropping it in the tank. Still some mess, but a lot less than fresh from the container!!!

 

[HUKIT]

Wow! good to know someone else had similar experiences and I'm not alone lol... 13 inches geez... Mine is only 8-9" at the moment... Do you think it'll get bigger and how long will it take to be full grown? Do you think it's about 2-3 years old now? I'm wondering because hukit says I should put him in a bigger tank in the future (currently a 54 gallon corner)... Btw my devil also attacks my siphon during cleaning time lol. I'm scared to put my hand in there haha

Most average male devils will top out at 10-12", with a quite a few over 12-14". That's why tank upgrade may be a good idea. I now have two 72g bowfronts which is my favorite tank to showcase one large fish.

 

[mikeybabs]

ok so here's an update... he still doesnt go after the NLS 4.5 mm pellets immediately when i put them in the tank... i leave them there for awhile and when i come back sometimes i find some missing, so im assuming he might be eating them when im gone...

however today im a little worried because we had a cold night this summer and i left the heater down to 72 and the temp in the tank dropped down to 74... and i put a new plant in the tank and there was absolutely no aggression towards me like he usually gives me when i stick my hand in the tank, he is swimming kind of lifeless (not too unusual, just not his normal self) and im guessing its because of the temp swing from 80 down to 72... well i learned my mistake and i immediately put the temp of the heater back up to 78 (learning that the heater is not faulty and indeed works at maintaining the temperature its set at, my goal is to keep it a steady 80)...

so should i be worried that hes still not eating regularly and is swimming around very slow? he seemed more active when the temperature was up

it's been 2 and a half weeks and he's still not budging at the 4.5mm pellets immediately when i put them in the tank... however i'm uncertain if he's eating them when i leave them in the tank for awhile or perhaps they are sinking and getting lost at the bottom... im not sure, sometimes i only find a few missing so he possibly could be eating them, but im just worried hes not eating normally right when i put them in the tank... shouldnt he be gobbling them right away when i drop them in?

could the temp swing down to 74 degrees impact him a lot as far as him swimming slow and having no aggression towards me? could it be bad for his health? currently the water is heating back up to the 78-80 range...

should i feed him a worm? should i drop some NLS pellets in every day to see if he budgets at them or continue to wait?

im hoping he becomes more active once the temperature raises again, and im not going to lower it like i did before

thanks again

 

[HUKIT]

I think what I would do at this point is feed him whatever he'll eat, with the stress of moving, the temp flucuations, and the new diet. After all those issues are settled for a month or so then try to introduce the new food, get him happy and healthy first then work on his diet. Keep him on a staple of pellets so when the time is right to switch to NLS he'll still be accustomed to that and not just live, like crickets and worms.

I never touch my heaters settings once they're dialed in, with summer months here they rarely even turn on. So like that stupid Ron Popei oven "set it and forget it".

 

[mikeybabs]

I think what I would do at this point is feed him whatever he'll eat, with the stress of moving, the temp flucuations, and the new diet. After all those issues are settled for a month or so then try to introduce the new food, get him happy and healthy first then work on his diet. Keep him on a staple of pellets so when the time is right to switch to NLS he'll still be accustomed to that and not just live, like crickets and worms.

I never touch my heaters settings once they're dialed in, with summer months here they rarely even turn on. So like that stupid Ron Popei oven "set it and forget it".

ok thanks, i called the pet store and they use "Nutrafin Max Cichlid Sinking Granules" medium size... however its like 30 something dollars there... im not sure if i want invest in that food if im not going to end up feeding it all the time

maybe they can give me a sample.. hmm

 

[HUKIT]

I certainly wouldn't invest in that stuff, maybe they can give you a handful if you promise to buy more fish.

 

[mikeybabs]

I certainly wouldn't invest in that stuff, maybe they can give you a handful if you promise to buy more fish.

Should I order some type of larger NLS sinking pellet then? How about trying the 1mm sinking pellets I already have? What about the flakes? Can you link me to the food I should buy for him since it seems he's use to sinking food... Or will the 1mm pellets be enough nutrition for him? I know the flakes aren't...

On the plus side he seemed to liven up once the temp got to about 76... Hoping tomorrow morning he will be back to himself.

Could he possibly switch from sinking to floating over time?

Thx!!

 

[HUKIT]

The 1mm pellets are fine, it will just take more of them and longer to feed. I feed the 1mm to my Red Points and the oscars pay no attention at all, so they might be to small to get his attention. I think at this time just try the 4.5's in a month or if sinking is preferred then the other sizes would be 3mm cichlid or 6mm Thera A would be good choice with the added garlic.

 

[mikeybabs]

Should I order this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002E7JB2/ref=mp_s_a_3?qid=1307128652&sr=8-3

??

Thx

 

[HUKIT]

That or the Thera A formula.

 

[mikeybabs]

That or the Thera A formula.

Ok so I ordered the 3mm sinking but in the mean time I stopped at petsmart and picked up this which im going to try feeding tomorrow morning:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3249376

If he responds well to this stuff what should i do? Continue feeding him it until my NLS 3mm arrives in the mail and then switch to NLS?

Luckily petsmart said I could return the food and get my money back or swap it for another food if my fish doesn't eat it. So I figured there's nothing to lose.

Let me know if you think that food is ok... It says "floating and sinking" so I can't go wrong lol and they're "medium" and my LFS said they were feeding him medium pellets but petsmart didn't have the same brand the LFS was using. LFS was feeding him nutrafin sinking and im going to try top fin floating/sinking mix medium.

Thanks for all your help so far and I'm hoping I can share a success story once my poor bubba fish gobbles down the NLS.

Thx

 

[HUKIT]

I have no experience with that brand, so try it and see. Then after the other issues are resolved then try the NLS.