Re: Red Zebra Cichlid Swimming Funny  2/18/06
I am not sure if that is the problem...we have had him for around 5 months and he just started exhibiting this behavior 2 or 3 days ago...Now, one of the other cichlids is also acting this way.  Could it be something wrong with the water?
< There could be a protozoa infection that is paralyzing the muscles. Do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Add about one tablespoon of rock salt per 5 gallons of aquarium water. Treat with Rid-Ich+ by Kordon. Raise the temp to 82 F.-Chuck>

Re: Red Zebra Cichlid  4/29/06
Okay, thanks. Nemo ate some flakes for me today, and is swimming around much more freely. He kinda wiggles his little bottom half when swimming, as if he's trying to compensate his loss of finnage. Gahh, sorry, I told you that I gave him  Maracyn, but I really gave him Tetracycline.
< Not as effective in hard alkaline water.>
I wasn't looking at the wrapper when I wrote those posts. The Melafix doesn't seem to be doing anything at all. Is that normal?
< We get feed back from this stuff all the time. If a fish is injured the medication seems to inhibit infection if used right away. Some Gourami diseases respond well to it. If a fish is already infected then it will not cure the infection.>
Oh, and The Tetracycline says to put one tablet in per 10 gallons of water per day for 5 days, and to do partial water changes and a new filter cartridge at the end. The water is getting really discolored, and I was wondering if I could do a like, 10% or maybe 20% water change to kinda clear it up. I'm sure the concentration of the medicine is getting pretty high.
< The red wine colored water is pretty typical for this medication. If you dilute it now you may be reducing the effectiveness of the medication. You are already committed to the treatment, my as well see if it works.>
  Oh, and I've received mixed messages about the eating habits of Rhino Plecos. Do they eat Algae wafers? I know the normal Plecos do...Thanks, Zhara
< I have  had a rhino Pleco for quite awhile and found him to eat anything that falls to the bottom, including algae wafers.-Chuck>

Malawi Cichlid Growing Fins Back Re: Red Zebra Cichlid    5/2/06
Okay, the treatment is over now, and he's doing just great. Is there anything I can do to help his fins grow back? They will grow back, right? Oh, and how much salt does he need in his tank now? Thanks, Zhara
< After looking at the photo it seems that the damage in the tail fin did not reach the caudal peduncle so the fins should grow back. I would ad a teaspoon per 5 gallons to inhibit a secondary fungus attack.-Chuck>

