I think I may have jumped the gun

[TheFighterFish]

I hope I don't get yelled at too much.

Anyway, I bought a African butterfly cichlid (Anomalachromis thomasi)yesterday for my 10 gallon community.

Set-up looks like this:

AC 20
50 W heater
java fern and java moss
1.5 flourescent

2 platies (female)
4 black neon tetras
1 butterfly cichlid

It was really shy yesterday. I spent about 1 hour acclimating it because I think they are sensitive fish. It hasn't touched any food (flakes or bloodworms) and keeps to itself.

What do you think of the situation? Should I get some cichlid food (pellets)? Should I exchange it (I don't really want to)?

Thanks again for any help or advice.

 

[seastaar88]

i wouldn't worry about it yet. it could take a few days for a fish to get accustomed to a new tank. it's probably still stressed from the transfer.

 

[FreddyJ]

I've read that floating/tall plants (fake or real) provide some sense of security to these fish, and it might help with his acclimation process to the tank. Good luck.

 

[Phinx]

Try some live insects (crickets), if floating pellets or flakes don't work. Make sure they aren't too big for him to eat. Or some frozen brine. Maybe a few ghost shrimp to entice him.

P.S. How big is this fish?

 

[TheFighterFish]

Woot Woot!

I'm more worried about not having room for the cichlid. I've read that these fish live in rivers so I turned up the GPH on my filter for a little bit.

I do have some fake plants and the cichlid does take refuge behind it often. Also, there is a piece of driftwood it likes to hide behind.

Yay! It finally accepted some flakes around this time. It definitely spends the majority of its time around the lower and middle areas.

Phinx--this fish maxes out around 3 inches. It is a dwarf cichlid so I can't picture it chowing down on some crickets (maybe the little ones if the fish team up).

 

[TheFighterFish]

UPDATE

The cichlid is now eating, but its very hard to make it actually go after the food. When I feed flakes, two things will happen. The really fast black neon tetras will snatch it before it has a chance to fall, or if it does fall, the platies (piggies) will eat right in front of the cichlid's eyes. For such a big fish, it's also very shy. Hopefully, in a few more days it'll become more adjusted. Right now, it spends the majority of its time (when I'm around) swimming in the back.

 

[Fishhobbyist]

I have these at work and until they get use to the tank they barely eat. We usually feed them brine shrimp and pieces if frozen krill with a pair of bamboo tongs. That way it's at the top and the other fish don't jump for the food.

 

[TheFighterFish]

Here is a picture in case any of you were wondering what the fish looks like

Or...

Here is a picture in case I have the taxonomy wrong.

I'm no good with photoshop, but I wish I could make the picture a little brighter.

 

[silver dollars]

That is a bolivian Ram(Mikrogeophagus Altispinosa) ...lol!! Its pretty!!! Congrats*celebrate

 

[Big Vine]

Hmm...well, congratulations on your new ram then. Hope you're not too disappointed to find out it's not an African butterfly fish.

Isn't the butterfly fish more like what Mr. Bungle has in his avatar? (I can't remember whether it is actually that in his avatar or a SW lionfish or something of that nature )
EDIT: I think his is a SW lionfish, now that I noticed he 'photoshopped' some teeth in there, LOL

Big Vine

 

[silver dollars]

Here is a pic of a ABF http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/miscellaneous/images/afbut7_s.jpg

 

[TheFighterFish]

Thanks, but if you didn't notice I typed African Butterfly Cichlid. Not African Butterfly fish. I may be new to cichlids, but I'm not that bad.

I was thinking it sorta looked like this.
FishProfiles.com - Anomalochromis thomasi

But the bolivian ram looks like a close match. Can anyone else verify this?

 

[tropicalfish]

Here is a brighter picture for you:

 

[TheFighterFish]

Well, I guess I was wrong. Thanks Silver Dollars for giving me the info and tropicalfish for photoshopping my picture.

I just wish it'd eat more...

 

[Big Vine]

Thanks, but if you didn't notice I typed African Butterfly Cichlid. Not African Butterfly fish. I may be new to cichlids, but I'm not that bad.

Sorry, FighterFish.
You're obviously at least one step ahead of me, because I didn't even know of an African Butterfly Cichlid at all. My bad.

Big Vine

 

[FreshwaterJeff]

Just to chime in - it's definitely a Bolivian Ram, Mikrogeophagus altispinosa. It should fit in well in your community.

 

[TheFighterFish]

No need to apologize Big Vine. African Butterfly Cichlid is one of those common names not everybody uses.

Thanks again for the responses everybody, but I think that this fish may have been a impulse buy.

EDIT: I don't really want to return this fish. I just want it to get better.

 

[itstrickytorock]

I have two of these Bolivian Rams, they both came from the same store, but have different tastes in food. The one typically only eats carnivore pellets and spirulina discs/algae wafers at the bottom, and the other eats flakes, freeze-dried bloodworms/daphnia from the top. If s/he doesn't start eating more flakes perhaps try a sinking food - it seems to help if you drop it in front of their face. Good luck!