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| FAQs on Cichlid Disease 4
Related Articles: Cichlid Fishes, Freshwater
Fish Diseases,
Freshwater Diseases, Ich/White
Spot Disease, Freshwater Medications,
Related FAQs: Cichlid
Disease 1,
Cichlid Disease 2,
Cichlid Disease 3,
African Cichlid Disease,
Oscar
Disease/Health,
Aquarium Maintenance, Freshwater
Medications, Freshwater Infectious
Disease, Freshwater Fish Parasites, Ich/White
Spot Disease, Cichlids in General,
Cichlid Systems,
Cichlid Identification,
Cichlid Behavior,
Cichlid Compatibility, Cichlid Selection,
Cichlid Feeding,
Cichlid Reproduction,
Dwarf
South American Cichlids, African Cichlids,
Angelfishes, Discus,
Chromides,
Neotropical Cichlids, Oscars,
Flowerhorns,
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Geophagus brasiliensis
Cichlid With Infection
11/11/09
Hi guys, hoping you can help! About 3 months ago I purchased a pair of large
Geophagus brasiliensis. They took a bit of a knock in the shop the careless
guy allowed the bag to drop to the floor but I still had them as they were
such beautiful fish. Within a couple of days of having them, one started to
develop a lump on the side of its head. I put this down to the bump they
received and thought I would wait and see if this 'bruise' went down. The
lump never disappeared or got any better or worse and as the fish seemed
perfectly happy otherwise, eating, healthy and constantly flirting with its
mate. It didn't really concern me too much. In the last week or so the lump
has developed a sort of red pimple in the middle, a bit like a white head on
a normal spot. I've enclosed the best picture I could take. I'm hoping you
can cast some clarity on this as I cant seem to find anything online and im
really hoping this isn't HITH. My fish are in a 850 litre tank with a few
other new world cichlids, there is no aggression between any of the fish and
all my water parameters are normal Many thanks
Dan
< Thanks for the photo. The bacterial infection is coming to a head. When it
pops like a pimple, There will be some redness. At that time I would do a
50% water change and watch the site closely. It doesn't heal right away or
look like it is getting better then treat with an antibiotic like Furanace.
I don't think it is HITH.-Chuck>
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Cichlid problem, hlth.
8/17/08
Hello again,
My T-bar cichlid has got hole in the head, all my fish are scratching,
twitching and have all there fins down.
<Likely caused by Hexamita, and almost always trigger by environmental or
dietary deficiencies, i.e., overcrowding, high nitrates, lack of fresh
greens. Treatment is only possible via Metranidazole, couple with correction
of water quality/diet.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/metranidazole.htm
>
They are all eating normally except my T-bar with hole in the head and they
have been doing this for 3 days now and they have no signs of any spots so
it cant be white spot.
<Hexamita is most common when cichlids are overcrowded. Quite possibly
latent in all cichlids, when their immune system becomes weakened the
protozoans spread from the digestive tract into the body and out to the
lateral line. It's the ones in the lateral line that cause the distinctive
pits and lesions.>
What could be wrong with them all?
Thanks
<Review environment, diet, and act accordingly. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: cichlid problem 08/18/2008
Hello,
When you said "review environment" what did you mean? My tank has lots of
bogwood and a few plants with fine gravel.
Thanks.
<Simple. Take a look at all the requirements for the fish you have. Look in an
aquarium book (or search this web site) to find out more about each species.
Note things like water chemistry (pH, hardness), diet, space requirements,
compatibility with other fish, etc. Write all these things down. Then compare
them to the environment in your aquarium. Any differences between what your fish
need and what you are providing will be likely sources of potential problems.
Also check nitrite and nitrate; nitrite should be zero at all times, and with
cichlids nitrate should be as low as practical, ideally less than 20 mg/l.
Cheers, Neale.>
Crayfish, cichlids; health ...
English... "Buttons are not toys"
7/31/08
ok so I have had my electric blue crayfish for about 5 months now. he's
appx. 5 inches long.
<Cool. Now, make sure you don't keep him with any fish.>
doing well until I accidentally introduced a seemingly well cichlid
into the tank.
<Oh dear.>
he blew up and died about a week ago. I think the Cray may have
eaten it!
<Well, fish don't "blow up and die" for no reason. Crayfish can
catch living fish and eat them, and they certainly will consume fish
that are sick/dead for other reasons.>
he's pretty lethargic now and he sits cocked up to one side and his
legs on top just sway back and forth. he really wont eat and I know
he's dying. is there anything I can do??
<No information here to work from. How big is this tank? What filter
are you using? What is the water chemistry (at minimum: the pH)?
What is the water quality (at minimum: the nitrite concentration)?
Almost certainly water quality is an issue, if not THE issue.>
pet smart gave me 'gel Tek' 'ultra cure PX'
<Pointless, unless you know what's wrong and how you cure it. Since
you have no idea what the problem is, how can you treat the animal?>
they said it would be ok for him to eat too, but he really wont. and
now my other cichlids are getting blown up looking too.
<Ah, definitely water quality.>
I noticed when the other cichlid died her scales were like coming
up. don't know if any of that helps, but what can I do to save my
Cray and my cichlids!??? I know by the way everyone looks I don't
have long! thank you!
<I'm assuming this is an overstocked, under-filtered tank, quite
possibly with the wrong water chemistry for the species being kept.
Without names for these cichlids, it's impossible to say what
conditions they require. Some (e.g., Mbuna) need hard, alkaline
water. Others (e.g., Severums) need soft, acidic water. All cichlids
need spotlessly clean water with zero ammonia, zero nitrite, and
ideally as little nitrate as possible, certainly less than 50 mg/l.
In any event YOU CAN'T MIX CRAYFISH WITH FISH. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: crayfish, cichlids; health 8/2/08
well the cichlids are African Kribensis, and ive had them since birth.
still have the parents in a diff tank. the water is fine, for all, checked
it over and over.
<If you say so!>
the cichlid I introduced was already sick, I know that, now) and when he
died, the kribs ate it and I think so did the crab.
<Letting fish eat dead fish is asking for trouble. Many diseases are spread
that way. Remove fish as soon as they die, and ideally isolate them when
they're sick.>
they were all fine till about 3 days after the Wal-Mart fish died. he seems
to be fine with my fish, ive never seen him raise a claw to them. not that
it wont or cant happen!
<Indeed. Many cichlids become territorial only once sexually mature, which
may take 6-12 months, depending on the species.>
I am well aware of that. so total in the tank I have 2 cichlids, and 5 small
tetras, and the Cray. the cichlids are still juvenile, only about an inch
and a half. all were fine until I put the seemingly fine Wal-Mart fish
(which I didn't buy, a friend did.) in.
<If you can't quarantine new fish, then you should be very carefully about
selecting additional livestock -- so accepting fish from friends really
isn't a good idea.>
I have a 50 gal tetra filter, with two filters, and a 20 long, which will
soon be a 30 long. I know I need at least a 50, but funds are low right now.
there's plenty of room for them, the Cray doesn't seem to mind, he's usually
busy and healthy, molted about 4 times successfully.
<Seems as if you're aware of the potential problems but depending on luck.
While we've all done that one time or another, it's hardly the best
strategy.>
its definitely a sickness from the Wal-Mart fish.
<Why do you say that? Post hoc ergo propter hoc? Unfortunately, there's no
guarantees that just because you've _added_ a new fish, the aquarium has
_developed_ problems because those new fish were sick. While it can happen,
it can also happen that the additional fish overwhelm the filter, or break
up the social structures, or a variety of other possibilities.>
I think by eating the dead sick fish they got sick.
<OK, if you say so. Can't say I'm convinced.>
the tetras I don't think ate any because they are fine and Im sure the
cichlids didn't let em get to eat any of the dead fish.
<Hmm...>
I noticed though that the cichlids scales look funny too. this just started.
they seem to be itching on the rocks. no ich though. can you think of
anything???
<Many things. If they're itching themselves, then Ick/Velvet are both
possibilities, and both can make a fish sick *without* obvious external
symptoms, because both diseases attack the gills before the skin. If the
fish are breathing heavily, for example, as well as itching, that's a good
clue that Velvet is in the tank. Saying the "scales looks funny" doesn't
help much. Are we talking excessive mucous, making the body look cloudy?
That's usually a water quality/water chemistry issue. Are the scales
sticking outwards, like the scales on a pine cone? That's Dropsy (oedema) a
symptom of a variety of things from internal bacterial infections through to
inappropriate use of "tonic salt". Cheers, Neale.>
Re: crayfish, cichlids; health 8/2/08
ok so Im not god, I don't know for absolute sure that the Wal-Mart fish
did it but here's my evidence... got 2 cichlids (don't know what there were,
just they were yellow.)
<Likely Yellow Labs, Labidochromis caeruleus. A smallish, fairly well
behaved Mbuna.>
kept em quarantined for month and a half. one got fat, and died.
<Right. If this happens *in the quarantine tank* then you obviously don't
put the survivor into your display tank. You run through all the possible
diseases, or ideally, and what I would have done, you take them back to the
store. This of course assumes the water conditions in the quarantine tank
were appropriate to the species in question. For a Mbuna, that would mean
hard, alkaline water with zero ammonia/nitrite, and low levels of nitrate
(less than 20 mg/l if possible). There is *absolutely* no point quarantining
in a tank that isn't cycled or doesn't have an appropriate chemical filter
to remove ammonia directly. You can't just stick in a new filter and hope
for the best. If new fish are exposed to a cycling tank, OF COURSE they're
going to get sick and die. You may known this, but I'm just putting this out
here fair and square so other people reading this can understand things.>
thought it was because of the water, they were in with goldfish, I know, but
it was the only thing I could do at midnight (drunk friends do dumb but
thoughtful things). I wasn't going to risk putting em in my good tank. not
fair for the goldies I know, but what else could I have done???
<Hmm... no idea.>
so when one yellow fish died, after being fine for a month I figured it was
indeed the water.
<Why "the water"? Think about this logically for a moment. Fish live in
water. They like water. So why would water kill them? There are really only
two ways that water *conditions* can kill them -- either the wrong chemistry
or poor water quality. Pick and choose. If 50% of your new livestock die,
then your plan of action is firstly to see if the environment was right. At
minimum, you check nitrite and pH. In the case of Mbuna, you'd need zero
nitrite and a pH around 8.0. If this tested fine, you would then look for
possible symptoms of disease. But you would absolutely NOT move the
remaining "healthy" 50% into the show tank until you'd at least checked off
all the possible diseases and perhaps treated proactively.>
so I moved the last yellow cichlid to my good tank in hopes it wouldn't die
too. after about a week he did die, at night.
<I'm concerned that these "mystery yellow fish" are Mbuna, and you're
exposing them to completely inappropriate water chemistry and quality. Just
to reiterate, Mbuna need water with a high level of carbonate hardness and a
high pH. Adding "tonic salt" will not work. Kribs will tolerate -- but don't
appreciate -- such conditions, and South American cichlids will be
positively stressed by them.>
nothing I could do. by the time I woke up he was already being consumed...Im
not depending on luck, but Im tryin to do the best I can with what I have.
<We've all been here. Which is why I'm stressing research and water
chemistry/quality so strongly. You have very little scope for error and
seemingly no Plan B, so you have to get things right first time. This
demands a slow, methodical approach rather than hoping for the best. In
other words, carefully identify all your livestock. Write down what
conditions they require. Determine whether you can provide those conditions.
We can help with all of these things. But so too will a good book. Libraries
are full of them.>
I did not ask for these fish nor did I want them. like I said drunken
present at midnight. not something I would have ever done. didn't need any
more fish. now, the velvet thing sounds like what I have. a lot. would this
cause my Cray to be sick too??
<Crayfish won't get sick from the disease, but they certainly can carry the
infectious stages of the parasite life cycle on their bodies. In any event,
any Velvet medication can, likely will, kill the crayfish because they
contain formalin and/or copper, both highly poisonous to invertebrates.>
and what do you recommend to fix it?
<Remove the Crayfish to a quarantine tank. Treat the tank with a
Whitespot/Velvet combo medication. Nothing tea-tree oil based! Remember to
remove carbon from the filter (if you use the stuff).