Malawi Tank Problems  - 04/10/2006
Great website and resource that you provide! I hope this email gets through....I tried sending one directly via the WetWeb website, but couldn't log in.  I was able to find the email address by clicking on the "properties" option of the "email the WWM crew a question" link. I've searched your databases and Googled, and my problem has numerous parts,
thus I couldn't find something that solved it adequately.  This will be sort of long and drawn out, as there are several facets. If this problem has been addressed in the past on this website, I'm sorry for wasting your time. I've recently started keeping Malawi cichlids.  On approximately Feb. 20, I set up a 55 gallon aquarium with a hang-on the back filter and undergravel filters. We added our first batch of fish on Feb 26th, and the second batch on March 25th.  We currently have a total of 26 fish in the tank (including a
bristle-nosed pleco, and a small Senegal Bichir). I was aware that I would be introducing the fish before the nitrogen cycle had stabilized, but with frequent water changes (20% every day for several weeks in mid-Late March when Nitrite levels were high), and daily water testing, the fish did pretty well.  They did "flash" fairly often during this time (I assumed, due to the nitrite levels irritating the gills), but they always ate well and were very active. However, after the nitrogen cycle stabilized, the fish continued to flash very
frequently and sometimes looked a little listless.  I kept a very close eye on things, assuming an illness would show up, but nothing did. Then, on April 6th, one of our Labidochromis textilis suddenly went south.  He was getting harassed, so I floated him at the top of the tank in a larger net to separate him from the others.  By that night, he was belly-up with a slightly bloated abdomen and eyes.
The next morning, I noticed a smaller female Sciaenochromis fryeri (and only her) exhibiting the slightly "salted" appearance of ich.  I assumed that due to the
L. textilis' silvery appearance that I may have missed the "salt grains" on him.  I immediately began treatment with malachite green.  The second day of
the malachite green treatment, I also noticed that she had slightly bulging eyes and a slight "pine coning" of the scales (neither of which seemed to be as
bad as I've seen in pictures of dropsy).  Yesterday (during the third day of Malachite green treatment), she died.
Tomorrow is the fifth and last day of malachite green treatment, but the other fish seem to be "flashing" almost as often as before.  None have exopthalmia
yet, but I'm worried there may be a bacterial problem in the tank as well....although I'm not sure.
My current plan is as follows:.....do a 50% water change after malachite green treatment has stopped.....then do a series of treatments with Melafix or
Maracyn-two (i.e., things that won't damage biological filtration).
My questions are:
Does it seem likely that I have a bacterial infection in the tank (almost concurrently with ich)...or is this maybe behavioral with cichlids?
< Drop the water temp to the mid 70's. Do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Check the nitrates and keep them under 20 ppm with water changes. The scratching you are seeing can be related to poor water quality but may also be protozoa  infection too.>
Is my current plan a good one (i.e., should I go ahead with MelaFix or maracyn-2)?
<Don't use either and add about three cups of rock salt to the tank. This will increase the slime coat on the fish and may reduce the scratching.>
Should I, instead, use something like Metronidazole or Nitrofurazone, or should
I do nothing?
< Definitely use metro for the bloat and change the diet to a Spirulina based food.>
Again, I don't see any current signs of "pop-eye" or dropsy in the remaining fish (aside from the "flashing") but I'd also like to stymie any potential
problems. Thanks for your time, Josh
< Watch the fish for a change in appetite. When they quite eating it is usually too late to treat.-Chuck>

African Cichlid Problem  - 03/25/2006
Hi I have a 55 gal tank with 5 African cichlids for about 4 months. Everything has been fine, but in the last week they stopped eating hung out in the plant at the bottom of the tank, they then seemed very spazzy like slamming themselves all over the tank then floating, then kind of snapping out of it, then a couple days later spaz again then suddenly die, this was stressful to watch, I tested the water & everything was good, someone said they might be lacking oxygen, but how do you test that? so we added an air pump, that didn't work obviously, well their all dead except for one smaller one that seems to be starting the same symptoms, what could this be?  I am using the filtration that cam with the tank, we lowered the water level a bit that didn't help either.  any suggestions?
One thing I've learned from this is cichlids get sick easily, seem sensitive......
Thanks you, Sue
< Wrong food. African cichlids come from the rift lakes. Most of the more inexpensive and colorful ones come from Lake Malawi. Malawian cichlids eat algae, plankton and or other fish. I suspect that you are feeding food that is very high in protein. This blocks up the intestinal track and then they stop eating and bloat up and die. Switch to Spirulina algae flakes. Feed once a day and then only enough food so that all of it is gone in two minutes. Keep them at 75 F, in hard alkaline water. Cichlids are actually quite hardy under the right conditions.-Chuck>

Fish scratching not Ich  - 02/20/06
  Hi
   I have over a dozen Mbuna cichlids. About three or four weeks ago I noticed a P. demasoni flashing [scratching itself on the gravel]. I could find no sign of parasites on it or any of the other fish. I did a water change and treated the tank with Jungle Parasite Guard.
<I encourage you to be conservative re the use of such "medicines"... almost all have their dire downsides... they're toxic to degrees>
The fish still scratched itself.
<Some such scratching is "normal", to be expected>
The tank was treated again with Jungle Parasite Guard after a 50% water change. Still no change. Then I noticed another fish start to flash. I did a another 50% water change after treatment and waited several days.
<... do you have water quality test kits? What are they telling you?>
The two fish still scratched themselves on the gravel. I then treated the tank with Maracide as per instructions and after no change did it again to no avail. During this time I searched the internet for possible ideas. I thought they might have Ich on their gills and it was not showing up on their bodies,
<No, not likely>
I also thought of gill flukes. Now several of the fish scratch themselves. All fish eat normally and their colours are normal. They all look healthy but scratch.
<... do this>
   Any suggestions you might have would be appreciated. The fish are now in a 125 gallon tank with about 300 pounds or rock and plants so trying to catch them would be nearly impossible so the tank would have to be treated. The temperature is about 78 degrees Fahrenheit. By the way I did put some antibiotics in in case it was a bacterial problem but the next day put the fish into the 125 gallon tank. Ammonia is zero and nitrite is less than .1. Thank you for any help.   Brian
<Nitrite should be zero, undetectable... Nitrates should be under twenty... I suspect if anything is "off" here it is a lack of complete ready biological cycling... I would add more bio-filtration. Bob Fenner>

