CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

So my buddy and I just bought a 33 gallon tank and was given a Red Devil Cichlid (at least that is what we think he is) and he is about 4 inches long. Every morning we see the tank with plants floating up top and he has created a cave under an ornament by grabbing all the rocks in the cave and then spitting them out in other areas of the tank.

But it has been just over a mth by himself and we think he needs some other fish. What would you guys suggest?

Thanks,

Welcome to the forum, and to cichlid keeping!  They're great fun, when they're not driving you crazy!  I'm assuming that your Red Devil is fairly small at the moment.  If it is a RD (can you post a pic?), I wouldn't advise putting any other fish in there with him, as these guys are very territorial, and would likely attack any added tankmates.  (S)He will also grow quite large, and rather quickly outgrow that 33 gallon.  Long-term -- like within 6 months -- you're going to need at least around 75 gallons to adequately care for him, and even in that size tank he wouldn't willingly put up with company.

Your best bet IMO would be to either trade the tank in for a much larger model, or trade the fish in for something that won't grow quite as large.  A couple of Convicts or a Jewel fish come to mind as examples of cichlids that would be OK in a 33, or maybe a couple of Firemouths or Keyhole cichlids.  For sure though, that RD will be too much for that tank in a matter of a few months.

Here's a description from our Profiles:

http://oscarsfishtank.com/discuss/index ... ic=22750.0

Good luck with your fish.  It's a great hobby!

Here are some pics. ones a little blurry. Plus today we noticed two silver spots on his left side and 1 on his right side.  Ideas?

Thats not a red devil.

It's some type of Pseudotropheus (malawi/african cichlid).


Maybe Pseudotropheus esther  - red zebra ,but  I'm not into africans so one of the african keepers can probally give you a better anwser on exact species.

Can you see from the pic , that he has one silver spot on the right side and 2 silver spots on the left side, does anyone know what this is? Also around his gills it seems to be tunring almost brown?  HELP???????

Yep, Red Zebra not a RD.. WATER CHANGES are need ASAP to save this cichlid as his gills are turning brown. THIS is due to high Ammonia or Nitrite..  Also get a Ammonia, NITRITE LIQUID test kit and monitor them daily and do 5 gal of water OUT and back IN when they register at .5..

ONE month?? so if this is the case, then you need to monitor the NITRITES FOR NOW, and get them down as this seems to be really high as his gills are turning.. NOT just do a water change but clean the gravel as well with a gravel vac, which also removes the water from the tank.. This wil remove the waste/uneaten food that gets inbedded and can really cause a problem with his health..  CLEAN THE FILTER BOX!! as this is a month old tank, IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE THIS, please do so and maintain the filter BOX ever other water change to insure great health...

HE is a male Red Zebra as the egg spots on the lower anal fin tell his sex.. Females have one or a few but the males always have a lot.. He is digging a nest for a female EVEN  thou one is not in the tank.. this is instinct here and is normal behavior. Other fish to get would be MORE mbuna AFricans cichlids..  Try to find bigger ones as he wil chase and really do some damage to others if they are not 3" or more in size..
some places do have larger fish for sell.. Also some to try, cobalt blues Zebras, white albino Zebras, one or two E Yellows.. I would not go more than 6 fish in this tank as they do max out at 5"each..

Diet, they are herbivores so please get the right foods for them.. NO BULKY FOODS like WHOLE KRILL, shrimp or other whole foods.. THEY can not digest it and will get Mawai bloat and die wit in days..
Spirolina flakes AND a pellets food like Omega One, New Life Spectum pellets are the best to go with here.. Keep the protien content under 35% and they wil grow and stay colorfull for a long time.. 

Barb Okla Thank You very much for your helpful pointers and information on my unknown fish. Now that I know he is a Red Zebra and what other fish can accompany him, I will heading to the fish store soon. In regards to his health I have changed the water as you mentioned and prior to this I had added a new charcoal and ammonia filter. I will also be getting a Nitrate Liquid test kit as you mentioned. Update on his status since water change has become better as the spots are gone on his sides and the brown gills are looking more orange everyday.