African Cichlids scratching 5-1-08
Malawi Cichlids With Stubborn Itch
Hi Chuck, We wrote to you back in January 2006 about an issue with our fish scratching on rocks, gravel, etc. I've included the e-mails below.
Just wondering if we could ask for your advice one more time!
I'll give you an update... After your advice we treated for Ich/ Protozoa infection on two separate occasions. The first dose didn't stop them scratching so our local fish shop recommended a second, prolonged treatment with a different brand (ie 2 treatments back to back). That proved to be a disaster; it not only failed to stop the scratching, but also killed many fish. We were left with a few P. saulosi, P. acei and some Synodontis catfish. We spoke to many fish shops and no one could help us or suggest any further treatments.
One said it could be the water conditioner or that it could just be natural behaviour. Having lost so many fish we had given up on treating them any further and just thought we'd see how things go. Over the past 2 years we've completely changed the rock, the sand, all water conditioners/hardeners/etc., tried different foods, got a bigger canister filter, put in some powerheads, added Seachem Purigen to the filter (changed monthly) and maintained good water conditions throughout. (Phew) All the fish seemed very healthy. They bred many many times (to the point that there were far too many for the tank) and even our Synodontis population tripled using the saulosi as hosts. Everything was perfect...except they were STILL scratching!
A week ago we sold all the fish except the Synodontis and bought a colony of 5 large venustus (1 male 25cm, 4 females 20cm).
Unfortunately I noticed the male scratching last night. I can't see anything visually wrong, no spots or anything. We checked the water conditions and got the following: GH = 22 deg., KH = 10 deg., pH = 8, ammonia = 0, nitrites = 0, nitrates < 5ppm (didn't register any on the test). I'm absolutely stumped and very frustrated. It seems obvious that it's a parasite... Do you have any ideas on what it could be? Is there any way of testing the fish before trying to treat them? Any natural remedies that won't kill the fish? Any non-parasite ideas?
Sorry about the long e-mail! Thanks in advance. Carl & Monica
< Ideally you take a sample of the protective slim from the skin of the fish and look at it under a microscope. Look for parasites that may be causing the irritation. If you tried the Rid-Ich, then I am surprised that it didn't work. Generally new fish are stressed and they produce lots of this protective slim. Sometimes they produce enough to overcome the parasite and the organism becomes less of a problem. To increase the slim you could add aquarium or rock salt. You don't want to add too much because the slim will coat the gills and impede respiration. Other natural remedies would be to increase the water temp to the mid 80's F. Higher temps increase the metabolism of the organism and they cannot keep this up. Think of it as giving your tank a fever to fight a cold. I would start by adding a tablespoon of salt per 5 gallons of water and raise the water temp to 83 F. If the fish act too stressed then reduce the water temp until they feel more comfortable. If the eyes are also cloudy then it could be bacterial. Try Furanace, it works well on both bacteria and funguses. Minerals and metals may also cause the irritations. You could set up a quarantine tank and fill it with treated R/O or treated distilled water. That way you are in control of the minerals/metals in the water.-Chuck>

African Cichlid Help  4/1/08
Hi,
I have a 65 gallon tank and my only female is gasping for air and hiding at the top the tank by the filter/heater.
<Do check water quality and chemistry: these are classic signs of distress, and sometimes certain individuals or species respond to problems faster than others.>
I can't lose her - she gives me babies! Don't know what to do. I added water conditioner and cycle by Nutrafin. The other fish seem to be swimming around a little faster than usual. Never had this happen before. What can I do. should I add medicine Maracyn??? Think the PH is okay but ph reader is on the fritz. Just changed the water as usual yesterday.
<As I say, check water. But if you have the right water chemistry and good water quality, the social behaviour may be an issue. Unreceptive females (perhaps simply because she's getting old, or not eaten enough recently) often get hammered by sexually active males. This is extremely common with cichlids, and indeed other aggressively promiscuous fish like livebearers and halfbeaks. If this is the case, removing the female to a quarantine tank for some rest-and-recuperation might be just the ticket. Female African cichlids are often quite mild, so depending on the species, you may even be able to keep her for a while in a standard community tank.>
Help Please
<Cheers, Neale.>

