Ok, so it's been a long 5 months or so with my 40 gal long cichlid tank. I'm ready to throw in the white flag and start from scratch. Very Long story kind of short... Set-up tank after a couple year break, fully cycled, added 5 mbuna (everything good for over a month), added 4 more mbuna (mistake! Didn't quarintine new fish), fish acting normal till I started noticing white feces a lack of appetite and a dead fish all within a week, returned the first dead guy along with the other 3 that were purchased together (sick or not), after long Google hours of reading later I concluded bloat and treated the tank with the original 5 mbuna in it with API general cure (metro,praziquantel) and Epsom salt, lost all my fish anyway within a 3 week period (except my pleco, he's the only fish that's lived), so I figured what ever killed these guys died with my mbuna, treated tank with one round API did 60% WC and went out and bought me 5 assorted Lake T cichlids, same story, started with white feces then lack of appetite then heavy breathing then dead fish. Tried everything from Epsom salt to the Clout bomb with no success. Clout actually helped the first day but I think killed them in excess (on day 4 of the 6 day "bloat" treatment with clout). Went to my LFS and the guy there specializes in cichlids. He said he never heard or had such a problem. Suggested I tank out anything that wasn't meant for the tank (rocks, wood, etc) and made me up a cocktail that "fish shop keepers" use to treat a broad spectrum of illness. So now on my 3rd set of cichlid I decide to give mbuna another chance, added 4 and all good for a week, added 2 Haps a week later all good, added 2 Blue something (can't remember the name of them) a week after and all good. In the clear right? Wrong. For the past month I've been combatting the white feces internal super parasite of some sort with the General Cure and epsom salt. I have lost 3 mbuna so far with the fourth on his way out. Have been doing 50-80% WC every 3-4 days but Im ready to let nature take its course. I've soaked pellets in Epsom salt and the API General Cure as a last attempt since 4 of the 6 remaining guys are still eating.
I figure I've gave it my all and did what I can for these guys. If they all die as the past sets I will be sanitizing my entire tank and starting over.
The reason I'm posting here is get some thoughts on what it is and what've you done to treat similar illness?
for the record water has been kept clean and up to par the entire time 0 Amonia 0 Nitrite 5-20 Nitrate 8-8.2 PH
any and all input is encouraged. By the way hi guys I'm new to this forum.
I figure I've gave it my all and did what I can for these guys. If they all die as the past sets I will be sanitizing my entire tank and starting over.
The reason I'm posting here is get some thoughts on what it is and what've you done to treat similar illness?
for the record water has been kept clean and up to par the entire time 0 Amonia 0 Nitrite 5-20 Nitrate 8-8.2 PH
any and all input is encouraged. By the way hi guys I'm new to this forum.