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWsubwebindex/fwfishmeds.htm
Once I'd finished that course of medications, I'd perhaps run something for
systemic bacterial infections, for example Maracyn.>
thanks for being prompt, I don't think I have much time!
<Cheers, Neale.>
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Cichlids Breathing Heavy And At The
Top Of The Tank 07/07/08
Hi there , I am relatively inexperienced when it comes to cichlids ,
although my water quality is checked regularly I am worried about the
behaviour of some of my fish. My tank is 6 foot in size and I have many
cichlids of varying size and colour. I recently added 4 new cichlids to the
tank, and after doing so almost my entire population are constantly swimming
near the surface of the water ? Why are they doing this is this common or
not ?
And what can I do to prevent them from doing this as they all seem to bunch
up , so you cant really see them , kind of defeats the object of having them
! Any advice given would be greatly appreciated Many Thanks.
< The fish are at the top of the tank because they are not getting enough
oxygen. Start by increasing the aeration. If you use a power filter then
make sure the return breaks the top of the water to increase the oxygen
exchange at the surface. Check the water temperature. The higher the water
temperature the water has less oxygen carrying capacity. Lower the
temperature to the lower part of their acceptable range. Check the ammonia
and nitrites. They should be zero. If these are present then they can "burn"
the cichlids gills and impede their ability to absorb oxygen from the water.
Treat for gill flukes with Fluke-Tabs. These parasites attack the blood rich
tissues of the gills and block the water from coming over the gills and
interfere with respiration.-Chuck>
My Frontosa, HLLE tissue damage
- 7/1/08
Hi, I wrote you before about my Front, Georgie and his
hole-in-the-head problem, and that I treated him with Medizole and
Furnace, I then noticed it looked like fungus so I treated him again
with just the Furnace, It looked like it went away but his holes
didn't look any better, so I then treated him with some medication
called Hole-in-the-Head by JUNGLE, and he still looks like this, is
there any hope?
<To heal the wounds from the neuromast destruction? Mmm, yes... with
time, good nutrition, water quality...>
( I sent you a couple pics) I have had him for a long time( we think
he is around thirteen years) and he has always been healthy but know
I am at a loss, usually when I treat my fish I have good luck if I
catch it right away, I am sending you a few pics and see if you can
see what you think,
Thank you for your time,
John Cline
<Have seen worse cases remit. Do try feeding Spectrum pellets
exclusively, being religious re weekly water changes... Read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/hllefaqs3.htm
and the linked FAQs files in this series above. Bob Fenner>
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sick cichlid, poor English, reading
6/27/08
hi there
<Micaela... the beginnings of sentences, proper nouns like your name, the
pronoun "I"... are capitalized...>
i have a 55 gallon tank with three parrot fish, a ghost fish,
<What is this?>
and a electric blue Johanni,
<Not a good idea to mix Mbuna with neotropical cichlids>
which i got about 3 months ago. usually the electric blue runs the tank and
is very active. yesterday he began to be very listless and didn't eat when i
fed them frozen bloodworms, which is very unusual. he continues to defend
his area of the tank, but does not swim around much any more and even let a
parrot fish get close enough to nudge him. also, not normal. I did a water
change about 4 days ago and added ammonium remover,
<... water should be pre-mixed, stored. Read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwmaintindex.htm
the second tray on "treating tapwater">
as I always do. I did not add anything else after the water change. This is
obviously not the first time I've done a water change since I got him. Do
you have any ideas as to why he might be acting this way? there is no
physical evidence on his body.
thank you
Micaela
<Read. Bob Fenner>
re: sick cichlid 6/27/08
thank you for the advice.
p.s. as an english teacher who just received a master's degree, i won't take
offense to the grammar advice.
<... !? Set an ejemplo amiga! RMF>
I possibly have sick cichlids
5/30/08
Hi, my name is Emily.
<Hello Emily,>
I have a 65 gallon fish tank with two AquaClear 110 filters.
Ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, pH are at the correct readings, and the temp is
always around 80 degrees.
<Slightly on the warm side; aim for 25C/77F unless you expressly
keep fish that need other conditions. Do also remember that pH is largely
immaterial; fish care about a stable pH but the number itself isn't important
(within reason). What matters is hardness, particularly carbonate hardness where
cichlids are concerned. Lots of aquarists make this mistake and test pH but have
no idea what the hardness of their water supply is.>
I have had this tank for over a year, the fish I started with were
tiger barbs, a blue African cichlid, a Firemouth, a jewel, and Chinese suckers.
<Not really a compatible selection of fish. The Jewel needs
soft/acidic conditions; the Firemouth moderately hard, neutral to slightly
basic; and "African Cichlid" covers a lot of ground but I'm assuming
Pseudotropheus zebra, a species that needs a high level of carbonate hardness
and a pH around 8. Chinese Suckers (Gyrinocheilus aymonieri) don't belong in
this system because of their aggressiveness and tendency to suck the mucous from
large fish; and really neither do the Tiger Barbs because of their predilection
to nip fins.>
Basically since I put these fish in they have been flashing (they
had no signs of ich, parasites, velvet, or any disease at all).
<When fish "flash" for no obvious reason, assume an issue with water
chemistry and/or water quality. The water irritates their gill membranes, and
this is what makes them "flash", i.e., dart about, scratching their bodies
against the sand or rocks.>
About 3 months ago, my Firemouth's eye turned bright red, almost
magenta.
<A secondary infection; possibly caused by water quality, but likely
a direct result of fighting. Firemouths are *not* fighters: they use bluff
almost entirely when settling territorial disputes among their own kind. Their
jaws are relatively weak, being adapted for sifting sand (which is why you keep
them in tanks with sand, never gravel, substrates). When they get into fights
with other, more aggressive cichlids, they invariably lose out. Firemouths are
best kept on their own or with cichlids that are smaller and/or less aggressive
than they are. Jewels we beat the heck out of them, as will virtually any
Mbuna.>
He, nor any other fish, showed any signs of discomfort or loss of
appetite, however the flashing still continued. I then removed the tiger barbs
into a different tank because of my high interest in cichlids.
<A wise move; it's now time to decide how to streamline this
collection by adding compatible species while removing incompatible ones.>
About a month into the Firemouth's eye issue, the red turned into a
silver color (must be blind in that eye).
<Indeed.>
All of my fish eat Hikari cichlid pellets, frozen blood worms,
wafers, and feeder fish.
<Stop with the feeder fish! Unless you're deliberately trying to
make them sick, feeder fish serve no purpose. None of these cichlids is a
fish-eating species in the wild. All of them feed on algae and small
invertebrates, particularly insect larvae and small crustaceans. Goldfish and
Minnows are loaded with Thiaminase and fats that make predatory fish sick in the
long term, and unless you are breeding something like killifish or livebearers
at home, the cheap feeders aquarists tend to use are "parasite time bombs".
Think about it: if fish are sold for a few pennies a piece, just how much effort
do you think the producer is putting into keeping them healthy? Once you start
feeding even standard tropicals like Neons and Guppies week after week, these
are likely to bring in whitespot, bacterial infections, Camallanus worms and so
on. In short, one of the most foolish things any aquarist can do is use feeder
fish.>
Their colors are still vibrant, they still have a great appetite,
and still show no signs of disease, however they are still flashing once in
awhile. A few weeks ago, I put a barracuda in the tank...
<Do you mean a "freshwater barracuda", Ctenolucius hujeta? This is a
*schooling* and extremely gentle fish that must not be kept with aggressive
fish. Best kept in trios (at least) in tanks with lots of floating plants
because they don't like bright light and are prone to jumping. This species does
not need live fish as food, and there are lots of advantages to not using them.
They "go" for movement, especially things in the water current. So use live
shrimps and earthworms initially, and then wean them on to safe marine-based
food items such as prawns and lancefish. Bloodworms and other insects are also
popular, especially with juveniles. When kept singly they often pine away,
especially if bullied by things like cichlids. Goes without saying that since
they're Amazonian fish, their water chemistry requirements are completely
different to your Central American and Mbuna cichlids.>
...and two high finned Plecos who are very healthy and don't flash.
<The two Plecs will likely fight eventually, the dominant one
skinning the weaker one alive. Do understand most Loricariids are territorial,
and unless you know a species is sociable, they must be kept singly.>
A few days ago I introduced a Julidochromis "gombi" into the tank
and is doing great.
<You're mixing Mbuna with Tanganyikans? Whoa... someone needs to sit
down with a cichlid book. This is in the top ten list of no-no items. Mbuna can,
will destroy Tanganyikan cichlids; the difference in temperament is just too
extreme. Maybe not right now, but once the fish become sexually mature you're
inviting trouble, especially if the Mbuna is a male.>
I want to know if I should be aware of this flashing that the other
fish have experienced and why I haven't seen any sign of disease.
<Review water chemistry/quality. There's no way you have ideal water
chemistry for all four species since they all have different requirements. So
someone isn't getting what he needs. Check your carbonate hardness in
particular, and get back to me if you need to discuss this further.>
Like I stated before, all my fish are presumably healthy and eat
great.
<So far...>
I know that the fish that are flashing aren't just itchy, even
though they don't constantly do it, and if no signs of unhealthy behaviors are
seen then how can this be treated? Should I bother treating it? Will it spread
to the other fish? The barracuda, gombi, and high finned Plecos have not been
flashing.
<Yet... though to be honest the Barracuda will simply die in this
tank at some point, and the Plecs really don't have the speed to flash! I'm
trying to visualize my Panaque swimming fast enough to scratch... difficult.
When she builds up any speed at all, she tends to just knock stuff over.>
And the biggest question is what happened to the Firemouth's eye and
why????
<No mystery at all there. Likely fighting and/or water quality.>
I have been looking for answers for hours now and have received no
input what so ever. Please write back!! Thanks so much!!! -Emily
<Well, I've done my best. Not sure you'll like the answers, but at
least they are honest and detailed. Do consider buying a book on cichlids so
that you can understand their needs. Cichlids have a woeful track record when
just thrown into aquaria... they are demanding fish for expert fishkeepers. For
less experiences aquarists, Central American cichlids probably represent the
best balance of hardiness, adaptability, bright colours and aggression. The
milder species, like Firemouths, can work well in decent sized groups together
with robust dither fish like Swordtails or the larger Tetras (such as Astyanax
spp.); they also work well with Plecs. Mbuna are simply far too aggressive for
anything other than a Mbuna tank, and then you have the problem of dominant
males exterminating everything they don't like anyway. Mbuna are also very prone
to hybridising, so you have to choose species extremely carefully. Mbuna are
herbivores largely, and need a very mixed diet to do well. Tanganyikans are
probably the single most difficult group of cichlids because they are extremely
sensitive to poor water quality. You really need a marine-grade filtration
system and extremely stable water chemistry to keep them happy. Aggression can
be a problem with them as well, though to a lesser degree than Mbuna. Jewels are
lovely cichlids, but incredibly aggressive when they start breeding, and are
notorious for killing everything in the tank once that happens. Best kept as
matched pairs in their own tank, or perhaps in very thickly planted tank with
surface-swimming dither fish of some kind. Hope this helps, Neale.>
Parrot Cichlid help 05/23/08
Possible Gill Flukes On Parrot Cichlids
Hello, I need help. I have 4 Parrot Cichlids in a 75 gallon tank, looks
like the youngest one has red like worms hanging out of his gills on both side.
Everything I read stated that it was Flukes. When I checked the water, yes my
Ammonia was a little high, so I pulled the carbon filters out and treated with a
medication that states that it treats all types of worms. I did everything I was
supposed to but nothing changed. The fish seems to be "normal" , he's
eating, breathing as normal as the other ones , but I do not know what else to
do to get rid of them. I treated the entire tank because I figured that if
one had it , then the others were susceptible to getting it also. Please help!
Thanks!
< You could have anchor worm. It is a parasite that attaches to the fish via a
hook into the flesh. Thus the name anchor worm. The medication may have killed
it but it may take awhile for the dead worm to slough off. Another approach
would be to net the fish out and remove the parasite with a pair of
tweezers.-Chuck>
Sick and Dying Cichlids, Not Much Info To Go On
05/19/08
Hi WetWebMedia, I am having a bit of trouble with my fishes, and I was
wondering if you could help me out. I have a 40 gallon tank with cichlids and
many fishes have been dying. This is an established tank and has been there for
almost a year now. I do consistent water changes and use tap water conditioner.