Black calvus breathing really hard for air   03/19/2008
I bought a black calvus and it is breathing really hard for air.
<... Mmm, all fishes (in fact all livestock) is damaged, stressed in shipping/moving... hence one part of the suggestion to quarantine, allow it to "rest up" before being placed in a community setting where it may be harassed, have to compete too hard for food...>
I put him in well established tank, 80 degrees PH 7.9 nitrites and nitrates are in a normal parameters.
<... need data, not subjective evaluations>
The other cichlids he is with are doing fine and breathing normal. He just sits on the substrate doing nothing. He does not have any signs of
disease no white spots or no cloudy eyes all fins are good he sits right side up no swaying or anything what do you think
Troy
<... Read more widely on the Net re fish physiology, husbandry, particularly the value of quarantine... there is very likely nothing "wrong" with this Cichlid than that it's new. Bob Fenner>

Cichlid question
Treating Sick Cichlids  3/6/08
I am sorry to have to ask you busy people for help but at this point, I just have to do it. I am certain that I know nothing about my fish. I thought that I was ready after 3 years of having 1 beautiful bright yellow cichlid in a 55 gallon tank, that I could handle 5 more.
I purchased 3 and put in a 10 gallon tank for 3 weeks. All seemed great. Moved them to the 55. 2 weeks later, purchased 2 more. The lady at PetSmart said that I had chosen Jewel Cichlids. They looked fantastic! I put them straight away in the 55 gallon tank, big mistake.
I have had the tank for 10 years. During that time I kept easy fish, community fish really. Then we moved and I gave away all my fish, broke down the tank and relocated to another state. Got settled into new place and began rebuilding my tank environment. Set up tank and left it empty for months. Then friend gave me a tiny little yellow fish that I loved! Turns out it was the Electric- something or other- yellow cichlid that I have now and he is big he is about 3 or 4 inches long and 2 or so wide... Beautiful fish!
I had only had 1 cichlid for 3 years, I have had fish and lots of sicknesses and realize that I am still a novice. I have tested the water and all was well there. My fish started to act strange. They eat good and always have. However, they would dart wildly around the tank and appeared to be bouncing themselves off the tank decor, what I thought could be considered scratching... first thought was ich. I watched my fish more closely. I noticed them kind of jerking, but no spots of any kind. No visible anythings. I frantically search the web and decide that it must be bacterial or parasitic. Flukes was my final diagnosis. I made a plan to treat with a broad spectrum parasitic hoping that I would nail the problem even if I was just a touch off. I purchased a medication called Quick Cure for parasites.
Upon coming home and checking out the fish, I noticed some frayed fins which I thought could be fin rot or just typical fish fighting I had Melafix on hand as always. So, after I used the Quick Cure that morning as the package directed, I used the Melafix about 12 hours later thinking all should be fine to mix the 2 as long as I didn't do it like right together.
Well fish haven't been doing the jerking thing, and they still eating well but they are still occasionally bouncing off the tank decorations and have begun to change color. I had a blue striped cichlid, I think I may have identified him as some sort of peacock blue cichlid but I am still learning there too. He looks like a ghost right now, he has became pale sickly looking totally not what he was yesterday. He eats good and doesn't hide, swims well and all that. As for the Jewel's they have went from mostly red and yellow to brownish or black. They look dirty if that helps any. My water levels have changed just a bit, but still nothing to worry about there I don't think. But a new finding is that one of my Jewels has a white spot on his head just above his eye. That was not there when I first noticed signs of something amiss.
I have been treating for 3 days now and planned to do partial water change at day 7 and gravel vacuum. I have changed about 10% today. I have no idea what's going on with these fish but I know something isn't right. I seriously hope I don't kill them. :) If there is any advice you could offer me at this point, I would greatly appreciate it and again, I know you are busy and hope I haven't disturbed you too much. Thanks!
-Jerriesue
< Your electric yellow and the peacock cichlid come from Lake Malawi. They like hard alkaline water that is about 77-79 F. These fish are usually pretty resistant to ich but sometimes come down with protozoa infections that cause them to dart around. The best treatment is to check the water quality and treat with Formalin. The Quick Cure you are using is a copper product that in my opinion is very dangerous to use. The levels of copper needed to kill parasites are very close to the same levels that kill fish. I would recommend doing a 50% water change, treat with the Formalin and add a tablespoon of rock salt per 10 gallons of water. The jewel fish comes from African rivers but can handle the same water conditions and treatments.-Chuck>

