Several years ago I did a post titled “Behavioral signs of a ill cichlid“. In that post, I described several warning signs of a sick fish. A fish that isn’t eating is often a sign that something is wrong. However, there is another behavior associated with eating that you might be on the look-out for. How “active” is your fish when it eats? In other words, does it seek out the food that you provided (e.g., flakes, pellets) or does it only eat when food comes within proximity of its mouth.
This can be an early warning sign. Most all cichlids are aggressive eaters. They should typically react to anything foreign they see moving in the water column. In fact, they should normally do so in quick bursts. For example, when you drop pellets or sticks into the water, your fish should approach them immediately and quickly. If the fish hardly reacts to any type of food that you introduce, pay close attention to them. Two consecutive feedings with little reaction to the food should be a red flag. This behavior will often precede any signs of physical changes – clamped fins, unusual spots, etc. Note the J. dickfeldi in the video above, both adults, juveniles, and fry. They are very inquisitive, active, and hungry. They quickly investigate any little bit they spot in the tank.
maybee you can help me? i have been treating Hole in Head and fin rot for over a month with no luck. i have lost some older fish no problem. but i am worried about tank, the fish have quite reproducing. i have treated with API general cure and pima fix and mela fix with H2O change 3 times and seems to work. any suggestions.
Hi Brian. Thanks for the note. What size tank is it and what cichlid species does it contain? Also, how frequently do you do water changes as part of your maintenance routine? If you’re certain that you have hexamita (Hole in the Head disease) and fin rot, the most likely culprit is poor water. This usually results from inadequate water changes, poor filter maintenance, poor tank maintenance, or some combination thereof.