No aggression has occurred so I believe it is because of my water quality. I
test my water every week, and ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are all at 0 ppm. My
pH is in the acidic zone, but I heard that I should leave it alone as my
cichlids will adapt. I think the main problem is the hardness of the water. It
is in the soft zone and my cichlids thrive in moderately hard water. I tried
adding crushed coral in a net bag and I put it in my filter, but it didn't
really work. Another problem I get is green water. This never happened before. I
do not overfeed and I make sure they finish all their food. I do not place the
tank in a sunny area and because of the green water, I have to do water changes
almost every other day, which is very tiring. I vary their diets with shrimp
pellets, flake food, brine shrimp, blood worms, veggie cubes, shrimp, crickets,
and beef heart. Please help me out as I do not want my fishes to suffer. Do you
think it is the hardness of the water that is causing all this? I used to have
plants in there but they all died and floated up. I also used to have a piece of
driftwood in there but I removed it because I read that they lower hardness and
pH. Please give me any advice you have. Thanks so much, Chris
< There are thousands of species of cichlids found in South and Central America
as well as Madagascar and India. They come from the very soft acid waters of the
Rio Negro in Brazil to very and hard alkaline waters of the rift lakes in
Africa. You did not mention the types of cichlids you have, other than they
thrive in moderately hard water. This covers a great many species. Your fish are
dying yet you describe no symptoms. Are they bloated? Loss of appetite? Color
changes? Frayed fins? Open sores? Heavy breathing? Anything? If you are
concerned about the water hardness I would recommend that you get a reading for
your tap water with a hardness test kit. Modify the hardness you desire in a
separate container with commercial buffer and salt additives. Do a water change
while vacuuming the gravel and cleaning the filter. Add the new buffered water
to the aquarium. You want to make these changes very gradually. Eventually you
will get the water in the aquarium to the hardness you desire. Green water comes
from excess light and nutrients in the water. I would recommend that you feed
you fish once a day and make sure that all the food in gone in a couple of
minutes. The floating green algae suspended in the water may be absorbing all
the waste in the water thus your zero readings for nitrogenous wastes.-Chuck>
|
Re: cichlid question
Disease Treatment Recommendations – 03/07/08
Thanks for the info but before I got the reply, I got desperate and called
the local petstore (which might I add that here in the mountains where I
live good pet stores are few and far between) and she told me to use Jungle
brand Ick Guard to treat for Ick. I told her that it didn't look like Ick
and she said that it was the advanced stages of Ick, and insisted that I use
the Jungle brand Fungus treatment along with the Ick Guard.
< Ich is a common parasite but usually shows lots of white spots. The
Formalin I recommended also does a great job on ich.>
So Tuesday, I did a 50% water change... Wednesday I tested my water 10ppm
nitrates, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and the pH was 7.6 I know this needs to come
up but I was afraid of putting too many chemicals in the tank. I treated
with the Jungle brand products and the fish still look bad, but eating well
today on Thursday morning but after reading your reply today, I am afraid
that I am wasting time. I have not had any deaths yet, still have 6 fish...
but one of the Jewel cichlids has become anti-social and hangs out at the
top of the tank about 2 inches below water line. I have no idea if its a
male or female but I like to call "IT" a her because she seems so petite and
girly to me.. :) but anyway, she hangs out at top just below water line and
still eats but not with the enthusiasm as her tank mates. She is the one
looks the worst. She is covered in black patches and is very dull in color
now. After treating with the Jungle products I plan to do another water
change tomorrow or this evening. So would it be ok to treat my fish again
with the products you suggested even after all the chemicals I have already
used?
< When I make a recommendation it is based on the info supplied by the
writer and what has worked for me the best in the past. Jungle products
usually have lots of salt in them. Salt increases the slime on the surface
of the fish and this could be some of the improvement you are seeing. If you
don't feel that the current treatment is doing any good then do a 50% water
change and treat as per my suggestion.>
I am sorry to sound like such a "noob" but I really want to prove my husband
wrong, he said that I need to flush my fish and raise guppies. Not only is
this a mission to save my beautiful fish, it has become a mission to prove I
CAN survive fish other than goldfish and guppies.
As for the rock salt you suggested isn't just regular non-iodized salt? Like
table salt? Sodium chloride?
< You can use rock salt or aquarium salt.-Chuck>
Re: cichlid question
Cichlids With Ich Treatment 3/9/08
OK, so far so good! Fish are still alive! They are looking much better with
just the salt that you recommended. I am having a hard time finding the
Formalin, pet store didn't have it. So, I treated with the Jungle
product for Ich. I have used the Jungle medication until is all gone. I
was wondering how often I should treat with the salt and should I
replace my carbon in filters when doing so. Color is beginning to come
back it appears on my Jewels, and their black patches have faded almost
completely away. Unfortunately for me, the more petite Jewel has
something going on with her eyes. They don't appear to be bulging out
really but more like growing light fuzz or fur? She doesn't seem to be
blind, both Jewels still occasionally "scratch" the head/gill area of
their bodies as well. The only new symptom is the eye thing at this
point.
< The white fuzz is a fungal infection.>
My tank tests are pH 8.4 , ammonia 0, nitrates are 10 ppm, nitrites 0.
water temp is 78/79ish. I don't have any carbon in the filters at the
moment and have been relying on 50% water changes about every 2-4 days
during this sick time.
Also, I have a spotted cichlid, reminds me of a leopards spots, that has
done amazing through all of this. He has never lost any color or shown
signs of any sickness. I was wondering if I should purchase a smaller
tank just for him and stop medicating him if he doesn't look or act
sick. I know you all are so busy and I hate to bother you with my fish
problems since I am sure you get tired of answering the same questions
time and time again. I have really tired to search the web for answers
as well as your site. It is just hard to read so much information and
think well that fits, oh no wait that one fits and so on. I am so unsure
of what I am doing at this point, I just find it more comforting to
actually discuss it with someone if possible. Thank you again for your
time.
< Look for Rid-Ich at the local store. If you cannot find it then look
at DrsFosterSmith.com for either Formalin or Rid-Ich from Kordon. The
disease may have caused a secondary bacterial infection. This can be
treated with Nitrofurazone. This medication is also somewhat successful
against fungal infections.-Chuck>
|
Cichlid Blister/Pimple
2/15/08
Hello. I have a cichlid tank and one of my cichlids seem to have gotten a
"pimple" or blister on their fin. Do you know what disease this may be? The
"pimple" is a pinkish reddish color. Also, it is only on one of the fins, the
other one is completely fine. Do you have any idea what this may be? Thanks so
much.
<Likely a localized expression from a physical injury... getting poked by a fish
spine of another fish for instance. No real treatment advised other than good
care, nutrition and water quality. Bob Fenner>
Cichlid cut/wound???
2-05-08
Please help me. I have a Firemouth cichlid who has what looks like cuts, or
wounds near his dorsal fins. It is right below his dorsal fins and not exactly
on his dorsal fins. The "cuts" are a pink/whitish color. He still is very active
and eats fine and has no discolorations. What is this "cut". I am not sure if it
is fin/tail rot. His fins and tail do not seem ripped and seems perfectly fine.
Is it normal for him to have "cuts" below his dorsal fins? Thanks for your help.
<Yes, this sounds exactly like Finrot. Treat at once with a medication such as a
Maracyn or eSHa 2000. Finrot doesn't cause fish to lose their appetite until it
infects the body cavity, at which point the fish will likely die regardless of
treatment. So treat now! Do also try an establish the cause: Finrot almost never
comes out of nowhere, but is usually associated with poor water quality and/or
physical damage. Firemouths are gentle (by cichlid standards, anyway) and easily
damaged by more aggressive species like Convicts and Red Devils, so mixing these
species isn't a good idea and often ends with the poor Firemouth getting
hammered. As for water quality, at the very least do a nitrite test just to see
what the situation is on that front, even if everything looks fine. Cheers,
Neale.>
My Jewelfish... beh., hlth. 2/1/08
Hello,
My female Jewel seems stuck to the bottom. She feeds normally and immediately
sinks back to the bottom. She swims around as if magnetized to the bottom. No
other symptoms. Any advice? Thanx Jay
<Greetings. One of the most common reasons fish become sluggish or unable to
swim is constipation. Hemichromis bimaculatus feeds on a variety of foods, but
insects are a major part of their diet, and the skeletons of insects act as a
sort of dietary fibre. In the aquarium, things like live Daphnia and brine
shrimp make a very good alternative. What doesn't help is dried food and flakes,
which contain little fibre. Many cichlids will eat plant material, particularly
tinned peas, as these have an excellent laxative effect. Adding Epsom salt to
the water can help:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/epsomfaqs.htm
Otherwise, if these remedial actions don't help, you have to consider a systemic
bacterial infection or a genetic problem. Bacterial infections often come under
the banner of "swim bladder disease" but can be a variety of things. They are
usually caused by water quality issues, and with cichlids, nitrate is something
to watch, not just ammonia and nitrite. Bacterial infections are difficult to
treat once established; antibiotics probably work best, so you'll need something
like Maracyn-Two. As for genetics, that's something that is essentially not
fixable. Inbreeding of cichlids is incredibly common, and swim bladder
deformities are typical of this. Often this becomes worse as they fish matures.
In any case, there's nothing to be done. Provided the fish is otherwise happy,
it isn't something to be concerned about, but obviously a deformed fish
shouldn't be used for breeding purposes. Cheers, Neale.>
Cichlids playing dead????
01/08/2008
Hola, I have a quick question for you. Do cichlids play dead?
<No. Very few fish "play" at all (the sole exceptions recognised in the
scientific literature are among the Mormyridae elephantnoses) and usually when
fish look like they're dead, they are dead, or at least in a state of shock. A
few fish roll onto their sides as part of their natural behaviour. Clown Loaches
do this when resting, for reasons as yet unknown. A few fish 'pretend' to be
dead, so they can eat any small scavenging fish that swim too close.>
The other day, my convict played dead and I was so scared. Why did they do that?
<Might be a physical problem. When cichlids are quickly shocked or stressed, for
example by adding to much cold water to their tank, they go distinctly loopy and
will lose balance. They will roll over and drift about for a while. Once they
warm up, they get back to normal. So consider things that could have 'knocked
them out' for a while -- a badly handled water change, someone banging on the
tank, loud noises, etc.>
They were laying down, looking as if he was dead, and a second later, he swam
across the tank perfectly. What happened? Is this normal?
<Not normal, no. But if your fish has recovered now, I wouldn't worry too much.
If it becomes a habit though, then you might want to reflect a little more on
what's going on. Cheers, Neale.>
My Flowerhorn
has a prolapsed anus, please help!
1/7/08
Hi WWW Crew,
<Hello,>
Your web site is so great and informative. Now, I really need your help
to save my FH. He has a prolapsed anus (see the attachment) hanging
there about 3 weeks and there some dead white tissues come out sometime.
He doesn't eat much and not happy as he was. I tried to clean it with
Epsom salt solution, but not improved. Please tell me what to do with
it. What medicine should I use to help him to pull his prolapsed anus
back inside his body as normal.
Is it ok if I cut it off from him??? I am looking forward for your help.
Please answer me ASAP. Attached is his pix. Your time is my
appreciation.
Thank you very much,
Tony
<Hmm... the problem with this condition is that it isn't caused by any
one thing, and it isn't easy to cure. The most important thing to do is
identify the possible causes and reverse them. For a start, what are you
feeding your Flowerhorn? Like virtually all other cichlids, these fish
are omnivores and need a balanced diet that includes at least some plant
material and algae. Tinned peas, cooked spinach, and Sushi Nori, as well
as algae wafers, all work well. Just as with humans, a lack of green
food can create constipation, and over long periods this makes the gut
of the fish more sensitive to bacterial or protozoal infections.
