Firemouth Cichlids

Question
My two Firemouths both males were doing fine the first 3 weeks i got them. But now the larger one will not eat and the smaller one eats a little and spits out the food. They both only eat if the food falls right infront of their mouths. How can i get them to come out of their hiding places to eat? And do you know what is wrong with the larger one? The water conditions are normal and they are the only ones in the tank, i dont want anything seriouse to happen. Today i had to get a rock out of his mouth because he sucked it up but his mouth was too small and it got stuck. i just need help with how to take care of them i know more than the basics but they are acting strange. so any advice with feeding and tank lighting and anything that you think could help me would be great thank you so much.
Eric B

Answer
Hi Eric,
The food you are feeding might be too tough (pellets) for them or they may just not like it. Have you tried high quality flake food? Sinking the food under water so they will reach it easier may have to be done until they adjust better to the tank and all. You might want to try some "dither fish" which are simply fish that tend to be bold and active in their temperament and therefore can bring shy fish out of hiding and help them be more outgoing when they see the other fish swimming about in a relaxed manner.

You could try Black skirt tetras, or barbs like Tiger barbs as dithers. Try to get at least 6 or more if your tank can handle it.

Make sure there are plenty of various hiding places in the tank for cichlids tend to do better if there are more than 1-2 hiding spots and they will feel more secure and tend to come out more.

Try lots of things with them like bait worms, frozen bloodworms, salad shrimp, ect... Eventually they should settle down and eat better, especially if there are other fish swimming about.

As far as lighting, most fish appreciate it if there are some shady spots in the tank created by floating large clumps of either live or fake plants on the surface in portions of tank. Otherwise, lighting isn't too important.

And -always- be sure the water conditions are truly OK. Always make sure the ammonia and nitrite levels are at ZERO and nitrate levels are as low as possible---ideally under 20.

Their condition sounds more like a shyness issue than anything.

I hope all goes well!
Karen~