I have a 55 gal tank wiith 2 tiger oscars around 6" 1 Convict around 4" 2 red devils 3-4" 1 yellow zebra 2" and some kind of orange chiclid about 2". I do regular water changes and all of my fish get along for the most part. But my orange one has developed black spots around his mouth and fins. All the other fish are fine. Any ideas?
Black Spots
- Thread starter rds8178
- Start date
Your fish tank is overstocked and the fish will not live together, once they are going to start maturing they will start killing each other one by one and you will probably end up with one Red Devil. I suggest you either start looking for someone to buy some of your fish or start looking for a new tank.
As far as the black spots go, not knowing which Cichlid it is it would be impossible to tell you. If you can get the picture of the fish, or at least go back to the store and ask for the name, no one will be able to help you.
As far as the black spots go, not knowing which Cichlid it is it would be impossible to tell you. If you can get the picture of the fish, or at least go back to the store and ask for the name, no one will be able to help you.
it sounds like a disease or mouth rot caused from fighting. the fish are in such a small space and are so aggresive that they are probobly locking jaws and bicaring. i would say get some melafix and add that to the water. but ya, take some pictures if you can.
also an oscar needs a minimum of 50 gallons, at most two oscars can live in a 55 but no other fish. get a larger tank.
Thanks. I was told that up to 10 different chiclids could live harmoniously in a 55 gal tank. Maybe that was incorrect and maybe it depends on the species. I can't think of the name of that fish in particular but I'll take a picture.
Fish store sales people tend to lie to sell more fish, some of the Cichlids you listed get over a foot long!rds8178 said:
Sounds like what my yellow lab has, guppy explained it to me its a worm or something a tiny tiny one and depending on what of the two types it is it can either use the fish as a host and cant infect other fish or it can infect other fish I forget the name, ask guppy! He knows!
Anyways this is about trying to fig. out a disease or sickness or w/e with a fish so I am moving it. As it would get better suited anwser in the section for that.
Anyways this is about trying to fig. out a disease or sickness or w/e with a fish so I am moving it. As it would get better suited anwser in the section for that.
Some types of flukes are common in wild caught cichlids, especially africans, The small black spots are the encysted flukes, most are diagenic which means they go through a life cylce that includes at least 2 types of host including fish. Common secondary hosts are some types of snails. Without the secondary host the trematode cannot multiply, this type can last for years but is seldom fatal. The other type only requires the fish and can spread, it is also not often fatal. It is a monogenic fluke. In either case it is difficult to treat but sometimes responds to foods containing meds like Praziquantel or other trematode specific med. Just follow the directions in using the meds. The anti-parasite medicated food by Jungle is one that contains prazi and also contains metro and levasole so it will also deworm the fish and clear up any possible protozoal infections (and hexamita) as well.
The spots will be 2-3 mm across and flat or very slightly raised and just under the skin.
The old school way of treatment was a bit draconian, you immobilized the fish and used the tip of a hypodermic needle to pierce each spot and scratch across the fluke, then used iodine on the wound.
A little salt (1 tbs per 5 gallons) will prevent the transmission of most flukes.
About your stocking level, It is true that 10 different cichlids could live for life in a 55g, but only if they were small ones.
Not all of yours remain small, as adults your oscars will get about as long as most 55g tanks are wide, a 55g would be only minimally big enough for a pair of them alone. A 55g is too small for even a single peacock bass which is also a cichlid, but would be fine for a batch of 10 apistos if arranged right. So you can see that it really depends on the types of cichlids that you keep.
You really should consider getting a larger tank or at least another 55g before to much time goes by.
The spots will be 2-3 mm across and flat or very slightly raised and just under the skin.
The old school way of treatment was a bit draconian, you immobilized the fish and used the tip of a hypodermic needle to pierce each spot and scratch across the fluke, then used iodine on the wound.
A little salt (1 tbs per 5 gallons) will prevent the transmission of most flukes.
About your stocking level, It is true that 10 different cichlids could live for life in a 55g, but only if they were small ones.
Not all of yours remain small, as adults your oscars will get about as long as most 55g tanks are wide, a 55g would be only minimally big enough for a pair of them alone. A 55g is too small for even a single peacock bass which is also a cichlid, but would be fine for a batch of 10 apistos if arranged right. So you can see that it really depends on the types of cichlids that you keep.
You really should consider getting a larger tank or at least another 55g before to much time goes by.