"NetMax" wrote in message
. ..
"RedForeman ©®" wrote in message
...


Actually, my fish are not cichlids, they are local wild fish.

I've got two tanks that are fully cycled with ammonia and nitrites
safely under control. Nitrates are also within acceptable range.
Besides the water being a little hard and some variations on
alkalinity, everything is pretty well within range.

But while my fish look great, and behave and eat normally, I still
see them occasionally flashing against decorations and sometimes
doing some sort of shaking motion.

I was just wondering if there is something else wrong with the water,
or perhaps it is normal for this to happen from time to time with
fish that are kept in an aquarium.

Jonathan

First, most local wild caught bass, bluegill, sunfish, are all
cichlids...
just so you'll know.. Not sure what you have, but since they _ARE_ wild
caught, they could have any possible pathogen allowed in nature....

I'd probably be curious to what water parameters they are used to...
I'd get
a local water sample and check it out, compare it to your water and see
what's what....

Could be the nitrates that you think is ok... if you don't have plants,
it's
not ok.... acceptable range for you or acceptable range for them?

Post your water parameters and let some gurus break them down... not
me,
I"m still learning....

--
RedForeman ©®

While my books are very old, they do list Sunfish as belonging to
Centrarchidae family (not Cichlidae). North America has about 40
species. The common Sunfish we talk about come from the Lepomis and
Mesogonistius Genus.

My understanding is that fish like these migrated into marine conditions
(a long time ago) to eventually become the cichlids we have now,
scattered around most of the world, but then my books are old, but not
that old ;~)

It was just a technical point ), I have nothing to add to Red's
excellent advice.
--
http://www.netmax.tk/

The classification is still correct, Netmax. Cichlids and Centrarchids are
actually not even closely related. Their physical appearance is similar
because they fill similar niches. You are also right about current
thinkingof the origin of cichlids, they apparently were originally sal****er
fishes that migrated into rivers, lakes etc. I believe that the marine
damselfishes are the closest relatives to the cichlids.
Saro