My African cichlids... hlth.? Env.    2/19/08
hello I have a question. my cichlids are rubbing against the rocks and shaking what do I do?. I have just added CopperSafe how long will it take before I could do a water change?. and if this works how long will it take before the sickness will go away?. I have a 72 gal bow with 50 cichlids and my tank is about 1 month old. please help.
<Hang on a second. This tank is one month old, contains 72 US gallons for water, and contains 50 cichlids? Given that even with small fish you wouldn't keep more than an inch of fish per gallon, with African cichlids this stocking density is insanely high. So first things first: tell me about water chemistry and water quality. Fish 'flash' (as this rubbing or scratching behaviour is called) when they are irritated. Sometimes the irritation is caused by parasites, but often by sudden changes in pH or poor water quality (ammonia and nitrite especially). Assuming these are Rift Valley cichlids, how are you stabilising the pH? What is the pH level immediately after a water change, and what is the pH a week after a water change -- this will tell you how stable the pH is. All aquaria become acidic over time, and with African cichlids slowing this acidification is essential. So you need to ensure you have lots of carbonate hardness. What is the carbonate hardness in your tank? That's measured in degrees KH, and shouldn't be confused with general hardness (degrees dH) although you need to know that, too. For African cichlids, a general hardness of around 20 degrees dH and a carbonate hardness of at least 7 degrees KH is required. Next up, what about filtration? What is the nitrite concentration in this tank? What about the nitrate? How much water do you change per week? (Should be at least 50%.) What is the capacity of the filter? Minimum should be 6 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour, but realistically 10 times the volume is what a heavily stocked cichlid tank really needs. I'm asking you all this stuff because your fish are likely irritated/ill because of environmental issues rather than disease by itself. In any case, I feel your tank is massively overstocked, and unless you're a very expert fishkeeper rearing large numbers of juvenile fish that will be sold before they get too big, this tank just won't work. Cheers, Neale.>

Tropheus With Bloat 1-22-08
Hi WWM, I have a Tropheus duboisi which I believe has swimmers bladder. Its stomach got large and the area where it poops was swollen. I wasn't sure what it was so I started to put in medication since its a juvie. MelaFix) I've been doing this for over a week and the fish finally took its first bite after 2 weeks of not eating. So far the fish's swelling as decrease but its stomach is staying round but not to the sides as much as expanding downward. I don't think it's dropsy since its scales aren't sticking out at all even at its largest point. Any ideas on what to do now since its half way to recovery I think? Plus I noticed that my tanks nitrates were very high around 80-100ppm. Can this cause the fish to become ill like this? I did a 35 % change the other day and it was still high so I did another 50 % so its back to normal. When I add the water to the tank I pour it in from a gallon container, now can pouring the water to quick cause harm to the
fish? I don't know if it contributes to the fish's illness. My tank is 46 gallon with other Tanganyika cichlids mostly different tropheus. Thanks, Chris
<When algae eating cichlids become stressed or are fed food too high in protein they sometimes get an internal infection. This infection usually results in a bloat or dropsy type symptoms. The usual treatment is to improve the fishes overall conditions and treat with Metronidazole and Nitrofuranace. If the fish is eating you can feed a medicated fish food with Metronidazole in it. Big changes in pH and temperature can stress a fish and increase its chances of getting an infection.-Chuck>
 

