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African Cichlid what is this?

I bought a Yellow and Blue Assorted African Cichlid because of their Bright color and have had them for several weeks...I get home today and my Yellow has a Belly that has developed in the 24 hours I was away...What does this mean I don't its mature enough to have started mating...
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DiscusnAfricans

Past President
Kenyi, or Pseudotropheus lombardoi if you want to get technical.

The males turn yellow, the females stay blue. Just be careful, they can get pretty mean with each other. Males shouldn't get too swoolen if thats what you meant by "developed a belly" so keep an eye on him to make sure it isn't a physical ailment.

Attactive and readily available species, but they can be brutal at bigger sizes.
 
OK Thanx for the lesson but what signs and symptoms should I look for if it is bloat...Any cures or things I can do to keep my fish

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WendyFish

Members
If the fish is eating, and not spitting its food back out, odds are that it is okay. If you find that it eats but still looks swollen then skip a few feedings and see what happens. They can go a few days (and really much longer) without food without any issues.

What are you feeding them and how often? How long does it take them to consume what you put in the tank?

If it is bloat, a fish that physically looks big from "bloat" is likely past saving.

But, rememdy wise, bloat mostly results from stress, so anything you can do to reduce that may be helpful. (Separate tankmates, keep lights out, etc.)

Epsom salt is a good, non stressful and easy thing you can do. You can google it for dosages; we use a tablespoon per 10 gallons, mixed with tank water to dissolve first and added over a few hours. We have had fish look funny due to what we think was basically constipation and Epsom will help resolve this as well as various other things.

Water changes are another good starting place. A daily 50% water change will do wonders for lots of things. Change a lot of water every day for a week and that is an excellent building block for getting your fish feeling good again.

If you try those things for a few days and the fish still won't eat or spits, then you may have a more serious problem. There are lots of interweb recommendations for bloat. I like Metronidazole with daily water changes. I do not care for the Clout based remedies, as they are harsh, and I have not had good results the few times I have tried them.
 
Currently feeding Cichlid complete pellets 2 times a day and all food consumed in 30 seconds on Sundays no food is given...it is going fine I have it in 5 gallon alone lights out and will start the Epson salt now...

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NYEA

Members
If there are too few fish in the tank the male ( Blue) is more than likely the cause of the stress on the female causing the Bloat. If the fish is still eating then you may still be good I would try and soak some flake in Metronidazole then a small feeding. This will prevent having to medicate the entire tank. The Epsom salt as everyone mentioned is excellent and works wonders also as a preventive measure.
 
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