This morning some furniture delivery guys brought some bookcases through my den to another room. My wife was here and said nothing unusual happened.

Tonight I came into my den and (unlike my usual process) turned on the tank lights before I turned on the overhead lights. My timer-controlled lamp was already on when I entered, so the room wasn't completely dark, and there was still a little light coming in through the blinds.

A few minutes later I noticed that the mbuna in my 45G were in severe freaked-out mode, all cowering in or just above the rocks. I have NEVER seen them that scared. I gave them some flake and slowly they came out and ate, but still seemed freaked and mostly stayed in the rocks, so I turned off the tank lite.

That was over two hours ago and they are still cowering and acting freaked out, though they're closer to normal behavior. I turned on the tank light again just now and they seemed close to OK, then all of a sudden it's like someone yelled "Hide!!!" and they all jammed under the rocks. Coloration is all weird -- my Msobo male rolled back a month in his orange-to-blue switch earlier in the evening, though he's more blue again now.

Tank temp is normal. All the unusual stuff from the day is described above. They acted normally and ate voraciously (as usual) early this morning.

The fish in the grow-out and fry tanks are acting normally.

Did the movers bang the tank somehow or act goofy with the fish when my wife wasn't looking?

Could there have been a big male vs. male fight the cichlids know about but I don't?

Any theories?

Thanks!

Don

What should you do?
Nothing

My fish in my work tank act the same way. If some one come into the office that they don't recognize they ditch it into the rocks. Stupid Fish Giggly Giggly If some one comes into the room that they know will possibly feed them they are out any begging for food like a starved puppy.

More than likely the movers bumped the tank or were tapping on the glass as most non aquarists find irresistable. Grrrr

My Mbuna do the same thing from time to time!

Sometimes it seems that it is being led by the most
dominant fish in the tank!

In my tank, they do it occassionally when I walk into the room.

I always enter the room as quietly as possible, but they know you're there!

I've noticed this as well when it has happened in my tanks.

I have this going on in my flavus tank right now. I removed all of the rocks and it still took me forever to catch a holding female. My normal begging flavus all head for the rocks now.

I've had it happen a few times, but they usually return to normal in a day or two.

The one time that it went on for weeks, I removed the dominant fish whose reaction was causing the rest to follow suit. When he was in his new tank, he stopped being so flighty and the others did as well.

They will come back around!

I thought my guys would all freak out the night of the BBQ...You've got to realize that they are used to it just being Pete, myself and the cats most of the time, and they usually don't take well to strangers. If you look at the pics Klaus made, you can see that their fins were clamped and they looked a bit more stressed than usual, but other than that, they must have recognized them all for the fish lovers that they are! Giggly

I wonder how far these guys can actually "see" into the room???

Kim

A long way, Kim. And I think they can hear and smell as well. When I have an open food container in my hand, it's like a chain reaction - the fish in the tank 25 feet away start thrashing at the surface in anticipation. Drooly

Ur right...Aura

I did an experiment my self and this it what I concluded:

I snuck into my room like as slowly as possible with no food in my hand, nor open contrainer they did not notice me until I came really close like almost up to the tank.

The next day I did the same thing but with food in my hand and with an open container they went Nuts!!! like at least 15 feet before i got close... idunno there smarter than I thought they were

but this is mostly prevelant with the F1's I keep not the WC's.

Agreed!!! Grrrr Grrrr

As you guys predicted, a little spooked but more normal tonight.

Thanks for all your comments!