Ultimately, it's the "bloom" of micro-organisms in the bowel that causes
the anus to become exposed in this way. Anything that increases the
chances of bacterial or protozoal infections -- such as poor water
quality or the use of "feeder fish" -- can trigger the problem. So, the
three things to check are as follows: [1] How much green food does your
fish get? Regardless of what it wants to eat, only feed green foods from
now on until the fish gets better. The fibre will help the muscles of
the bowel get back to normal. Soft foods (like shelled prawns) and dried
foods (like pellets) must be avoided at all costs. Never, ever use
feeder fish or unclean live foods like Tubifex. Brine shrimp and Daphnia
are also "high in fibre" and can be used, though I suspect your fish is
too big to eat them. Oh, and if your Flowerhorn ignores the tinned peas
and spinach, don't worry! Starving this fish for a couple of weeks will
get him hungry again, and will do NO HARM at all! [2] What's the water
quality like? Cichlids are notoriously sensitive to dissolved
metabolites, including nitrate. 50% water changes each week, minimum,
are important. A big Flowerhorn needs a big tank, and you're going to
have a hard job keeping it healthy in anything less than 200 l/50
gallons. [3] Keep using the Epsom salt treatment, adding it to each new
batch of water during water changes. Understand that this may take
weeks, even months, to get better, and during that time you must keep
water quality 100% perfect and the diet as rich in fibre as possible.
Hope this helps, Neale.>
Re: My Flowerhorn has a prolapsed
anus, please help!
1/7/08
Hi Neale,
Thank you very much for your quick reply.
<You're welcome.>
Actually, this fish got an internal infection with stringy white feces
which caused his anus prolapsed I think.
<Quite possibly a protozoan infection, as I said; something like
Hexamita, which will require a very specific treatment. In the UK, we'd
use something like eSHa Hexamita.>
I treated him with mediated food and his feces is normal color now.
<Good.>
However, his prolapsed anus is still there.
<Does take a while to go back; fibrous foods will help.>
I keep very good water quality and all
parameters are fine by changing 1/4 water in the tank twice a week.
<Good.>
He doesn't eat tinned green peas at all, but bloodworms.
<Bloodworms are very soft and not good for this. Try Daphnia or Brine
shrimp, but honestly peas are the best. If a cichlid is starved for a
while, it will usually devour peas!>
As you advice, I am going stop feeding him for couple days. I just worry
that he'll be ok with his prolapsed anus that's hanging there for a long
time.
<Can be a site of secondary infection, so is something "not good".>
Will it get back
inside his body soon?
<Not soon, no. Takes time to heal.>
Thanks
<Cheers, Neale.> |
|
 |
Convict Cichlid has bulge in
stomach 12/12/07
Hey,
<What?>
I have had two convict cichlids for 5+ years, and just recently one of them got
a sort of bulge in the stomach. It actually seems to have appeared randomly. A
while ago I had a feeder fish that I am assuming was eaten (not quite sure)
<... a very poor idea. Read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/goldfshfd.htm
and the linked files above>
and I thought that it might have been the fish with the bulge that ate it, but
it seems odd for it to still be there (and the bulge is rather large). So for
the past couple of days, I have been watching them eat and it looks like the
fatter one is eating the majority of the food. It still acts normally, but the
bulge looks very odd and I'm afraid something could happen to it.
I have considered separating the fish in the tank to feed them separately and
make sure they both get the same amount (they are always together, so I don't
want to completely separate the two). The fatter one seems to always rush to the
food and beat the other one to it.
Why do you think the bulge is present? It seems like even though it is eating
the food, it should be able to digest it and not have the bulge. Do you have any
other suggestions?
Thanks so much!
-Chantal
<... no useful data re water chemistry, foods/feeding... I suspect there is
something amiss here environmentally... But it could be a disease, parasite
introduced inadvertently with the "feeder". Keep reading. Bob Fenner>
Re: Convict Cichlid has bulge
in stomach - 12/13/07
Sorry that was of no help. Here is some extra info, and basically all the
info I have left.
I moved about an hour away from home in August and took my fish with me.
They are also in a new (bigger) tank now, but their environment is the exact
same. They have a better/new filter, and I used a lot of their old water for the
new tank. The bulge appeared around early November.
My fish don't typically eat feeder fish, and the one that was in my tank was not
meant to be eaten either. I had goldfish and feeder fish living in the new tank
before I moved my fish in there so that it wouldn't be squeaky clean and brand
new once they got in. The one feeder fish disappeared, so I am only assuming it
got eaten, but that happened probably around September/early October, so it was
a pretty long time ago.
That is really all I have on my fish. I am definitely going to start feeding the
fatter one less once I find a way to separate them during feedings. It just
still seems odd that a bulge would appear. I have been feeding them the same
amount of food for the longest time.
Thanks again!
<... could also be a tumour/tumorous growth of some sort... Only way to be sure
is to sacrifice, necropsy the specimen... Otherwise your proposed changes, good
maintenance are about all that can be done. Bob Fenner>
Re: I really need your help.
Cichlid dis. 11/23/07
Hi!
I emailed you about a week ago about my cichlid, he has a prolapsed anus. I've
been treating him with Epsom salts consistently, and he's been eating the
recommended food (Brine shrimp is all I could find around here.) But the bulge
only seems to be growing, I haven't seen him poop yet! I don't know whether it's
not working or I should try another food? He seems alright physically (swimming
around, eating normally, etc.) but I'm worried about the bulge. Is there
anything else I can do? Is he going to die?
-Amanda
<Hi Amanda. Difficult to make a clear recommendation here. The first thing I'd
do if this was my fish is stop feeding it. If tinned peas and brine shrimp
aren't helping, there's no point ramming more stuff down it's throat! Leave
things be for a while, sticking with the Epsom salt dose though. See if that
helps. If things don't improve in a few days, we might be beyond a simple cure.
Antibiotics may be required to bring down the infection and the swelling.
Cheers, Neale.>
Constipated angelfish
(severe), FW - 11/20/07
HI Bob,
Your site is awesome!
I’ve taken the advise of using Epsom salts @1tablespoon per 10 gal. in order to
free up the blueberry sized intestine of my 8 yr. old, 5 ½” black angelfish.
It’s a 20 gal. tank shared with 2 very small catfish and one large plant. I’ve
had the angel and the plant for 2 ½ years, there have been no sudden changes to
the tank.
The water condition is fine. I use Tetramin pro, but noticed the worm and shrimp
diet recommended on the site. However, today I’m going to stop putting any food
at all in the tank until this fish relieves itself.
The problem looks severe, the anal is so swollen that it’s becoming slightly
red. All the fish behave normally except that yesterday I saw the angelfish
twitching its 2 lowest fins and making small jerking motions with it’s body.
I’ve tried different things with a skinless smashed green pea, but the fish
won’t eat. It still rushes to the top of the tank always anxious to eat whenever
I approach the tank though.
Today I’m going to begin slowly upping the dose of salt.
Any other suggestions?
Thank you!
<Greetings. Constipation in cichlids is very common, much more common than
people might think. Pellet and flake food is especially bad at causing this, as
will freeze-dried foods. The best foods for clearing up constipation are peas,
algae, live Daphnia, and live brine shrimp. It does sound as if your fish has
developed a prolapsed anus. This will heal by itself once the infection caused
by the constipation subsides. Not feeding the fish at all for a couple of weeks
will do no harm whatsoever, and if you starve the fish a bit, it might eat the
tinned peas more readily. Alternatively you may want to provide live Daphnia or
brine shrimps every day or two, as few angelfish turn their snouts up at these.
Raising the Epsom salt concentration will also help. Cheers, Neale.>
Neglected Cichlids With Hole-In-The-Head
7/21/07
I have been bad. Over the summer I neglected my 150 gallon cichlid
community. I was busy expanding my perennial garden. I only recall doing three
50% water changes in the past four months. The glass was covered with crusty
hard algae which took forever to scrape off. Now my Geophagus has HITH syndrome.
I have been doing partial water changes every three days. Is 25% too much of a
water change? Should I do less more frequently? I had been testing my water once
a week and all parameters were normal except the nitrates were about 40 ppm all
summer. My test kit says this is high end in the safe zone.
I do have hard water and my pH is approx. 8.
<Most Geophagines require warm soft acidic water that is very clean and low in
nitrogenous wastes. Keep the nitrates under 20 ppm with water changes.>
My major question relates to a large 8" gold Severum. He is about 1.5 years old.
He looks great except for one thing. For the past 6-7 months I have noticed that
he has a "divot" behind one of his eyes. Like a very small thumb print
indentation (about the size of a pea).. I never really thought much about it. It
wouldn't be the first time I have seen a cichlid with a deformity. For the
longest time I watched it and there has not been any changes in it till now. Now
the impression actually looks like a hole. It is much deeper.
It is not white or fuzzy or pussy like the Geophagus' holes. I could try and
send you a picture of it if that would help. He is still eating and swims normal
with not other signs of distress other than that divot/hole.
< A photo would be helpful.>
Also, I feed my fish a variety of foods, including flakes, pellets, frozen blood
worms and brine shrimp. Also shrimp pellets and algae wafers. Will the improved
water quality reverse the HITHS alone, or will I need to treat with
Metronidazole?
< If you see no improvement then I would add the Metronidazole.>
Should I add vitamins?
< Won't hurt.>
One last question, would it even help to use a hospital tank or should I keep
everyone in the community?
<Medications may affect the biological filtration. It is always best to treat
sick fish in a hospital tank unless all the fish in the tank are
effected.-Chuck>
The rest of the residents include two rainbow cichlids, two Laetacara curviceps,
four large unknown tetras, three clown loaches, five sajicas, Cory catfish three
tiger barbs, one danio, and a large chocolate cichlid.
Thanks for your help, Linda
Cichlid Blood blister 7/26/07
I have a breeding pair of Jaguar Cichlids (eggs hatching tomorrow) and the
male (10") has a blood blister/clot in the middle of his pectoral fin. It
appeared a few weeks ago and has grown to about 3mm in size, with a blood streak
running the length of the fin to the clot. Is there anything I can do?
Your help will be greatly appreciated, I struggled for almost a year to find a
suitable male.
Great site!
Heinrich
<Hello Heinrich. Fabulous fishes you have there. Kept them while at university,
and easily among my top three cichlids. Good looks, nice personality, and a high
degree of intelligence. And their fangs are rather impressive, too! Anyway,
there's nothing much you can do directly to fix this problem. There are three
causes I can think of. The first is Nodular Cyst disease. This is a catch-all
term for any parasitic infection where the parasites form cysts under the skin.
When the cysts burst, they release the next generation of parasites that can
infect other fish or the other host in their life cycle (such as some sort of
invertebrate). There's nothing reliable on the market for these, though
isolating the fish and treating for external parasites might help. Nodular Cysts
are off-white and opaque. Because the parasites tend to have complex life cycles
involving more than one host species, this isn't a common problem in ornamental
fish. The second disease is Lymphocystis, a viral disease that seems most common
among cichlids (and indeed advanced fish generally) rather than things like
barbs and tetras. Although viral, the trigger seems to be water quality, both in
aquaria and in the wild. It doesn't kill fish unless some organ system is
blocked or damaged, but it takes a long time (years) to go away. Lymphocystis
tumours have a characteristic rough texture and cafe-au-lait colour that makes
them easy to spot. Being viral, there's no treatment; optimise aquarium
conditions and let the fish's immune system do the work. Finally, your fish
could be suffering from Gas Bubble Disease. This is where over-saturation of the
water with oxygen causes bubbles to develop in the blood vessels, and these
damage them, leading to swellings. While it eventually goes away by itself, it
is important to fix the underlying problem because damage to blood vessels in
the gills or brain will obviously be very serious indeed. Of course, your fish
may simply have mechanical damage from rough handling or fighting, in which case
adding anti-Finrot/fungal medication on a prophylactic basis could make good
sense. Sorry I can't be more specific with the diagnosis. Perhaps a photograph
would help? Cheers, Neale>
Re: Cichlid Blood blister – 07/26/07
Thanks for your prompt response, Neale! I'll try to take a picture. In the
meantime please note that the clot is bright red, but with a matt finish (that's
why I refer to it as a clot, rather than a blister).