Growth On Gill Of Jewel Cichlid   1/9/08
Hi. I have 4 cichlids I think their Jewels. They've had a pretty rough life so far. My brother rescued them from a neglectful owner.
Anyways I have suffered losses of old age and power outages (no air flow or heat) but now one of my females has developed a growth (?) in its gill. I have had a really bad algae bloom for quite sometime but I had two pumps to try and minimize it to no avail (although my breeding pair really seemed to love it and they breed continuously). I transferred all my fish into an entirely new tank 2 days ago and I noticed just how bad her gill has gotten and I have searched the internet and haven't been able to see something similar. She has been eating fine, her colour is bright and swimming fine although slightly terrorized by the breeding pair, and this seems an odd way to describe a fish but a little mopey? I chalked the mopyness up to her mate dying about 2 months ago, but she's been hanging out with the other single male now.
Back to the growth, it looks like her organs are coming out of her gill and has been like that for I would say a month and a half
and looks like its been getting bigger. All the other fish are fine. I am by no means even slightly knowledgeable about these fish and I really need some help!! Thanks! Mandy
< I would recommend isolating the affected fish and treating for parasites with Fluke-Tabs. This would take care of any worms or fish lice that would be attacking the fresh blood in the gill tissues.-Chuck>

Pseudotropheus socolofi albino holding?
Breeding Ps. socolofi or Bloat – 1/04/08
I was just researching Pseudotropheus socolofi albino. I have one and by the day "her" abdomen is growing larger - I have not officially vented for sex. I thought maybe she had Malawi bloat however research indicates that bloat is a very pronounced area in the abdomen - a bump. "Cracker's" abdomen is pushing out - girth is getting bigger all around by the day. Is she holding?
<Unfortunately it sounds like your fish has bloat. When a female Lake Malawi cichlid is "holding" it refers to the fry or eggs being incubated in her mouth. The extended belly and labored breathing is a sign of stress and that your fish needs help.>
There are 12 other Malawi mbunas in the 55 gallon tank and none of them exhibit signs of illness i.e. bloat. I even have Ad Konings book and still can't figure out if the indications of holding. Oh and another telltale sign of holding is her fins are frayed - perhaps from the breeding male's aggression?
< The fins are frayed from other fish biting them. This has nothing to do with breeding.>
No other fish's fins are disturbed - all are perfect. Cracker is now almost laying down, hovering a couple inches above the substrate, respiration seems somewhat strained. When I was cleaning the tank about a month ago (I do 25% water changes on a weekly basis), I found a baby! I tried to rescue it but it didn't survive...The tank is full of rocks and hiding places - when I found the baby, I also placed a terra cotta pot in the tank. I would so much appreciate your advice please!! Thank you!! Lisa.
< Typically albino fish are not as hardy as normally colored fish. They are usually picked on by other tankmates and this causes stress. The stressed fish become ill and then are picked on even more, making things worse. I would recommend that you isolate this fish and treat for bloat with Metronidazole and Nitrofuranace.-Chuck.>

Malawi Cichlid Wipeout! 12/26/07
Happy Holidays! I had a tragedy over the holiday season that I am trying to find an answer to. I had a tank full of Malawi cichlids and all in the same day EVERY single fish in the tank were on the bottom dead except for a few.
<Water quality, chemistry, air pollution, or temperature are the only issues likely to kill all the fish at the same time very quickly. Check all and act as required.>
I thought maybe it was a water quality issue so I did two fifty percent water changes and put some tiger barbs in. Before I knew it, they were covered in small white spots all throughout the body including eyes.
<Likely common whitespot/ick, caused by stress. So whatever was at a lethal level when the Malawians died is now merely at a stress level after the two water changes. Transportation of new livestock can often trigger these sorts of infections too.>
What I am trying to understand is why not a single white spot of ich or velvet showed up on any cichlids, they were completely asymptomatic.
<Which is why it's a water issue. Things like paint fumes, pesticides, alcohol, etc., can cause the rapid death of lots of fish. Blocked filters, overheating, etc., can also cause sudden and otherwise asymptomatic deaths.>
Have you ever heard of African Cichlids being completely resistant to fish parasites/protozoan?
<Nope.>
Or is it a coincidence and did they die from something else and the barbs happened to get ich?
<Coincidence is two fish dying in the same week. All the fish dying at once isn't a coincidence.>
Thanks
<Cheers, Neale.>

