Pregnancy?

Question
How long is a cichlid carry eggs?  Is it normal for them to stop eating for a week, act shy, hide and not crap(not eating)?  I dont notice the look of pinecones like in pictures, she just hhas a big belly but shes only a little of six months old.  How will I know if she's pregnant?

Answer
Hi Lydia, ;-)
What kind of cichlid is this? Are you for certain if its a female for sure? There are many reasons why cichlids would behave and pout like you described. It could be a change in environment, new tankmates, bullying tankmates, water conditions, illness or maybe even old age. It's hard to know.

Sometimes fish can get eggbound if they hold their eggs too long. And those that are suffering from egg-binding often do behave similar to what you described about your cichlid's behavior. Epsom can help this condition as well. First, make sure her water quality is at its best (plenty of large water changes) and consider the other possible causes to her behavior that I listed. Watch her closely for any other symptoms that may appear. That's about all you can really do.

Best wishes as always,
Karen~