# I need help!



## agresfish (Mar 2, 2011)

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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## kim86 (Sep 5, 2012)

Do you know your ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels?


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## kim86 (Sep 5, 2012)

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 (Mar 2, 2011)

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 .


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## agresfish (Mar 2, 2011)

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


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## Vman (Jan 20, 2011)

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


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## agresfish (Mar 2, 2011)

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


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## agresfish (Mar 2, 2011)

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


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## April (Apr 21, 2010)

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 (Mar 2, 2011)

April said:


> Or bloat...cichlids are prone to bloat. Do t feed as much even if they look like they are desperate.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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.


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## April (Apr 21, 2010)

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 (Sep 5, 2012)

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.


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## agresfish (Mar 2, 2011)

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


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## cpat83 (Sep 1, 2015)

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


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## agresfish (Mar 2, 2011)

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.


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## agresfish (Mar 2, 2011)

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...


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## cpat83 (Sep 1, 2015)

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


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## cpat83 (Sep 1, 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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