Dying Fish! Malawi bloat Strikes Cichlid Tank  11/13/07
Dear WetWebMedia,
I sincerely hope someone can help me! A few month's months ago, my 6 yr old son received a 29 gallon aquarium set-up for his birthday. After some research, we decided to stock it with Malawi Cichlids. Initially, everything went fine. We slowly stocked the tank until we had 7 fish. The day after our fist 1/3 water change, my son dumped a lot of food into the tank. I immediately scooped it out with a spoon, getting all that I could see lying on the gravel. I also feel that for some time we had been over feeding the fish. I have now adjusted our feeding schedule to 2x / day with only as much as they can consume in 45 seconds. Regardless, a few days / weeks after this episode, some of the fish started to die off. I noticed that right before the fish would die, they would stop eating, become lethargic, and their bodies became covered with white material that looked like a cross between crusty and white cotton. I initially wrote this off as stress, but as more fish started to die, I knew it must be something else. I consulted with a person who raises cichlids and he thought the fish had a fungus due to overfeeding. Even as this email is being written, 2 more are dying! Unlike the other fish that have died, the 2 that today, are fading rather quickly, do NOT have anything growing on their bodies. However, just like all the fish that have died so far, the 2 that are about to pass are laying on the bottom of the tank. They will try to swim and end up just sinking to the bottom. Of notice is the fact that they are breathing very rapidly using both their mouths AND their gills. It is important to note that in addition to the filter, I have 3 air stones running in the aquarium, so oxygen should not be a problem. All of the fish that have died so far have done this rapid breathing. In regards to the tank itself, I am dosing 15 ml once daily of the Melafix and 15 ml of Pimafix. The carbon filter has been removed. Before starting the med's, I did a 1/3 water change. I bought test strips and am testing the water a few times a day, and everything is well within optimal range. To be sure, I took a sample into the pet store today and everything checked out fine. My tank is negative for nitrates and nitrites. The tank temperature is a steady 80 degrees. Does any of this lead you to believe I might have something else going on in the tank? Should I treat for something else? I am so frustrated I just don't know what to do. As a matter of fact, I just checked on the fish and have lost another just in the time it has taken me to write this email!
On another note, I am using the filter that came with the tank, however, I am thinking of upgrading to Fluval 305 or an Aquarium Pharmaceuticals filter system. I will buy one that changes out 200 gallons per hour. Any advice as to my selection of filters will be appreciated. Thanks to all in advance for your time and consideration to my fish woes! I look forward to your response(s). Sincerely, Joe
< You cichlids come from Lake Malawi in Africa. The water there is very hard and alkaline. Lower the water temp. to 75 to 77 F. They make a living by eating algae off of rocks and require a food high in vegetable matter. Try a flake food that has spiraling algae in it or a good vegetable flake. I suspect that the food you are currently feeding is too high in protein. These fish can't handle too much protein in their digestive tract and it blocks them up. The bacteria in their gut starts to feed on the food and it bloats them up and stresses them out. if you wanted to try and cure them you could try a combination of Metronidazole and Nitrofuranace. treat them on the first, third and fifth day. Do 50% water changes in between the days you medicate and vacuum the gravel. This disease usually hits the fish when they are about two inches long and are just becoming sexually mature. I would recommend an out side power filter that moves at least 250 gph. -Chuck>

Mbuna milk mustache? – 10/18/07
Hi Neale,
Quick question for you. One of my Mbuna has a perfectly symmetrical white triangle that has formed around his mouth and "chin." Unfortunately I don't have a digital camera and not able to send along a photo.
The water quality is good (nitrites and ammonia - 0; nitrates below 20ppm; pH 8.0).
Do you suppose this may be a fighting wound? I've never observed the Mbuna "mouth fighting."
No other fish exhibit any fungus-looking attributes...
Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you!
Lisa.
<Hmm... assuming that this isn't normal colouration (you never know with the more obscure Mbuna) then it could be simply dead skin following a fight. In which case, I'd personally use some mild antibacterial like Melafix just to be on the safe side. If things got worse, then Finrot medication would need to be used. Cichlids do indeed fight with their jaws, and what you describe is not uncommon. Presumably the teeth damage the skin. Anyway, keep an eye out for secondary infections, and if they occur, treat for Finrot. Good luck! Neale>

