Need Help: Etia nguti

[lonlangione]

I have a pair of Etia nguti in a 30 gallon tank. The male is 3"+ and the female is 2"+. I put the female in a 30 gallon next to the male for 10 days before putting her in with him. Their tank has lost of rock / caves and flat river stone and live plants. I put her in the tank with the male a week ago and they hide constantly. I even watch the tank from another isle to see if they come out when I am not around. They are not eating worth a damn. So this weekend I bought a bag of (8) full grown tank raised zebra danios for dithers and put them in. The danios are doing great. The nguti are still hiding. I saw these guys at That Fish Place 3 months ago and they were in a 40 gallon. They were in with some rainbowfish. The male had the female pinned in the upper corner of the tank. I suggested they get her out before he killed her. Apparently they did because when I went back for them 3 months later the female was in one tank and the male in another. So I bought them.

I am going to put almond leaves in tonight but I really don't think they are going to make a difference. Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[tjudy]

The Etia that I had, a long time ago, were shy at first and took a while to settle in. Schooling dithers did not seem to affect them, but sharing space with other cichlids did. I started with a group of six 2" wild fish in a 75 gallon tank. When they never came out, I put in six Hemichromis sp. 'Moanda' (a relatively peaceful red jewel) and about a dozen juvenile 1" Chromidotilapia guentheri. All that action got the Etia going. Within a day they were schooling with the guentheri and dodging the jewels. If you can find them, you might try some of the Tilapia sp. 'Mamfe' that were around a few years ago in huge numbers. That would be a species the Etia might recognize instinctively.

I am not sure if the almond leaf will accomplish anything. The Mamfe River is a pretty large stream with clear water flow. Where the Etia are collected is well oxygenated. If your temperature is over 76, you might try cooling it down a bit and adding aeration and current.

What are you trying to feed them? In nature they are primarily plant detritus feeders, so some green is good.

 

[lonlangione]

First off, I really don't know how I posted this in the buy / sell thread. I thought I had posted it in the old world thread so I apologize for that. I have been feeding them cichlid pellets, frozen bloodworms and live black worms. I will try the green foods. Maybe I can pick up some of the Repashy grazing food from Rachel. I didn't put the almond leaves in with them and I won't. I am going to put a small powerhead mid tank tonight. I will also be doing a water change with some RO water tonight. I know where I can get some moanda's and I will try that as well. If you can move this post to the proper thread, please do. As always thanks for the info Ted.