Heinrich
<Hello Heinrich! Yes, I did see your description of the blister, which was why I
described the diseases I knew about that resembled it in detail, so you could
see for yourself that nothing was precisely the same. As it is, it sounds like
there was some sort of fin damage and then a clot set in afterwards, but without
a photo, it's difficult to know 100%. Fin damage of all types usually heals very
well, assuming everything else is good. Cheers, Neale.>
Chocolate Cichlid With Hole-In-The-Head Disease 3/27/07
Hello; I thank for the great website. My experiences as an aquarium keeper
have been greatly enhanced by what I have learned on your site. I purchased a 4
inch black ghost knife, and a 3 inch chocolate cichlid two days ago. They are
both in quarantine in a 30 gallon tank; 79F, 0 ammonia & nitrites, nitrates
10-15. The tank has been running with a Pleco and Synodontis (and a few other
temporary 'guests') for about a year an half. The BGK and chocolate cichlid are
to eventually move into a 100 gallon Amazon tank. The problem and
question: After looking at the chocolate cichlid closely, he appears to have
HLLE small lesions behind the eyes on both sides of his head. Three or four
holes on each side. If I do a treatment with Metronidazole on this tank will I
be endangering the black ghost knife?
< The BGK should be unaffected by the treatment.>
I've read about their sensitivity to medications.
< They are mainly sensitive to dyes.>
I plan to treat the tank every two days, after 30% water changes, as the package
instructions state, for ten days. Then, follow up with a good diet and added
vitamins. Any other suggestions or information greatly appreciated. Thank you
very much in advance, Anna
< Should like a solid game plan.-Chuck>
Sick Cichlid, or just old?
Hi, love the site. Michael
<Thank you Michael... trouble with your letter here... Spaces twixt your
sentences, commas... but I will make allowance for your email as I see
the suffix .fm on your addr.... Where are you writing from?>
I think my convict cichlid is sick, I bought him from a "Big" LFS who I
won't name, he looked pretty unhealthy when I got him, flushed color,
white spots.
Anyway I nursed him back to health and he was doing fine until about a
week ago when he started developing a big reddish brown patch on his
tail fin (see pic)
<I see this>
IDK what it is, I thought it was just his age not sure how old, bought
him fully grown) until I noticed the fry, and my Texas Cichlid (mother)
constantly picking at it.
<These fish may not be compatible>
He's also acting a bit strange
,laying on the bottom of the tank, shallow breathing
and he seems to be lacking energy
I've been doing partial water changes every other day I've treated him
for parasites and ick
Is he sick, or just old thanks for any insight you can give me sorry
about the poor pic, the spot is a lot darker
--
Michael McLaughlin
<I would separate these cichlids, treat the Convict with a Furan
compound... See WWM re Cichlid Disease... Bob Fenner> |
Re: Sick Cichlid, or just old? thanks for the reply! 2/1/07
Hi guys
<Michael>
Thanks for the timely reply I will remove him from the tank and treat
him ASAP
Thanks for the help
Michael
<Real good and welcome. BobF> |
|
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Jewel Cichlid Acting Strange 1/2/07
Hi- I have a 55 gallon tank with 1 Kenyi cichlid, 1 Bumblebee cichlid, 1
hybrid cichlid, 1 orange cichlid (?), 1 red tip shark, 1 Pleco and a jewel
cichlid. The jewel cichlid (which is a pearl color with blue dots) has been
acting strange lately. She does not swim around only stays at the top of the
tank. Her fins are all down and she curves her tailfin. She eats a little but
not like she use to. She does not swim around although she has always kept to
herself but now she is not acting normal. I have isolated her in a tank but I
am at a loss as to what to do for her. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
Leslie
< Clamped fins are a sign of a disease. Treat with Rid-Ich
and salt for now. Crank the temp up to 82 F. If not better in three days then do
a 50% water change and treat with Nitrofuranace and salt.-Chuck>
"Bumps on FW Fish" - 1/22/07
A quick note for today's post "Bumps on FW Fish" in which Chuck
suggested treating the fish with Nitrofurazone. The querier had mentioned
already having treated the fish with Jungle Fungus Clear Tank Buddies
tablets--just wanted to mention that these contain Nitrofurazone as their
primary active ingredient. (The other active ingredients are Furazolidone and
potassium dichromate.)
Thought it worth a mention! I have these myself, that's why I know.
Rachel
<Thank you for this... will post next to the related corr., share with Chuck.
BobF>
Re: Bumps On Keyhole Cichlids 1/23/07
Mr Rambo, thanks for your quick reply! I remember you answered a question
for me before. I just want to double check with you. These don't look anything
like the pictures I've seen of fish lice. The pictures I've seen look like bugs
crawling on the fish - these look more like nits (eggs) you'd pick out of a
kid's hair (sorry lol), not like bugs at all. There are no visible body parts,
legs, eyes or anything. They aren't moving on the fish, but seem to be stuck
fast to them, like tiny (1mm) sesame seeds you could scrape off with your
fingernail. Does this sound typical? I wish I could send you a picture, but my
camera just can't handle anything that tiny.
It's so frustrating trying to compare these to pictures on the internet, which
seem to always be the most extreme cases. Thanks again for your time - I'll add
the Clout as soon as I get the go ahead.
The fish still seem to be doing okay, there are possibly a few more bumps today
but they are still eating well and swimming around. Jessica
<Wild South American cichlids sometimes carry a parasite that has a very complex
life cycle. The "bumps" are actually little parasites that stay on the fish in a
suspended animation state. When the fish is eaten by a bird the parasites come
to life and are excreted in the bird droppings. The parasites then go to an
aquatic snail and then to a fish again. They don't really hurt the fish but are
very unsightly. The Clout may not kill them while they are in this state but
usually aren't contagious. Go Ahead with the Clout. If the medication is
effective then these little spots will die and may fungus or become infected.
Try the Clout first. If the spots start to rupture they may become infected and
need to be treated with Nitrofurazone. I like your last name.-Chuck>
Red Devil Cichlid With Internal Infection 1/2/07
Hello I have a Red devil cichlid that I got that has swim bladder for the
purpose of trying to save him. The pet store gave him to me free because someone
brought him in. He is a nice looking fish and is about 6inches and I have put
him in a hospital tank and then added Epson salt raised the temp to 84F and
treating the water with poly guard as well as trying to feed the fish with
Metronidazole and garlic guard mixed in with some food as well as some green
peas and doing daily 20% water changes and carefully replacing the salt and
poly guard. But the problem is that the fish stays on the bottom of the tank and
cannot swim but only scoot's around on the bottom of the tank on his belly. He
sometimes will go over to the food that I place in the tank but can't get the
food in his mouth because he can't seem to raise up to pick the food up from the
bottom of the tank. He often lays on his side until he see's me in the room then
he sits back up on his belly. I noticed as well that yesterday and today that
there was some blood in his stool. I have been treating him for about three
day's now. Do you know anything else that I can do to get this fish better and
how long do you think it will take before he gets better? Thank you for any
help.
<Remove any sand or gravel that can be abrasive to the skin of the fish. The
infection has affected the swim bladder. Even if you cure the disease the swim
bladder may not recover and become functional again. I would add Nitrofuranace
to the mix and continue to treat for another week. These medications are not
cheap. You probably could have purchased a healthy red devil for the money you
will spend trying to save this one.-Chuck>
Cichlid May be Getting Hole-In-The-Head 10/10/06
Thanks for taking this question, I have a tank of various Cichlids and I
noticed a round hole on the surface of the gill on my Brown/Black Cichlid. He
seems to act fine and is eating well. Any idea what it might be? The hole looks
pretty deep and I worry it
may spread to other fish. Thanks for the help. Shaun
< Many cichlids come down with hole-in-the-head disease. It starts as little
clear openings around the gills and head. Sometimes the entire head erodes away
it not treated. The cause is not clearly defined. Some say water quality while
others think it could be nutrition. Cover your bases by doing a 50% water
change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Change the diet and try to
include more nutritious foods. Try to add more vegetable matter to the diet in
the form of veggie flakes or pellets. It starts to get really bad then treat
with Metronidazole.-Chuck>
Unknown Cichlid With Unknown Disease 9/30/06
Hi There. I hope you can help. I will start off by admitting that I am not
the most conscientious aquarium keeper, but my fish seem to have adapted to me
and my habits.
I have cichlids but do not know what they are. There is this one that is one of
my favourites because he seems to be smiling all the time (a more rounded head
than the others) and he was a beautiful blue/gray stripe. He is about 2 years
old but the other week seemed to stop eating and then went a very dull grayish
colour. He is now swimming in a vertical position, tail down - head up. Every
day for the last week I expected to find him dead but he is such a fighter that
I am now wanting to do everything I can to help him. I did a 30% water change,
filter change and gravel vacuum 4 days ago and will do the same this weekend,
however I don't know if I should be treating him with something. Do you have
any suggestions? Lynda
< After waiting a week to decide to do something did not help. Your fish is
showing many symptoms. If possible isolate him in a hospital tank. Treat with a
combination of Metronidazole and Nitrofuranace. Add some salt to the water too.
This will take care of many internal and external infections. If these are not
available then you could try Clout instead.-Chuck>
Cichlids slowly dieing/dying 8/8/06
For the past 8, 9 months my cichlids are dieing. Every month one fish dies, I
have to get my water tested and then I'll get back to you. But until then what
else could be wrong?
< Start with water quality tests. Keep nitrates to under 25 ppm with water
changes. Ammonia and nitrites should be zero.>
I have one cichlid that I have had from my first set of cichlids and I really
want to keep him. Will a Lake Malawi cichlid be good with a fire mouth cichlid?
< No. Lake Malawi cichlids come with a very good set of teeth to scrape algae
off of rocks. These same teeth do a a lot of damage on other fish.>
Also (this has to do with my Pleco) he and the other Plecos I have had seem to
be lazy. This one just stays, oh no, he just moved! But now he's back, but
usually he's where he is now, upside down on a rock that I bought for my
cichlids. Why do they do this?
< They are nocturnal and are usually only active at night.>
When I was looking at pics of convicts I saw clay pots in some of the pics, if I
were to get a pot how big should it be (my tank is 10 gallons) and should I
maybe break a piece off of the pot?
< The flower pot should be twice as big as the fish regardless of tank size. So
a two inch convict gets a four inch flower pot. Turn the flower pot on its side
or notch out a hole in the side.>
The ones in the pic were on their side but some that I saw on eBay for cichlids
had holes in them and they were supposed to be upside down. My last question.
It's very, very random, what is the plural for discus?
< A school, shoal, pair or couple of discus. There is no discuses.-Chuck>
Flowerhorn With Stubborn Popeye 7/25/06
Hi.. a pleasant day once again to you. Its me again, I consulted you before
about the problem of my Flowerhorn. If you still remember, my fish has an
internal infection and pop left eye. Well, I followed your advice. I apply the
proper medication for my fish. But it seems he's not feeling better. He even got
worse because his right eye got infected too and now his eyes both popping out
and both are turning white. I am really worried because he's also not eating for
days already. I think I've done everything to help him but I still want to know
and try if there is anything else I can do to save him. Aside from giving him
Nitrofuranace and Metronidazole and water changes, is there any other ways to
help him get well or make him eat again. I am afraid to ask this but .. will my
fish die?
<This disease can be fatal.>
What do you think is the percent for his survival?
< The key to a complete recovery is early detection and early treatment.
Something has stressed your fish to the point that he is susceptible to this
disease. It could be food, sanitation, temperature and even tankmates. You need
to find out what had changed before he got sick. You could try to add some rock
salt to the tank too. About a teaspoon per 5 gallons would be worth a try.>
I hope he'll gets better,.. because he is my beloved pet.. hope you help me
again. Thanks in advance and for your time going through my letter. good day.
RHEA from Philippines.
< These medications are usually pretty effective if the disease is caught early.
Keep the tank clean by vacuuming the gravel and cleaning the filter
often.-Chuck>
Lionhead
Cichlid With Bloat 6/21/06
Why is my lionhead floating on his back? Every time he goes to the bottom
he floats back to the top. Other than that he likes fine. He just started this
today(06-17-06). Will he die or will this effect my other fish which is
common gold. Please help.