Re: Mbuna milk mustache?  10/19/07
Thanks Neale, shall I then move the injured fish to a separate tank to medicate? (sorry if this is an obvious question)
Lisa
<I'd treat it in the tank. If the problem is minor (which seems to be the case) you may as well avoid problems with stress and damage caused while capturing the fish. Cheers, Neale.>

Flashing in Mbunas 10/14/07
Hi Neale,
<Lisa,>
I was just reading through the website. I noticed many Mbuna owners spoke of their fish "flashing." In just about all accounts, the crew attributed
this to a high nitrate or ammonia problem.
<Or whitespot, or any number of other things that irritate the gills. Like dropsy, flashing is a symptom rather than a specific disease or syndrome. Think of it as a heads-up that not all is well I your aquarium.>
I've noticed some of the Mbuna flashing however the nitrates are steady at 10-20 ppm, ammonia and nitrite levels are 0. I assumed their flashing was due to quirky Mbuna behavior.
<It can be. Flashing as a mating behaviour is where the cichlid zooms in front of another, either as a threat or to display itself to a potential mate. Flashing as a result of disease or irritation is where the fish zooms against a rock or some sand, to scratch itself deliberately. In the wild, this behaviour presumably dislodges external parasites, and the fish is doing this in response to a similar stimulus, i.e., irritation.>
The only water chemistry challenge I have is increasing the carbonate hardness (I'm adding cichlid salts to partial water changes as you recommended). I religiously change 25% of the water every other week and take a full set of readings every weekend (nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, pH,
kH).
<Very good. I'd personally do more water changes, at least 25% per week, but if your water quality is good, it's no big deal. But as a reminder to others reading this: the great advantage of buying fish that *prefer* your local water chemistry is you can do big, regular water changes without the expense of modifying the new water each time beyond adding dechlorinator.>
Should I be concerned about the flashing Neale - it is not too frequent however I do notice the fish doing it from time to time.
<Look to see what they're doing. If they're just darting about, then it's not a problem and likely behavioural. If they're scratching against objects (something fish otherwise avoid, for fear of damaging their scales and mucous coat) then you may have a problem.>
Also regarding water chemistry - in both my livebearers and goldfish tanks (i.e. guppies, Plecos, Corys, variegated platys, tetras) despite
incorporating crushed coral into the canister filters, the kH will not increase beyond 4 or 5 however the pH has gone up to 7.8-8.0.
<I'd leave things be for now. While on the low side for guppies and goldfish, it's fine for tetras and cats. The main thing is that the crushed coral will inhibit any pH crashes. The pH will stay alkaline and probably very steadily around the 7.8-8.0 mark regardless of what happens.>
Is there a buffer I can use that will slightly increase the hardness of the water without making the pH exceedingly alkaline?
<Don't worry about it for now. Over the long term, see how your fish do. What I'd expect to see is that all the fish are happy, and the pH doesn't change much at all, implying the water chemistry is nice and stable. At the end of the day that's the important thing. At some point, it's a case of diminishing returns.>
Looking forward to hearing from you. Thank you so much. Lisa.
<Cheers, Neale>