Re: Fish scratching not Ich  - 02/20/06
Hi again
   Sorry I forgot to mention in my last email that as I have a Synodontis catfish in the tank with about 160 dollars worth of plants I believe I cannot use Clout or Coppersafe.
<Great to find you can keep plants with your Africans... and you don't want to become or remain a user of such "med.s">
I may be mistaken though. Also I put Cycle in the tank and Filstar 3 filter all the time.
<Need more than this filter>
A 25% water change is done while vacuuming the gravel every week.
<I would only vacuum half the tanks bottom any given week... alternate left/right>
Fresh water from our Sandpoint is replaced at the same temperature. Should I try erythamacin [sp?]
<No>
again but leave it in the tank for the required amount of time? I worry about the catfish whenever I use medication even though I read the instructions. Also i did not want to use any medication that will harm the plants or stain the silicone in the tank. Again thanks so much.   Brian
<... Read my friend... and don't be so ready to treat your fishes, or yourself by "buying" things. Bob Fenner>

Tropheus Troubles and bad link: [IMG]http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c116/Poohbie/IMG_4044.jpg[/IMG]   2/13/06
This is my two inch Tropheus Mpulungu. It is part of a colony in my  
90 gallon.  I noticed this protrusion yesterday.  Fish is acting  
normal.  Does this look like a prolapsed anus or an ovipositor to  
you?  Thanks for any insight.
< Your photo did not come up but I have seen enough of these dietary issues with Tropheus to know what is going on. Tropheus are algae eaters from Lake Tanganyika. Algae has very little nutritional value so they eat all day long to survive and grow. In the aquarium we feed our fish once or twice a day with foods that are much more nutritious that algae. Sometimes these ingredients contain animal proteins that the Tropheus have  no bacteria in their intestines to break down. The Tropheus start to bloat, get constipated or have difficult bowel movements that can cause trauma to the area. The stress from the larger more aggressive Tropheus usually adds to the problem and the smaller weaker fish are the ones most affected. At this size the Tropheus are becoming more aggressive as they mature. One by one your colony will shrink until you only have one left. I recommend that you have at least a dozen fish in  your colony. If not, add some smaller Mbuna from Lake Malawi as dither fish. Change 50% of the water, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Feed only vegetable flakes. Many small feedings are better than one large one. Tropheus come from relatively shallow hard, alkaline water that is pretty warm 80+ F. Rearrange all the rocks so that new territories will become established. If you fish stop eating then treat with Metronidazole.-Chuck>

Re" Tropheus Feeding Recommendations   2/13/06
Thanks for the quick reply.  Luckily this morning, that Tropheus protrusion had disappeared. Behavior has been normal.   I feed the
colony twice a day.  I feed a variety of foods including NLS  cichlid pellets (daily), some NLS freshwater flake (daily), freshwater Mysis
shrimp (maybe once a week, if that), frozen Spirulina enriched brine shrimp (about four times a week) .  I feed the frozen foods because I
had a couple of the Tropheus that didn't want to eat dry food for a couple of months when I first got them, but now they all take the NLS
flakes. I think I will feed less at each feeding now to prevent problems in the future.  I do have 20 Tropheus in my colony, so there isn't an undue
amount of aggression. As far as veggie flake goes, I've noticed that NLS cichlid pellets have 5% fiber which is more fiber than almost all veggie flakes I've seen.  
Is there any veggie flake brand that you would  highly recommend?
< You are feeding some of the best stuff out there. I agree with you that maybe feeding a little less is the way to go.-Chuck>