Thank You Nancy
<Gas pockets within the fish are probably infections within the digestive tract.
I would recommend a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. If
possible I would recommend that you treat him in a hospital tank with a double
dose of Nitrofurazone and a single dose of Metronidazole. Add about a teaspoon
of rock salt per 5 gallons. The key to a complete recovery is early treatment.
This can be lethal.-Chuck>
Big Cichlids Getting Cloudy Eyes 4/30/06
I have a 12" Gibbiceps and 2 female Jaguar cichlids, 1x6" (S) and 1x8" (L)
in a 280 liter tank. PH=7.5, Nitrite=0, Temp=26°C.
"S" laid eggs on Wednesday. At about the same time she developed a single small
white spot on each eye. One eye has now grown slightly cloudy also. "L" has now
developed it also, although very small.
The rest of their bodies and fins are clean with no signs of any problems, and
their behaviour seems normal. "S" is not eating much (I think it's normal when
she's with eggs), "L" is still eating well. I'd appreciate your help before
their conditions get worse.
Regards, Heinrich
< Usually these body /eye fungal problems are because of excessive nitrates. Do
a 50% water change, clean the filter and vacuum the gravel. Give it a couple of
days and see if things get better. Add some salt if it looks like there is no
improvement. If it continues to get worse then treat with erythromycin but watch
for ammonia spike because the medication may affect your biological
filtration.-Chuck>
Cichlid Caught In A Decoration
I have a Cichlid that was stuck in one of my aquarium decorations for about
2 days, I finally had to break the boat to get him out, he has scrapes on
top his head and some red areas on his body. I put him back and he
just sank to the bottom, I swished him around in the water and it revived
him but he doesn't look good. Can anyone recommend anything that I can
do? I don't have a
hospital tank set up and the aquarium store is closed for me to get a
divider to keep him away from the other fish. Can you give me an
idea about how I can keep him separate from the other fish for now?
Thanks, Bobbi
< Place him in a large dip net and place the net so it gets some water flow
from the filters or airstones. Add a tablespoon of rock salt per 5 gallons
of water and add some melafix to prevent bacterial and fungal
infections.-Chuck>
Damaged Parrot Cichlid - 04/19/2006
I have 3 medium sized parrots and 5 silver dollars in a 26 gallon tank. My
smallest parrot managed to wedge himself into a hole in a
rock, and it took some effort to work him back out - his face and side are
fairly scraped up, and he had to be handled a bit more than
I'm comfortable with. Now he can't seem to get upright, and is stuck upside
down. The other two parrots keep pushing him toward the top
of the tank, but he ends up back at the bottom, upside down. He is working
his gills, fins and tail, but that doesn't seem to be doing
much. I'm in the middle of treating the tank for slime -
using Furazone-light - but I don't think that would affect much. I did a
30% water change 2 days ago. The tank is a bit acidic at 6.0, nitrites are
0, nitrates are less than 20 ppm, and ammonia is less
than 0.25 ppm, and I keep the temp at 82 degrees. I'm afraid I may have
damaged his swim bladder while rescuing him. I'm not sure what
I should do at this point - any ideas? Deb Jones
<Your fish could have been damaged during the initial trauma or has suffered
a secondary bacterial infection. Not much we can do with the initial trauma.
Surface wounds can be treated quickly with MelaFix. If any secondary
bacterial infections or fungus appear then you have already treated with
Nitrofurazone. Internal bacterial infection can be treated with
Metronidazole. Do a 50% water change, clean the filter and vacuum the
gravel. Treat as directed on the package.-Chuck>
Re: more on Cichlid tank and Flagyl 4/16/06
The current sizes of the present cichlids are as follows, Oscar
8 inches, Dempsey 5 inches, Pleco and angelic catfishes are both around 3
inches. Can I add another cichlid to the 75 gallon tank. Thanks again
Jim
Second, the tank these fish came from was a 30 gallon, my Oscar got hole
in the head and lateral line disease before the switch. I have been mixing
Metronidazole with his food.
<... a very poor idea to "keep" mixing this protozoacide/administering it
more than once, twice. Is toxic, will kill your fishes renal/kidney systems>
His behavior and appetite is fine, the only problem is the holes and
scars on his head and body. My water conditions are fine. will the
extra space in the 75 gallon solve this problem with my Oscar?
<Perhaps... see WWM re nutrition and HLLE... this is the root cure, along
with improved water quality en toto>
Finally, I live close to the ocean and fish very often, can I feed
my fish live bait fish from the sea such as killies and spearing?
<Yes>
Thank you in advance for your patience and help.
Jim
<Keep reading... the materials archived on WWM re Oscars, other cichlids...
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwlvstkind2.htm
Bob Fenner>
Flowerhorn with holes in bottom jaw
Dear WWM crew,
<Just a small part of it, Rod... Tom>
About a month ago I noticed my Flowerhorn had ONE hole (or what appears to be a
hole, could be circle sinks) under his jaw. I didn't think anything of it
because I have never seen this kind of disease before, but now he has about 5 of
them. I wanted to know what disease is this, and how can I treat him? Also he
has a white spot on his left gill cover, it seems to be under the scales.
<Your description seems consistent with HITH (Hole-in-the-Head) disease/HLLE
(Head and Lateral Line Erosion) disease.>
I had treated him with PimaFix but I don't think that helped.
<It won't. HITH/HLLE is multi-faceted in that there are several factors known
to, or suspected of, causing it, i.e. water conditions, stress, vitamin
deficiency, internal parasitic infection (Hexamita), carbon contamination. [The
last two are "shaky" but haven't been totally discounted.] Please, research the
WWM FAQ's/articles for more information on these diseases. You might look at
this article, as well:
http://www.worldcichlids.com/diseases/Adamhith.html>
I am sorry, but my digital camera broke.
<Sorry about this, too.>
But, if needed let me know and I will try my best to get a picture of it.
<No worries, Rod. Clear photos certainly help us but concise, well-written and
well-documented information is often worth just as much.>
Thank you very much,
Rod
<Hope I've been of some help. Tom
Cichlid With Hole-In-The-Head 4/8/06
I have a 9” red flame cichlid that has developed raw spots on its head
(above the eyes and below the dorsal fin, and between his eyes) they
developed after his tank mate died about 3 weeks ago. The spots seemed to have
blood circulating to them because I see red within the areas. I do 25
-30 % water changes about every 10 days (55 gal whisper 3 filter) I have also
been adding aquarium salt (1 tablespoon a day for three days now). I
have had the water tested and is within the norm. He is the only fish in the
tank and has stopped eating for at least 4 days, spends a lot of time on
the bottom. When I turn on the light he comes to the top to eat, if he even
bothers to take any Hikari cichlid gold pellets, he just seems to swim
backwards any spits them out. These spots are not deep; they seem to be just on
the surface. The one above his eyes is approx ½” across and slowly getting
bigger. He has had
these spots before but this big and not for this long. Any help you can provide
would be much appreciated Thank you Dave
< Do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Treat with
Metronidazole and Nitrofuranace. When he starts to eat , offer some live food
live washed earthworms, and watch for ammonia spikes because the medication will
affect the biological filtration.-Chuck>
Cichlids Really Breeding Or Just Sick
- 04/05/2006
Hi! I have a 40 gal tank with a Convict pair, Jack Dempsey pair, and a
Green Terror pair. They are all about 1.5 to 2 inches each. The Green Terror
female and my Convict female both seem to be expecting. I have never seen
behavior like this. They lay on the rocks and on top of the caves almost
hovering. They are also very plump. Although I have seen not one egg from
either, their respective males are right with them. How long does it take to
lay the eggs? The convict has been this way for about a week, but the Dempsey I
just notices today. Thanks Chelle
< A 2 inch green terror is probably too small to breed. If conditions are right,
clean water, good food and good nutrition, then they should breed in a couple of
weeks. Even with eggs the females should be up and about eating and defending a
territory from the other fish. If they are not eating or acting normal then I
would start to think that they are sick with an internal bacterial infection and
need treating with Metronidazole.-Chuck>
Sick Gold Severum 3/19/06
I treated this Severum 5 weeks ago with furan 2 because he was hiding and
not eating much and had red streaks on his tail fin, after 8 days he quit eating
and I changed medication to Minocycline for 9 days. Some where in this time
frame he developed a bump mid body a little on the left side the size of a
quarter he had some trouble with balance but is still eating some every day.
Yesterday his left fin was torn, he was holding it to his body most to the time.
I put a little aquarium salt in and increased aeration. He still has the red
streaks on the tail fin, and his breathing is labored. There is only a clown
loach and a little 2 inch Pleco in the tank. Possibly the loach was a little
rough with his pectoral fin. The bump is the concern?
< Your fish is being attack both externally and internally by bacteria. Do a 50%
water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. You probably have high
nitrates too and that contributed to the problem. Cleaning the tank will help.
Treat with Metronidazole for the internal infection and Kanamycin for the
external infections. This will affect the biological filtration so watch for
ammonia spike after treatment.-Chuck>
Severum With Lump 3/20/06
My Severum has a quarter size bump on his left side, he developed it some
time in the last 5 weeks. He was being treated for red streaks in his tail fin
with Maracyn 2 for 7 days , he stopped eating so I switched him to furan 2 for
10 days. He has a little bit of buoyancy problems as the bump is out about a
half inch. he is still eating , but his gills seem labored so I added a little
salt and have been doing a lot of water changes. Should I medicate him again,
and if so with what?
< Sounds like an internal bacterial infection. Keep up with the water changes
and treat with Metronidazole.-Chuck
Bloated Flowerhorn 3/19/06
Hello WWM Crew, My Flowerhorn is around 6 months old. At first I
thought the tube sticking out was his breeding organ but, I wasn't sure.
After observing his behavior he looked unhappy , wasn't playing, and
eating . So I did a water change . After reading on your site I think he
has a digestion infection ? I took a few pictures so, maybe you could
help me. What should I do ? Please help and Thank you. Aloha, Donald
The message is ready to be sent with the following file or link
attachments:
Flowerhorn 001
Flowerhorn 002
Flowerhorn 003
Flowerhorn 004
< Sorry, Photos did not show up. But I can still tell from you
description that your fish does indeed have an internal bacterial
infection. Do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the
filter. Treat with Metronidazole and Nitrofuranace. This is best done in
a hospital tank. These medications will affect the good nitrifying
bacteria in the main tank.-Chuck> |
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Bloated Flowerhorn 3/19/06
Thank you Chuck, I'm trying to send you the pictures again because, I
wanted to know if he still has a chance ? It's been about three days
since I notice that hanging out. I won't be able to treat until 24 hours
from now. Thank you for the quick response and I appreciate all the
help. Aloha, Donald
The message is ready to be sent with the following file or link
attachments:
Flowerhorn 001
Flowerhorn 002
Flowerhorn 003
Flowerhorn 004
Flowerhorn 005
Flowerhorn 006
< Sorry , no photos again. I still think you have the same problem. Keep
the water clean with water changes until you are able to get the
medications. He has no chance unless you treat him.-Chuck> |
Parrot Cichlids With Hole-In-The-Head - 2/28/2006
HELP. About two months ago My 2 parrots who are around 2.5 years old
- we had them from babies, started to develop fungus type 'sores' on
their head (no where else, and none of my other Cichlids have this
problem) then it disappeared only to return again and now I need help. I
treated them for Velvet, Fungus, Hole in the head etc., to no avail.