Sudden dying fish advice! 10/3/07
Hi
<Hello.>
I hope you can help me, am a bit of a novice fishkeeper and after a promising start am slight concerned about the goings on in my tank!
<Oh dear.>
I have a 35gallon freshwater aquarium, which ive had for three weeks (originally my brothers and kept for 6yrs). It had 5 Malawi's and one Plec and I added another 8 Malawi's, another Plec and 5 red claw crabs (about 2cm each).
<Red-claw crabs are brackish water animals, and shouldn't be kept in a freshwater tank. They are also amphibious animals, and keeping them permanently submerged is cruel. Kept properly, they are more like frogs, rooting about on land, but dipping in the water to moisten their gills periodically.>
Everything was going fine but then in the last 24hrs both my catfish and the alpha male (a 2.5inch blue zebra) of the tank have died!
<Check water quality when two fish suddenly die.>
I have checked all the levels and everything is normal.
<Define "normal". I'm assuming you aren't using brackish water, so the conditions aren't normal for your crabs at least. More specifically, have you tested the nitrite level? Also, what's the pH and hardness? Malawi cichlids need fairly hard water to do well (at least 10 degrees KH, and a pH around 7.5-8). I don't know what Malawi cichlids and plecs you are talking about, but 13 Pseudotropheus zebra and two common plecs such as Pterygoplichthys multiradiatus simply cannot be kept in 35 gallons of water. There is no way water quality will be acceptable for them all. Even a single common Plec needs around 50 gallons of water, at least.>
My concern is that, could this be the work of the crabs and should I really get rid of them? The shop said they could live together but now am not so sure
<Crabs shouldn't kill most fish, though they will certainly catch and kill very small fish like guppies. But unless you are keeping them in a brackish water vivarium with a sand-bank and wood for them to climb about on, then no, this isn't an acceptable home.>
Advice would be most grateful as I don’t really want £80 stock all to die off!
<Indeed.>
Best regards,
Lester
<Lester, you need to sit back and review the aquarium conditions. A 35 UK gallon tank is simply too small for all the fish you are keeping. What will happen is that the fish will die, one by one, until the aquarium reaches its "carrying capacity". You can delude yourself into thinking the aquarium is fine, but Science doesn't work that way, and until the population reaches a sensible level, fish will keep getting sick and die. For 35 gallons, you should be thinking about, say, one or two Ancistrus Bristlenose catfish along with maybe three cichlids (one male, two females). Nothing else will work in the long term. Hope this helps, Neale>

Mysterious African Cichlid Deaths – 08/01/07
Hello! First off for you I have a big thank you for the wealth of information I have in the past found on your site! It has saved me many times in the past, and many more times at the very least satisfied my curiousity.
For the first time, though, I've been unable to find the answer to my question via the great Google god. I am having mysterious deaths in my African cichlid tank. It's a 75g tank, with a Rena FilStar xp3 filter. It's been running for about 6 months. I used a fine gravel for substrate as a compromise between sand and gravel -- it's probably about 3 or 4 mm diameter. I decorated with some Texas holey rock and a few pieces of driftwood. I've got 2 plants in there that have managed to be tough enough -- one Anubias, and one java fern.
Inhabitants:
1 Copadichromis borleyi (4" ish)
3 Labidochromis caeruleus (1"-2")
3 red zebras (2")
4 sunshine peacocks (2"-3")
1 German red peacock (2")
2 Kribensis (3")
1 rubber lip Pleco (2")
4 jacobfreirgi (sp?) peacocks (2")
3 Pseudotropheus acei
Water tests show pH 8.2, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and under 20 nitrate. Temp stays at 78F.
The problem I'm having is this...every 3 weeks or so, 1 fish dies. They die in the same way. They are breathing heavily, lying on the bottom or up in a corner, no marks on them, no fins shredded, no nothing... but within a day of my noticing that behavior, they die. When I find the body the whole ventral side is generally white. Peacocks die in this manner more so than the mbuna, or at least it seems like it. *All* remaining fish in the tank continue to act normal and look great. Water tests always look fantastic.
I'm out of ideas :(-heather
< The yellow type peacocks generally don't do well in Lake Malawi community tank situations. That are easily stressed and come down with internal infections. The yellow type peacocks do better in a species only tank. You can isolate them and treat them with Metronidazole as with a bloated cichlid. It may cure them now, but placing them into the main tank may be delaying the inevitable. I would also look into changing the diet to one high in Spirulina algae.-Chuck>