queries about my new aquatic pet

[duskdrop]

I just had to get more fish. I've been browsing Kijiji for a bit and I stumbled upon an amazing deal - two cichlids, a tank, filter, and food, all for just $20. I snagged it and picked them up two days ago. I'm really enjoying watching these guys, and I've already noticed some interesting stuff about them. Here's what I've learned from the previous owners and my own observations.

They're total hideaways.
One's a bully and the other's a pushover.
The aggressive one's got sweet fins, but the submissive one's fins are pretty messed up.
They love piling rocks in the tank corners.
There was only one hiding spot when I got the tank, so I added another, and now they each have their own hideout.
They've been tankmates for three years.
They're total food vacuums.

So, with all this info and the pics I've shared, I've got a few questions.

1. What kind of cichlids am I dealing with?
2. Is the one with the bad fins gonna be okay?
3. Should I split them up?
4. What tankmates would work well with them to take some heat off each other?

[Eclipse4]

I think you've got Black Convicts on your hands. They're known for being good breeders, but also super aggressive towards other fish. The one with the messed up fins needs to be separated, it's either sick or getting torn up by the other one. Could be two males, which would be bad news for the hurt one. Females usually have orange on their bellies, while males are more dull in color. Check out some pics online to compare.

[skymist]

I'm not familiar with these cichlids, so I'm not much help on this one. Sorry. I did find this link that might give you some info though - http/www.seriouslyfish.com/species/amatitlan ... ofasciata/

[duskdrop]

Thanks for helping me figure out what I've got, Eclipse4. I'm pretty sure they're both males, no lighter colors on either of them, so it makes sense that the one with hurt fins has been getting bullied. I'm definitely separating them now. What's crazy is that I bought them both in a 10 gallon tank - online it says the minimum tank size should be 20 gallons. Thanks for the input, everyone, really helps me understand my new fish.

[skymist]

If they were being kept in a tank far too small, that would explain the aggression. No space to establish territories, they'd fight over what little space there was. In this case, it looks like one's been on the losing end.

Separating them gives the sick one a chance to heal. For the sick one, I'd focus on plenty of clean water and consider going blackwater using rooibos tea. It's a natural anti-biotic and stress reliever. I'd try the natural route first. If that doesn't help, you could try Melafix, but I had poor results with it. I'm suggesting the natural route first, see how it goes.

See what others think, though. As I said, these type of cichlid aren't my area of expertise.

[Eclipse4]

No worries, happy to help - that's what these forums are all about.

[duskdrop]

UPDATE: I decided to rehome the aggressive one with the nice fins to a friend who's also into fish-keeping, and I'm pretty sure he's still in that same 10-gallon tank. The submissive one, I've named him Dunlow T, and I got him a brand new 40-gallon tank. He's really taken to it - he's not as shy around me anymore, and he's even learned how to get my attention when he wants food. I transferred some of the old tank water and kept his favorite rock to help him settle in. So far, I haven't noticed any spikes in ammonia or nitrite levels, but I'm guessing that's because the tank is pretty big and there's only one fish. I'm curious though - is the water cycled or not?

[finleybay]

If you've got new substrate and filter media in that 40-gallon tank, then I'd say it's not cycled yet. Adding the old water and keeping the rock is a good move, but it's not enough to fully cycle the tank on its own.

[duskdrop]

Thanks for the clarification, I was wondering about that. If I had to start from scratch with new substrate and filter media, I'd assume it's not cycled, right?

[Eclipse4]

Stick to a super light stocking for now or consider rehoming the little guy until the tank is fully cycled.