Although my water qualities etc., were fine, water temp was tried at
between 24-28 (this was double checked by Maidenhead Aquatics) I changed
to the fish shops own water in the hope it would make a difference - it
didn't. I have not added any new fish, gravel, plants etc., Food is
still the same dried in morning and frozen in evening (Krill,
bloodworms, Mysis,
Green food, Artemia etc). I do a water change every week, (sucking up
all pop from gravel in process) I have tried to do it daily, every other
day, weekly and even longer - no
difference. The last month 'his' sore has got bigger and does not seem
to be responding to anything. He is eating well and his stools are
normal. For the last month, 'he' has started to hang round the top of
the tank as if trying to get more oxygen, rapid gill movement (compared
to the other parrot) and generally looking off colour doesn't really
want to move, and when he dose it looks like he hasn't got full balance,
although he eats well, and moves fast and straight into the caves when
startled. The other parrot I am sure knows something isn't right as she
is hanging below him instead of her usual haunt the caves. I have a 5'
tank and an external Fluval 404 pump. I am an experienced Cichlid keeper
but was given these fish from my son, they are magnificent and very
clever and cunning. I have no trouble between my fish what's so ever, if
anything the parrots rule the tank, or at least did. I have photos of
his head if it will help anyone to help me. My local fish shop said that
as they are a hybrid fish, they are not as healthy and tolerant to
changes as the normal cichlid and that they
don't know much about them as they don't and never will stock these
fish.
< Do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. The
drug of choice is Metronidazole, but you need to get it inside the fish.
Take some live Calif black worms or Tubifex and wash them very well.
Place them in a disposable plastic cup or bowl. Drain off most of the
water. Add Metronidazole to the worms. It should kill the worms.
Immediately feed them to your affected fish. You know it is working when
the pits turn black. This disease is thought to be caused by stress.
Things like dirty water or a lack of minerals/ vitamins have also been
thought of as a cause. If the fish are not eating then treat the water .
It may help but will not be as effective as getting the medication
inside the fish.-Chuck> |
Hole-In-The-Head Cichlid Photos - 3/1/2006
Thanks for this advise, did you see the second email I sent to you
from home last night with photos on this fishes head -
showing this complaint? It may help, also do you think it is Hole in
the Head or Fungus etc???? Many thanks Sheena Jolliffe
< We got the photos and the reply is still the same. They are posted on
the site.-Chuck> |
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Flowerhorn Cichlids Don't Have Color 2/10/06
Hi! I'm Joan from the Philippines. My husband and I are newbies in FH
care. We have 2 Flowerhorns that are almost 1 year old. The thing is, both
their colors are not as vibrant as other Flowerhorns that I see in the
website. They are mostly black with red along the gills but that's it. I did
some research but nothing that can possibly answer specifically to my
problem. 1.What can I do/feed my FH to make their colors change? (the aquariums
have coral backgrounds. No gravels or sand. No decorations either.)
< A Flowerhorn is a hybrid of three different cichlid species. Their colors can
range from grey to bright red. This is determined by the genetics of the
parents. If your fish do not contain the correct genes then they will never look
like the web site photos.>
2. Can it still be remedied? They are almost 1 year already. 3. One of the FH's
aquarium water becomes greenish in color after a few days. What causes these
things? (note: the aquarium is not in direct sunlight).
< You can enhance what color they do have with good nutrition, but you cannot
create color on a fish. The green water may be from the food or high nitrates in
the water.-Chuck>
Cichlids Melting 2/6/06
I am writing to you because I have found nothing on a disease called cichlid
melt.
< First I have heard of it and I have been keeping cichlids for 38 years.>
My young Oscar died. I brought the body to the pet store to see if they could
make sense of the Oscar's skin condition. Both sides looked eaten away. They
told me it's cichlid melt and compared it to leprosy. They said it's highly
contagious and there is no cure. They told me to take down my entire tank and
wash everything with bleach. I have a 72 gallon tank, so I'm hoping I don't
have to get that aggressive. I presently have 3 parrot fish who seem to be OK,
as well as one pearl cichlid. I have lost about 5 other fish within the past
couple of weeks. None of them seemed to have what the Oscar did, however, two
of the cichlid's had puffy and deteriorating scales protruding out of its
head. I've had fish for years and never experienced such a thing. Any ideas or
suggestions? Have you heard of Cichlid melt? Thank you Shannon
< You have a bacterial infection that is eating the skin of your fish. Do a 50%
water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Check the nitrate levels.
They should always be under 25 ppm. Treat with Nitrofuranace as per the
directions on the package. After treatment, you will need to add a high quality
carbon to remove the medication. When the water is clear add Bio-Spira to
replace the good bacteria needed for biological filtration. Then feed your fish
once each day and only enough food so that all of it is gone in two
minutes.-Chuck>
Cichlids With Bacterial Infection - 2/4/2006
My son brought home a blue cichlid, an Oscar, and one of those fungus
eaters. (looks like a little shark, but I don't know what is called). I have a
39 gal. tank filled with fresh water, which I change weekly, two filters and
an air pump. I never heard anything about water chemicals until now. I feed
them floating pellets two or three times a day. I don't know much about fish,
but I have noticed the blue cichlid is growing orange wart like growths on the
sides at the root of the fins. It started showing about two or three months
ago. I didn't pay much attention in the beginning because I thought the fish
was simply growing in size and that was part of it. they have grown a lot since
we got them. the Oscar is about 12 in, the cichlid is about 7 in and the other
one is about 10 in), but the last few weeks, I noticed that one side is bulging
out while the other seems to be "falling off in tiny chunks". That's the best
way I can describe it. What can I do?
< Do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Treat with
Nitrofuranace as per the directions on the package. Fed once a day and only
enough food so that all of it is gone in two minutes. High nitrates contribute
to bacterial infections such as these.-Chuck>
Oscars With Bacterial Diseases - 2/4/2006
Hello, Can you please help me? We bought 2 Red Tiger Oscars about 5 months
ago and have already lost 1 to this disease already.
It started with these small indentations in their skin which have now got larger
on the remaining one. Also the remaining Oscar also has a whole in
his top fin which is slowly getting bigger and I think this will soon divide his
fin into 2. We do a water change every 2-3 weeks.
We were given a treatment called 'Melafix' which were told would get rid of it
and if that didn't nothing would. We followed the instructions, took the
carbon filter out, but nothing worked and this is how we lost our first through
the treatment. Our local fish shop said to take a water sample in (which we
haven't done yet) to see if there was a high level of acid in the water, but
only the Oscars had this disease. We have different types of Parrot Cichlids but
these are all fine
If you could reply to my email that would be great, Thanks Rebecca
< This is a bacterial infection brought on with water high in nitrates. Do a 50%
water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Treat with Nitrofuranace
as per the directions on the package. Feed once a day and only enough food so
that all of it is gone in two minutes. Check the nitrates weekly. They should
not exceed 25 ppm. Reduce them with water changes.-Chuck>
Babysitting a 100 Gallon Aquarium 2/3/06
My son has me caring for his tanks until the spring when he will take them
back. The tank is either 95 or 100 gallons. Currently it is inhabited by
the following:2 Jack Dempsey, I Albino Oscar, 1 Pleco, 2 parrot fish and a
catfish. Also when he fed the fish live food 2 of the goldfish survived and are
about 5 in
long. I have Biopure filter and a Fluval 404 running, aeration etc. I had
trouble with ammonia and was treating it with Amquel, which I am not sure
worked. I invested in the python siphon so I cleaning the tank more often.
Here are my problems;
1 the goldfish developed this black stuff as well a white fluffy around the
mouth I also noticed some gray matter on the Oscar as well as on the parrot
fish. I treated with Maracyn 2 and Copper Safe All was well
2. Suddenly the goldfish was a mess and subsequently died. Soon I found the
other Pleco on its back dead and later in the day one of the catfish was
swimming upside down and looked terrible
3.I cleaned the tank and treated it for body fungus because I saw white spots on
a few of the fish. Now I see that the goldfish has white over his
eye, one of the Dempseys has a sore under his chin and one on his side and the
Oscar looks as if he has a tumor.
To add to my dilemma the 2 Dempseys are fighting one keeps chasing the other and
I think that is where the sores originated and also the more aggressive
Dempsey and the Oscar open their mouths wide and to at each other and then
separate.
I know that we need to separate the fish, but the only other tank has 18 convict
cichlids we raised from fry.
1.What should I do to keep the fish from fighting-I cannot believe I am
refereeing fish?
< Lower the water temp to 75 to 77 F. Move all the rocks and plants around to
make them establish new territories.>
2.What should I do with the Oscar who still has some grayish spots( perhaps its
normal) to fix the large swelling?
< Probably body fungus.>
I feed them Hikari Cichlid Gold, but after reading your forums stopped giving
them that and gave some spinach and brine shrimp.
I know this is lengthy but I am at wits end and I don't think I should keep
dumping chemicals. Peggy Geist Blass
< Do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel with the python and clean the filter.
Feed once a day and only enough food so that all of it is gone in two minutes.
In a couple of days if things are not better then you may need to medicate with
an antibiotic like Nitrofuranace.-Chuck>
Green Terror, sick 1/31/06
Dear staff, I have a green terror with a swollen stomach. I have
recently learned that I have been mis- feeding him. he was fed one cube
of frozen beef heart and like 8 small cichlid pellets everyday. I tried
a few peas and a couple pellets soaked in castor oil thinking he was
constipated. he did poop but that didn't reduce the size of his stomach.
I have looked up fish diseases and ailments but haven't found one that
fits. LFS told me could just be an enlarged stomach due to his food....
I don't know, please help, I love this fish. Jeff
>> This fish is fat, likely its' liver is swollen and distended. Like a
person would be on that sort of diet. Try switching him to a food that
has a much lower concentration of animal protein! Feed this fish with
some green Spirulina pellets every second day. I would even not feed him
for a week to start. Oliver. |
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oh here is picture of my green terror with swollen stomach, forget
to attach
it. Jeff |
Cichlids With Mouth Problems - 1/30/2006
Hello. I tried to search your site, unfortunately, not everything loaded up
for me. I'm having slight computer issues. Please bear with me if this
question has already been answered. It was my 23rd birthday a week ago, and my
father, knowing how much I love fish, got me a small 10 gallon to go on
the dresser of mine and my boyfriends dresser. It was complete with heater, air
stone, and filtration. I set up the aquarium. Washed everything before I put
it in there and let it run for 2 days before I introduced anything to it, Just
to make sure there wasn't any dust or anything in there from the stones.
Upon feeling my tank was ready for fish, we went to the fish store that I have
gotten fish from since my very first tank when I was two. [ I do not
trust PET stores, as most of the time, their fish have ich, and they do not
realize this, and with a community filter, I fear all their fish are tainted
- fish stores give more attention to their tanks then say , PetCo, ever would. ]
So, I bought 5 fish. Two Pearlscale Orandas for our 50g tank in the living room
[ which already housed two gigantic Plecos and 4 other Orandas. ] and
2 blue ram cichlids and a Kribensis cichlid. I am writing on behalf of my
cichlids. They are very small, so a 10g is more then enough room for them to
dart around and be happy. I keep the temp. anywhere between 74 and 76 degrees.
< Too cold. They prefer at least 80 F.>
All three were quite active after they got used to the new tank [about a day ]
Within a day or two, I noticed the Kribensis' mouth looking
quite swollen. The lips were quite puffy, almost like someone who had too much
collagen injected into their lips. It also started to develop a small
white spot on the bottom lip almost directly in the middle. That almost
resembled a tooth, though I know it was not one. I took out my other fish
and dosed both tanks with ich treatment. Within a day, the Kribensis was very
weak, it couldn't stay upright and would fall to its side. Over night,
it died. Since it was albino, I noticed that the whole underside of the fish was
bright red, as if it had bled out under its skin. I was very upset about
this, as I had gotten the fish no more then 4 days ago. I cleaned the tank out
and let it run for another day, with a clean filter, before I put my
blue rams back in. Upon putting them back in, I also bought a Pleco and a
snail. It's been about a week and I was watching my fish and noticed that
one blue ram likes to hang out at the very top of the water.
< It is warmer there.>
He also now has a white growth on the middle of his bottom lip. Though, he is
not as weak or lethargic as the Kribensis was. It still darts around chasing and
getting chased by the other blue ram. The eating habits have not be affected,
nor do any of the other fish have any white spots on them. The
white spot is not spreading, as I thought ich normally does. It also doesn't
look ' fuzzy ' as I have seen it look on the bodies of fish. It, again,
resembles a little tooth on its lip. But, I'm worried. I can not find any
information about this on any other fish site, and I was hoping maybe you
could help me, even in the slightest. I'm not sure what to do, or why this is
attacking my fish one at a time. Thank you in advance, KL.
