Passive Pelvichromis Wouri

[Mr.First]

Female seems to want to mate. Continues to shake/flash the very uninterested male.
Tried to wake him uo a bit with the mirror idea, seems he is a bit afraid of himself. When I had the temp. up at 84 to fight ick, they were both a bit more active. Any suggestions beside viagra and Barry White?
PH is around 6

 

[gerald]

Age? Diet? maybe more live foods, mosquito larvae, worms? (but make sure they get veggies too - you dont want bloating).

 

[Mr.First]

Thanks for your response. Could not confirm the age. I have to assume they are a bit past juvenile based on their size. I have only had them few weeks in a 33 long. They don't get any live food. Are black worms okay to feed ?. I use B.Shrimp spirolina.
frozen blood worms, Daphina, Mysis. Live brine worthwhile to use ?
I have always been concerned about using worms. many years ago live sewer (tubeflex I guess) wiped out a full Central A. cichlids.
Thanks for your help......

 

[Mr.First]

Okay, well then. I am going to respond to myself. Went out and got Black Worms tonight. It seemed like an immediate reaction. Right after their first feast of live food, the male is now showing his top fin, and going after her a little bit. Just to keep you posted....

 

[gerald]

Amazing effect huh? I get frisky after eating live worms too. Blackworms are OK for Pelv's and Nano's in small amounts - don't let them gorge on worms. Too much (of any meaty food) can damage organs and lead to bloat. I buy blackworms from sources that grow them in fish-free ponds, NOT worms harvested from trout farms or agricultural waste settling ponds. CA aquatic foods and Eastern Aquatics (PA) have good blackworms.

I would suggest some fresh cooked veggies too - peas, sweet potato, squash ... Fresh-hatched baby BS is good but I wouldn't bother with live adult BS from a store, which are starved - frozen is more nutritious.

 

[Mr.First]

Is hatching your own brine a worthwhile thing to do ?

 

[gerald]

If you're breeding cichlids (and most other fish), hatching your own BS is one of the MOST worthwhile things you can do. An upside-down soda bottle with a narrow neck works fine -- no expensive hatchery needed. Use a piece of small-diam rigid tubing to get air to the bottom. The air bubbles need to emerge ON the bottom (inside the bottle cap) to keep the eggs from settling.

Is hatching your own brine a worthwhile thing to do ?

 

[kurkure]

Thanks for your response. Could not confirm the age. I have to assume they are a bit past juvenile based on their size. I have only had them few weeks in a 33 long. They don't get any live food. Are black worms okay to feed ?. I use B.Shrimp spirolina.

 

[gerald]

Blackworms are excellent in small amounts, balanced with other foods. Too much can lead to fatty liver and kidney damage, which causes bloating.

 

[Pisces 56]

After you get them conditioned with food... When a storm front, like thunderstorms, is moving in, do a 50% water change with water that is just a wee wee bit cooler than what's currently in the tank. NOT COLD. Just a tiny bit cooler. This often helps put some fish (cories for one) in the mood and it worked for my P. subocellatus.