Fish are only the on bottom

[Fiberacci]

Hi this is my 180 gallon tank. I recently picked up 4 C. Myersi and 5 Red Head tapajos. They are active and feeding but they only hang out at the bottom. They look fine and colorful. There's plenty of surface agitation so im not sure why they are at the bottom exclusively.

Thanks!

 

[twentyleagues]

Well topajo will usually be in the lower area of the tank they are sand sifters. Looks like everyone is doing well. How long has it been set up?

 

[Zanzag]

Looks very normal to me.

 

[Fiberacci]

Well topajo will usually be in the lower area of the tank they are sand sifters. Looks like everyone is doing well. How long has it been set up?

The tanks been setup for about a year. But the media has been 2 years. I know most of the time they should be on bottom but I've yet to see the geos go higher than 2 inches off the ground. And the myersi only rarely reach middle of tank.

Thanks for your input!

 

[kno4te]

Looks very normal to me.

A little timid or claiming territory...but looks to be normal behavior.

 

[duanes]

Most cichlids (and especially Geophagines (earth eaters)) are substrate huggers.
If you want action in the higher regions of the tank, more dithers such as hatchet fish could be added.
You have a few dithers, but to make cichlids comfortable enough to trust the surface, there are not enough.
Most danger for cichlids in nature comes from above, in the form on predatory birds, so the substrate is where cichlids feel instinctively most secure.
The photos below were taken, while on a tributary to the Rio Magdalena, in Colombia, Geophagine habitat.

 

[Fiberacci]

Seems like theyve gotten less shy. Thanks for advice!