Who Gives A Fish Forums

I'm checking my tank daily and I found one of my cichlids wedged between the coral and the back glass. Has anyone else experienced this before?

This particular fish was one of my original cichlids, been with me for over four years now, and I'm really attached to it.

Hi,

Sorry to not directly answer your question, but I've never kept cichlids myself. I'm hoping you were able to rescue your fish, though - did it suffer any injuries in the process? I've had a somewhat similar experience with a cory and a particularly dense plant, but the fish was already unwell and I think it was seeking a secluded spot to hide, which unfortunately led to it getting stuck.

I'm curious, was the coflake a plastic decoration or actual pieces of rock. If it's the latter, I'd be concerned about the sharp edges and potential water hardness issues, especially if you're keeping rift lake or African Cichlids.

I've had a similar experience with an Angel fish getting trapped behind a resin log, but not stuck between it and the glass. It made me wonder if my fish was just being clumsy or if there was an underlying issue - I even started a thread about it, "are fish that dumb, or is mine sick?"

It's reassuring to know that it's not an isolated incident, and it does happen to others.

It was fine, no injuries. The coflake rock I'm using is the kind you get at the pet store, not real rock. My cichlids are African ones.

I've had my fair share of Cyprichromis squeezing into those coflake rock crevices - they're quite the Houdinis, aren't they? Those little buggers will stop at nothing to evade capture. Thankfully, the ones that got stuck were okay in the end. Just keep a close eye on them, and if you notice any signs of injury or infection, be prepared to take action. Fingers crossed everything works out for you.