Could anyone help my sick cichlid?

S

snoskiur

Members
Hi Everyone! This is my first post on this site and I hope to be on here often...

Hello! I have a 180 gallon, mostly Malawi tank. The water parameters are all good and all my other fish are acting normally and eating well. I have this one fish (a yellow lab, I think) that has been hanging at the top of the tank the last couple of days and not eating. Today he was in the bottom corner and the other fish are starting to target him, but he's not moving around much. I moved him into small breeder basket, for now, to protect him.

The only thing that has been different at all lately, is the last couple weeks I started raising the PH, KH and GH. The PH was originally hanging around 7.4, but I wanted to move it on up to around 8, plus I had never really focused on hardness, either. Over a week or more, I gradually moved the PH up to 8, and the GH and KH to about 15 or so, with Epsom Salt and Baking Soda, but I think I have them a bit high at 20 now (still judging how to balance it). The only thing that seems out of the norm for the fish, is that his stomach is slightly sunken and he has a mild bulge near his anus, as you may see in the pictures.

Any input would be appreciated!

Thanks - pics below:

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mscichlid

mscichlid

Founder
Hi Todd. Welcome to the forum.

I can't answer, but perhaps others who have more experience with raising hardness and African cichlids will chime in.
 
Tony

Tony

Alligator Snapping Turtle/Past Pres
Hey Todd. Welcome to the forum.

I'm pretty sure that your sick fish is a red zebra (Metriclima estherae). He probably has some sort of digestive or parasitic issue. Have you added any fish lately to the tank? Fish that may be sick? if so, separate the zebra to his own 10 gallon and treat with an anti-parasitic. I prefer Prazi-Pro.

Otherwise, if there are no new additions, I'd first move him and hit him with some Epsom salts. These will act as a laxative and help him clear the blockage if there is one.

Either way, moving him out of the tank to a QT tank isn't a bad idea.
 
fischfan13

fischfan13

Banned
Hey Todd, hows it going.
What Tony said.
Definitely move the fish to its own tank, treat with Epsom Salt and see if you can get some Prazi-Pro...Jehmco.com has it.

Definitely not a Yellow Lab.
 
S

snoskiur

Members
Thanks for the good info guys..., And, Hi Bill! I'm the one that ordered those five fish yesterday!

I had also posted on another site and some thought it was Bloat and recommended "Clout" medication. So far, I've put him into a filtered bucket with Clout and added about three teaspoons of Epsom Salt... Am I on the right track, or should I use an additional medication?

***Additionally, today I noticed something else odd in the tank. One a couple of my slate pieces, there are scattered white spots. I'll post that in a new thread if you get a minute to look at it...
 
fischfan13

fischfan13

Banned
Todd, usually Clout is used as a last resort.
Sounds like the entire tank might need to be medicated, or at least salted.
 
S

snoskiur

Members
During the last week or two, I have added about a tablespoon or two of Epsom for each five gallons, a couple teaspoons of Baking Soda, and a teaspoon of Instant Ocean. Should that have covered it already?
 
fischfan13

fischfan13

Banned
Sounds like a good start.
How about water changes?
Frequency and amount?
Filtration?
New fish, ornaments or plants added recently?
 
S

snoskiur

Members
Well, no new fish in the last three weeks or so & no new plants. I do weekly 25-35% water changes and add salt/epsom/soda for new water. PH is at 8.0, Ammon, Nitrite are 0 and Nitrates are always below 60, but usually 20-40. I feed 2x day NLS food. Filtration is four canisters totaling about 1100 gph, which I rinse and/or replace media on a schedule.... The only new "ornament" was about two weeks ago, when I put a terra-cotta pot in that had been used for a plant previously.
 
fischfan13

fischfan13

Banned
Three weeks is not too long for something to attack other fish. Best to do is quarantine.
Also from your stocklist that you gave me last night it sounds like you could have an awful lot of stress going on in that tank.
Stress=bloat
 
fischfan13

fischfan13

Banned
snoskiur said:
HAHA! Really? I figured you'd tell me to move all the Mbuna!
Click to expand...

Yeah, you don't know me well enough...LOL.

Move the Front, the Convicts and the Peacocks.
List the Mbuna that you have.
Start putting together groups...especially since you have such a large tank. One of these and two of those does not work for Mbuna.
In a tank as large as you have 4 of these and 6 of those works a whole lot better.
Split up the groups.
You can have a group of Pseudotropheus, a group of Labidochromis, a group of Cynotilapia, a group of Metriaclima, but it's not safe to keep more than one of each group...you do not want your fish cross-breeding.
Try not to go with the same markings and colorings as well. Two species of Mbuna that have blue barrings might not work.
Go to Davesfish.com and check out his Mbuna listing. Many of us either have what Dave has or you can order from Dave, or you can wait as there will be a Group Order to Dave's in the not-so-distant future (but "shhhhhhhh", don't tell anyone:blush:).
With a tank your size you can also add a group of Haps or Peacocks. Not a hybridized group either as they tend to be nastier and some of us absolutely forbid to have fish like those in our tanks (sorry, but it is the blunt and honest truth).
 
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