I need help!

2483 Views 17 Replies 5 Participants Last post by cpat83, Oct 14, 2015

agresfish

Discussion Starter · Oct 10, 2015

Need some help. Ive tried so many things and cant figure this out.

About 2 months ago i lost most of my fish, i thought was due to a couple rocks i put in the tank which i belive where granet so should have been safe and i tested them with vinegar to see if there was any reaction prior to putting them in the tank. They was no reaction so they went in and a week later the water was orange and half my fish dead. I took out the rocks and changed the water. Everything seemed fine for a couple weeks but then i lost another fish and pretty much every week im loosing a fish.

Ive tested the water many many times and nothing seems to be out of place. The tank has been set up for about 8 months now and was doing great at the start. I have black sand and a couple river rocks with some plastic plants. My filter is for tanks much larger then mine so that shouldnt be an issue, its a fluval 403 and the tank is 35g. I have 3 foam inserts in the canister and a bunch of bio media and 1 power head. Tank tempature is 80 degrees. pH is at about 7.8

Ive tried using Cycle, kH boost, bio clear, tap water conditioner on top of doing weekly partial water changes. I stated out with 12 cichlids and only have 1 left.

Anyone have any more ideas what might be causing this.

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1 - 18 of 18 Posts

kim86

· #2 · Oct 10, 2015

Do you know your ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels?

kim86

· #3 · Oct 10, 2015

Maybe pockets of toxic gas built up in part of your sand and was disturbed and released into your water column when you added those rocks?

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agresfish

Discussion Starter · #4 · Oct 10, 2015

All the levels of nitrate, nitrite and everything else was perfect. As for a build up of toxic gas when I do a water change I also mix up the sand and re flatten it .

agresfish

Discussion Starter · #5 · Oct 10, 2015

Any chance there is a unseen parasite? I dont see any white spots on the fish or anything.

Vman

· #6 · Oct 10, 2015

What king of cichlids are you keeping. Maybe its aggression?

agresfish

Discussion Starter · #7 · Oct 10, 2015

Just orange and yellow Africa cichlids but they didn't fight except for the occasional nip but no missing fins or anything like that. It's definitely something in the tank because the last one I have is starting to show some weird signs that it's having problems and I just did a water change this morning. He is swimming across the tank at full speed and freaking out. But then goes back to calm swimming

agresfish

Discussion Starter · #8 · Oct 11, 2015

So I put some API general care in my tank. Already seeing improvement. No more darting or erratic swimming. Gill and skin flakes maybe?

April

· #9 · Oct 11, 2015

Or bloat...cichlids are prone to bloat. Do t feed as much even if they look like they are desperate.

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agresfish

Discussion Starter · #10 · Oct 11, 2015

April said:
Or bloat...cichlids are prone to bloat. Do t feed as much even if they look like they are desperate.

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I only feed a small amount twice a day, once in the morning before work and once in the evening after work.

He hasnt eaten for a few days either. Dont think it will make it through the night.

April

· #11 · Oct 11, 2015

Well I do t keep Africans but a collector seller told me years ago to only feed a bit every second day as they bloat easy. Then they need metronidazole to treat. I've seen bloat in Africans before and no eating is the sign. Stomach infection.
But do some googling for signs and symptoms on your own. If your waters all good then I'd look into bloat.

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kim86

· #12 · Oct 11, 2015

Bloat in Africans is usually from too much protein, so unless you're feeding a high protein diet and a lot of frozen foods on a regular basis you shouldn't have a problem with bloat wiping out your entire tank.

agresfish

Discussion Starter · #13 · Oct 11, 2015

I feed them spectrum cichlid pellets and once a week blood worms.

cpat83

· #14 · Oct 11, 2015

I think blood worms are not good for most malawi cichlids and can cause bloat

agresfish

Discussion Starter · #15 · Oct 11, 2015

Doesnt bloat usually cause there stomachs to bloat and look like they are going to explode? All my fish that have died have sunken stomachs.

agresfish

Discussion Starter · #16 · Oct 13, 2015

Just thought id update this for anyone else that may have to same problem.

I treated the fish with API General Cure. Seems to have been the answer. Not sure what the problem was. Gill Flukes maybe? or some other parasite but either way its seem to be gone.

Unfortunately there was no real signs on this one other than erratic swimming from time to time then just loss of appetite. Definitely will watch more closely and maybe move to the hospital tank if i ever see erratic swimming like that again. Never lost fish like this before and it sucks...

cpat83

· #17 · Oct 13, 2015

Hmm interesting. I am curious to know what the problem was then...

cpat83

· #18 · Oct 14, 2015

Take a look at this video in terms of what their diet should be... I think this guy is quite knowledgeable if you go through his videos

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