< Cichlids make a living by sifting through the sand looking for something to
eat. It sounds like your sand is too coarse or abrasive. As they try to feed the
sand is cutting and damaging their lips/mouths. They are becoming infected and
killing the fish. Run your hand through the sand to see it this could be the
problem. The infection can be treated with antibiotics like Nitrofuranace. But
unless the sand is changed the fish will continue to have the same problems over
and over again.-Chuck>
Gold Severum With Mouth Problem. - 1/30/2006
I have two gold 8" Severum fish in a 75 gallon aquarium. I have had them for
a little over two years. One of them has developed a growth of some sort in
its mouth. It protrudes from its top lip and looks like its gums or teeth or
something. The growth is fleshy looking. I first noticed it about a week
ago. I have seen this fish trying to spit it out by blowing air out its mouth.
So far it has been able to eat around the growth, but today when I
fed it, it could not get the food in its mouth. Now I am worried that it will
starve to death. I don't know the sex of either one of them but they
get along fine. I bought them both together from the same pet shop. Can you
please tell me what this is and what I can do about it. I really love these
fish. Thank you, Shirley Brand
<Sometimes these big fish try to eat things that are not edible. Plastic plants,
rocks pieces of wood etc.. I think it may have something stuck in its mouth that
is causing an infection. Get a baking plan large enough to hold your fish. Get a
large towel and fold it up so that it will lay in the pan. Bail out some
aquarium water and get the towel in the pan very wet. Catch the Severum with the
problem and lay him on the towel. Wrap the fish up in the towel with just his
head exposed. Now get a flashlight and look down the mouth to see it there are
any obstructions. Use long tweezers to remove anything you see. Put him back in
the tank. If you didn't see anything then we can assume that he injured his
mouth in a fight or trying to eat something. The injury might be infected so
treat the fish with Nitrofuranace. Follow the instructions and watch for ammonia
spikes in the tank because this medication will affect the bacteria needed for
biological filtration.-Chuck>
Red Devil Swimming On His Side 1/30/06
Have my son's red devil still here and has been doing well.
The last few days he has been swimming on his side and has lost a bit of
condition. Seems to flop on his side when he is not moving rapidly. There are no
marks on him and he is still eating well (both live and cichlid pellets). He is
now about 10 inches long and son has had he since really small. Please help as I
really don't want to lose him. Thanks Sue
< When I hear of problems like these I think of internal bacterial infections.
Sometimes food gets stuck in the intestines and the bacteria continue to
reproduce causing gas and bloating. This sets off the equilibrium and causes
fish to swim on their side, upside down etc... Do a 30 % water change, vacuum
the gravel and clean the filter. Treat with Metronidazole as per the directions
on the package. It may stop the infection but the fish may not completely
recover and be back to his old self.-Chuck>
Flowerhorn Trouble 1/25/06
Hi, I have a very big headache and is trying my best to save my Flowerhorn.
My Flowerhorn hit very hard on the side of my fish tank while my mother is
playing with it and stays on its side ever since at the bottom of the tank. It
has been 3 weeks now and he is still alive. I tried very hard to push him
upright vertical) but he seems to slip down horizontally to one of its side
every time. All he can do now is move his eyes, slightly move his tail and flap
one of its fin. For the other fin, he can only move it slightly and is seems to
be infected and looks a bit small with white spots. He looks a bit inflated
though. He is able to push himself by sliding on the bottom of the tank. About
food, he is still able to eat slightly but he will to spit some of the food out
sometimes. Before the incident we used to give him some guppies (found in the
drain) to eat. I am really worried that he might have eaten some infected ones.
Regards Josephine Lai
< The trauma to the fish probably caused some permanent nerve damage. As he
swims on his side the substrate is scrapping him up and it may now be coming
infected from the guppies in the drain. Remove the substrate, do a 50% water
change, clean the filter and keep mom away from the tank. Treat with
Nitrofuranace as per the directions on the package. This will clean up the
infections but I am afraid your fish may not fully recover from the
trauma.-Chuck>
Sick Old Red Devil 1/21/06
Hi-My 12 yr old red devil lives in a 120 gallon tank with some gravel, a few
rocks and his baked ceramic plant pot. He gets fed jumbo min and some brine
shrimp. For the past 2 weeks he has been very sick -laying down in his plant pot
like a dog to rest and then getting up to patrol his tank when I come near. He
won't eat. He swims sideways sometimes. I have siphoned the gravel and changed
25% of the tank water on 4 separate occasions (giving him a few days between
each time). The ammonia level and the nitrite level test normal. The nitrate
level tests high. I keep the pH at 7 although it keeps tending bluer - higher,
which is the opposite of what it usually does. I keep the temp at 80 degrees. I
have put kosher salt in the water. He is typically somewhat orange, but when
he got sick he got quite pale. Now his color is more orange again. I read in
your column about using Furanace or Metronidazole... is either one
appropriate? Do you have any advice or suggestions? Thank you for your
help-Julie
< At 12 years old your red devil may be getting near the end and no longer can
fight off infections. I would do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean
the filter. If he is not eating then don't feed him. Sounds like an internal
bacterial infection. Treating him in a big tank will be very expensive,
especially if multiple treatments are needed. If you can, move him to a smaller
hospital tank. Treat him with Metronidazole and Nitrofuranace. High nitrate
levels over a long period may have stressed him to the point of becoming
ill.-Chuck>
Lots Of Cichlids In a Little Tank 1/19/06
I have a 30 gallon freshwater tank with 7 med- lrg cichlids in it.
< Too many fish already.>
I have one highly aggressive little lady convict (I think) that spends most of
her time picking on the others, even though some are bigger than her. I have
battled fin rot sporadically in the past one fist at a time in a sick
tank when necessary, however, last week it seemed as though it all went
awry. I have 5
fish all starting to suffer from bad fin rot. I immediately did a 25% water
change pulled out the carbon in the filter and started to treat
with Melafix. I
decided at that point it was better to treat the entire tank with so many fish
sick. I quarantined the aggressive convict in a breeding net, to take
some of the stress off the others. Seems to be going well with the treatment
however, now a few of the electric yellows seem to be getting darker tiny black
speckles, is this a side affect to the meds?
< Never used MelaFix to cure fin rot. I don't think it is the reason.>
I also ended up having to pull one of my Jack Dempsey's out because he seemed
to be suffering severely. I put him in the sick tank with salt (all the
fish water is always treated with it) and meds. He was listless for a few
days, staying under the filter and then he started to get more active. Once
he came out where we could se him
better I was shocked, his gills seemed to be falling off, I am not sure if that
is the best way to put it, but it was like he was going bald. I continued to
treat the tank and the he developed a mucusy film and within a day of the slime
he passed away. I am now finding this cycle repeating itself with
another of my fish, he is quarantined and is in new water with salt and
MelaFix. It seems as though the large tank is doing just fine outside of the
color
change to the fish, but I wonder if I am doing all that I can. I am worried
for my fish and want to do what is best for them, please help with any info or
advice you can give. The sick tank is 5 gal and it only has the one fish in
it.
~Tricia
< Check the nitrates. They should be under 25 ppm. Big cichlids generate a lot
of waste in a little tank, add in the stress of the aggression from all the
other fish and you are looking for trouble. Do a 50% water change, vacuum the
gravel and clean the filter. Treat the fin rot with Nitrofurazone. After the
treatment then add good quality carbon to remove any leftover medication. then
add Bio-Spira from Marineland to get the good bacteria up and going again. Check
the nitrates and control the levels with water changes.-Chuck>
Parrot Cichlid With Throat/Mouth Problem - 01/12/2006
I am Desperate to save my 9" Parrot Fish. Few chat forums have had
any idea of diagnoses. I'm left unanswered by others because of my
"hybrid." Please help me save my best friend. I'll describe then detail.
The visible problem is his mouth. The first week it just appeared
'swollen.' No sign of fungus or columnaris. Just what looked like a
tumor growing inside his lower lip, swelling the outer lip, and making
it hard to eat. He (even now) is Always hungry. A forum suggested a med
so I treated the first 4 days with Maracyn (along with water changes)
and it only got worse. By worse I mean, at the end of the first week he
only had a pinhole left in his mouth that food could get through.
Smaller lumps formed on top of the larger one. I couldn't see any
fuzziness. As you can see in the pics, there is also a small red dot on
the outside of his lip. They were a little pink/reddish in color. (he is
dark orange) His fins are lightly frayed by his gills. The dorsal and
tail are healthy.
I had posted his pictures on numerous forums and no one had a clue. My
local LFS gave me Furan-2 meds and SUCCESS! Along with half dosage of
Mela-fix and decreased temp to 75F he got better. For a full 5 days the
lump went down, and he was able to eat efficiently but the lump had not
completely gone away.
So last night (now two weeks with mouth problem) I increased the temp
back up to 78F but still issued Furan-2 and Melafix as usual. I figured
he was getting better and didn't want to subject his tankmates to
anymore cool waters. He was fine this morning.
I come home from work, and its Worse Than Ever. Not only is his lumpy
lump almost full size again, but he has a red pimple in the middle of
his lower lip that looks like it could pop any second. He also has
stringy hairs on the outside and inside of his mouth. Coloration and
rest of body look fine.
My water conditions as of today are; Nitrites 0, Nitrates 20ppm, ammonia
0, pH 6.8,
water - a little hard, temp 78F (was 75F), The tank is 55 gal. - other
tankmates
1:pictus cat, 1:pleco, 1:butterfly ram, 1:gourami, 1:babyparrotfish
All the fish get fed a variety of pellets, dried krill, vegetable
flakes, and tropical crisps. The photos are from before he grew the
pimple and fuzzy hairs. I have yet to photograph his new 'state'. Please
let me know if I'm leaving any info out and PLEASE... if you have any
idea... help me save my fish =(-Jessica
< Sometimes fish try to eat things that they are not good for them. I
suspect that your parrot cichlid has an obstruction in his throat. As he
tries to expel it , the movement of the obstruction has damaged the
tissue in the area and it got infected and swollen. You treated the
infection and the swelling went down. Now the fish tried to expel it
again and has started things all over again and is swollen, maybe
reinfected. remove the fish from the water with a wet towel and try and
look down the throat to see if there is an obstruction. Usually it is a
piece of plastic plant, a filter part or an odd shaped piece of gravel.
If you do not see anything then it could be a broken pharyngeal bone.
This is a second set of jaws that cichlids use to chew their food.
Sometimes this gets broken from pellets that are too hard to chew. I
would recommend that you presoak the fish food to soften it up.-Chuck>
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Parrot Cichlid Problem II 1/13/06
That you so much for the quick response. I just wanted to add a quick
update.
The night I wrote that entry, I stopped administering meds and decreased the
temp back down to 75F without my usual 2-day 15% water change. I figured, the
only thing I did different before he got worse was increase the temp. And I'm
tired of medicated my other healthy fish.
The very next day... Swelling went down and the red pimple is gone! He still has
a swollen lump and outer lip, but only about 40% of the previous days size. I
was shocked! Not that he's totally better, but it gave me much more hope. Do you
think the temp decrease had anything to do with the infection (fuzziness/red
pimple) he had?
< I think the temperature reduction has lowered the fishes activity level and it
hasn't worsened the condition by trying to eat.>
I also want to check his throat out but this is the largest fish I've ever owned
and I don't want to damage his slime coat, fins or scales by mis-handling. I
hear of many people handling cichlids when things get stuck in their mouths. I
just want to know the proper and safest way to do it. You mentioned a wet towel.
Any more tips to make sure I handle him with care?
< Take a shallow pan and fill it about half full with aquarium water. Place a
towel inside the pan to absorb the aquarium water. Take the fish out of the
aquarium and place him on the wet towel. Wrap the fish in the wet towel with
just his head exposed. Now that the fish is in control you can gently pry the
mouth open to see if there is any problems.>
One more thing. If it is something like a broken pharyngeal bone, does this ever
heal? Or will I have to deal (which I would cuz I love him) with his lump and
random infections forever? Thanks a million. You guys/gals must save a lot of
fish. YOU'RE HEROS!
< The bone may heal over time with a long term feeding program of soft mush
foods.-Chuck>
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