The Daily Cichlid
Subtitle
WEIRD CICHLIDS
The Fluorescent Cichlid?
I am going to file this in the weird or what section.
Fluorescent Convict cichlid (Amatitlania nigrofasciata) - Pic by JY Lin Co ltd
With so many different colour variations to choose from do we really need GMF? (GMF -genetically modified fish). Do we really need scientists to play god and create these unnatural variations using unnatural breeding techniques on fish that were extremely cool on their own? I don't think so and it begs us to ask the question "just how boring do you think your fish are?"
The same people who brought us the glow-fish have managed to breed a Trangenic Convict Cichlid with an Angel Fish to create this radioactive looking Cichlid.
Obviously a ploy to make more money with no real scientific benefit. They are doing the same thing to the Black Skirt Tetra which was also a beautiful fish on its own. I just don't see the point to messing with nature in this way when nature already provides beautiful and unique fish.
I think it is wrong to let people genetically modify everything because someday it wont stop with just our food or our fish and animals, eventually people will be genetically modified as well. What greater good can come out of radioactive looking Convict Cichlids I have no idea but it certainly doesn't benefit the animal.
Why Do My Cichlids Transport Sand And Rearange Rocks In My Tank? Do They Dislike My Setup?
Pictured Left is an mbuna or Lake Malawi Bumblebee Cichlid (Mr. Mc-Spitty-Sands AKA "Spitz") which are notorious for being diggers. This fat bastard is the largest cichlid I have and he is systematically rearanging my tank. He has moved 1/3 of the total amount of sand in my aquarium to the front. Why? Out of all the forums and scientific documents there are 4 reasons why Cichlids do this.
1. They think it is fun! after moving a large amount of sand my Bumblebee swims around in a happy carefree manner and is obviously very satisfied with himself... bastard lol
2. It is part of a breeding ritual, in which they clear a spawning bed or a crevice for a future spawning site.
3. It is a nesting ritual, they are trying to create more territory or a territory that is specifically and uniquely made just for them.
4. Cichlids sift through the sand or gravel to find uneaten food.
Mystery solved? Maybe one day biologists will find a definitive answer but so far the forums and other experienced Cichlid owners are all I have to go on. According to many happy owners it is a normal part of Cichlid life to purposefully ruin your beautifully set up rock structures, move sand and gravel into large unsightly piles randomly around the tank, to get upset with you when you move said piles and rocks back and then proceed to rearrange the aquarium again and again after you just finished setting everything back to the way it was. If your cichlids are extremely active and do this type of re-modelling all the time which is why it is best to make sure that you set your large rocks up in such a way that they wont pierce a hole or crack your aquarium when they come toppling down. The best way of achieving this is to set the rocks up directly on the bottom glass and fill the gaps in with sand. That way you know that when your fish are moving sand or gravel from around the large rocks they wont topple over or shift because they were already sitting on top of a flat stable surface. You can also use plastic sheets underneath the rocks and sand to further protect the bottom glass but it usually isn't necessary. :) Below is a video posted by my girl friend Shannelle, of Mr. Mc-Spitty-Sands AKA "Spitz" our Mbuna Bumblebee Cichlid re-arranging the tanks sand enjoy! he looks very happy with himself although he is ruining my aqua-scape lol.
Weird Behaviors:
Itchy Fish:
Believe it or not fish do get physically itchy from time to time. a lot of times this itching or flashing is caused by disease or parasites but often times it is caused by environmental factors.
My personal experience stems from both reasons, environmental and disease related. Recently my Bumblebee Cichlid was flashing up a storm and rubbing himself lightly on the sand. I thought he was getting sick and that these were the early signs of a disease like fin rot, ich or the dreaded velvet disease. It turns out that he was itchy from the tank upgrade, whether it was from the sand particles (dust cloud) that were stirred up from the transfer to the new tank or perhaps the fresh silicone on the new tanks seams he seemed to be the only one who was itchy at first. when the other fish began to show signs I had to look deeper. It ended up being related to a mini nitrogen cycle that started after the move. Ammonia and nitrite levels were higher and I cured the problem by adding a large donation of established filter media from a well established and healthy tank. I checked in on all the fish and observed them for days to see any signs of fin rot, ammonia burn and other water condition related diseases but the tank stabilized and the fish remain healthy to date.
It is important to be able to collaborate with others if you notice weird behaviours because sometimes you may be looking in the wrong direction because you are thinking of the worst or more complicated possibilities instead of the simplest answer based on a sequence of events. I would like to thank the page runner of fish talk on facebook for helping me reach a solution and also my friend Ashley for her donation of filter media.