Cichlid With Mouth Obstruction  - 2/4/2006
My Cichlid has a very large mouth tumor or cyst that makes it nearly impossible to feed.  I see where you recommend examining the fishes
mouth for foreign objects by removing him from the tank using a flash light.  I don think I would be able to see past the mass or growth due
to its size.  Can I remove the mass with some type of surgical procedure( exacto knife?) or who could I call to perform this service?
I have called around Jackson, MS without luck trying to find someone to help.  Will a veterinarian be able to help?  Will treatment with
Nitrofuranace cause this to go away or will I have to intervene?
Thanks so much, Jon
< Treat the fish with Nitrofuranace in a hospital tank and see if it is an infection and the swelling will go down. If it does subside then you could then look down the throat and look for an obstruction. Increase the aeration and lower the water temp to the mid 70s to help you cichlid breath easier. If the obstruction is the same after three days then I would remove the fish and surgically remove as much of the tumor as I could practically do with an exacto knife.-Chuck>

Cichlids With Hole In The Head  1/16/06
I have a problem with four of my Cichlids and I was hoping you might be able
to shed some light on it for me. The fish involved are 1 Aurora (3-4
inches), 1 Daktari (3-4 inches), 1 Hajomaylandi (3-4 inches), and 1 Venustus
(6-7 inches). All four have developed a kind of indentation on their back,
between the eye and beginning of the dorsal fin. It is apparent on both sides
of the fish. They are all still eating well but do seem to be swimming
somewhat slower. This has appeared since new years day when, unfortunately,
we lost eight fish to a temperature spike. The other fish, eight surviving
originals and four new ones (purchased after the loss) all seem to be fine.
I have searched for an answer but haven't found one as yet, when I found
your site I thought you might be able to help. Kind Regards, Michelle. :)
< When cichlids get stressed from bad water , aggression or temperature extremes they sometimes will get a symptom or disease often referred to as Hole-In-The-Head. It is often seen in discus and many larger South American species but actually quite rare in African cichlids. Keep the water around 75-77 F. Make sure that the pH is up around 7.5. Do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Get a fish food with Spirulina algae in it. I would try to treat the tank with Metronidazole. If you can. Try and find a medicated fish food with Metronidazole in it.-Chuck>

Malawi Cichlid With Ich
Hi There, About six months ago we noticed that our African Cichlids were scratching/flashing on our aquarium decor (rocks, gravel, plants) after
introducing some new fish.  We have *P. saulosi*, *P. acei*, two *C. moori*, a couple of peacocks and some 'cuckoo' catfish, etc (total 21, mostly
fish<1yr old).  All fish are displaying the problem, but none have any external signs of disease as far as we can tell.  Over the past few months
we've treated the tank with Para-Cide by AquaMaster for control of external parasites (Trichlorfon) on three separate occasions and also started Fluke &
Tapeworm tablets by AquaMaster (Praziquantel).  The problem seems to get worse when treatment first starts and then seems to improve for a short time
(or I could just be hopeful) but still persists after treatment is completed. On two occasions we have removed fish to put in separate tanks (two at a
time using water from the large tank) and they seem to have stopped scratching completely, without the above treatment of Para-Cide in one case.
The fish are otherwise healthy (some are even breeding) and the water quality is maintained for African cichlids (total hardness=18-20 degrees,
carbonate hardness=10 degrees, pH=8-8.2, ammonium=0ppm, nitrites=0ppm, temperature=26 degrees, have had nitrates tested at <5ppm).  The aquarium is
set up with fine marble chip gravel, lots of rock, Vallisneria and anubias. It's a 4ft tank with approx 200L and we have an Eheim 2215 filter.  We do a
20% water change fortnightly and feed the fish daily with pellets and occasionally frozen brine shrimp. No one seems to be able to tell us what is wrong with our fish.  We've lost one probably due to an infected injury from scratching and I would hate to lose any more.  Are we on the right track with the treatments or could it be something completely different? Thanks in advance for your help, Carl & Monica
< You have an ich type protozoa infection. Do a 50% water change, clean the filter and vacuum the gravel. Treat with Rid-Ich Plus by Kordon. The catfish are going to be very sensitive to this medication. This is a newer formula and is supposed to be safer for scaleless fish. Follow the directions on the bottle carefully. Add a cup of rock salt per 20 gallons. of water. Do not feed while medicating. After treatment use good carbon to remove the medication. The fish are cured but the good bacteria in the system may be gone. Add Bio-Spira from Marineland to replenish these bacteria. Watch for ammonia spikes. You may have to recycle the tank all over again. Do not over feed and use a Spirulina based food.-Chuck>

