S. American Cichlid Health Concern

Question

I bought a South American Cichlid about 6 months ago, and he was already a fairly large size when I bought him. He will not tolerate other fish in his tank and killed all the plecos, because they were smaller. About a month ago I got a larger tank, 55 gallons, and a huge pleco from a friend. I transfered him without any visible signs of stressing and he and the pleco get along fine. About a week ago I noticed a large lump/tumor thing on his forehead area that wasn't even present before. Since, he has been eating and swimming actively. Should I be concerned?

Here is a picture of the spot on his head:

http://s306.photobucket.com/albums/nn258/Henry_Duval/fishyy/?action=view&current=NEWNEWNEW063.jpg&t=1217875438813

Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks!

Answer 1

Hey yes it's a Red Devil , male. They get a large bump on their heads and from the picture he looks very nice. No worries. It would be great if you could find a large female to go with him but fish those size are hard to get tank mates for. They're set in their ways and tank mates are a little pricey. Even a mated pair would fight a little. Some large rocks or driftwood would do him well also

Answer 2

That is normal. The lump is just one of the characteristics that it develops because it is a male. So, don't worry about it.