Malawi cichlids With Ich II  1/16/06
Hi Chuck, Thanks for your insight and amazingly quick response! We're in Melbourne, Australia; and I'm not sure we can get Kordon's' Rid-Ich+
from our fish shop.  Do you know what the active ingredients are in this product, so that we can find a suitable replacement, or should we contact
Kordon ourselves?
< It is a combination of Malachite green and Formalin. I am sure that you have some ich medication available, I am just not sure how it will work with your catfish.>
We've printed out the product information sheet from their website, but it's not straight-forward listing the ingredients.
Thanks (a lot!) and Regards, Carl & Monica
< See if you can find Clout. It may work as well.-Chuck>

Frontosa Not Moving Much   1/14/06
Hi there, I saw your website when I Googled it, and wanted to ask a question about my husband's frontosa. He was an active fish, now it just sits on the bottom of the tank under a rock and is very lethargic, he has bubbles on his scales. Can you give me some advice?
Shan from Australia
< Frontosas are from Lake Tanganyika. They require warm, hard alkaline water. They are fish eaters in the wild. Bubbles on the scales is an unusual symptom. Bubbles usually indicate some form of bacterial activity. I would recommend a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Check the water chemistry for zero ammonia and nitrites. Nitrates should be under 20 ppm. The pH should be around 8.0 at 84 F. If things don't improve in a couple of days then you may need to use an antibiotic, like Erythromycin or Nitrofuranace.-Chuck>

Cichlid Still With Problem  12/16/05
Hi. I asked a question about 4 days ago. I got a lot of feedback about my tank but not so much about my cichlids problem. I have a lot of fish in the 33gallon tank(18fish). My b/f kept buying more until I told him to stop.
< He is trying to get on your good side.>
None of my cichlids are overly aggressive with the other fish. They do the usual chasing around and don't really attack other fish. So far my tank mates have been ok and I change water biweekly(20%) and do water test biweekly between the water changes. Anyways, my one blue cichlid has what I found to be a prolapsed anus. It's been 4 days since we moved him to his own tank and the p/a still hasn't reduced or gotten better. It did kinda change color from the orangy red to a pale pinkish red. (infected?)
< The real danger with these is that they get infected and start to fungus. The infection usually turns bright red and the fungus is a cottony looking growth. Treat with Nitrofurazone as a preventative and keep the tank clean.>
How long until it goes back inside or he dies?
< This condition usually isn't fatal unless it gets infected. >
I have been adding aquarium salt to the tank for him and feeding small amounts of food maybe twice a day. any ideas? Let him go a few days without eating. You should start to see some improvement then.>
I want to let others know that guppies are not so hard to keep, or maybe I got lucky. I bought my first tank about mid October. I  bought some guppies to go with it and my female gave birth to 9 babies. I had the day off work so was able to move the babies as they appeared in the breeder net. My other female has been holding on for some time now and just let go of three babies. She has been pregnant for close to 45 days now and I'm wondering if there is anything I can do to help her along beside turning up the heat. I don't want to damage any of the other fish in my tank.
< I would recommend waiting.-Chuck>