Cichlids getting sick and dying daily, need help to cure the problem.

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
I would bump temperature up to 84 degrees. Use aquarium salt 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons. Do water change every other day of 25% and treat with Prime. Do this for 1 week. Any of the fish that are dying are probally too sick to save but you should not experiance no new sickness/deaths. Personally I use NLS exclusively for my all male hap tank with some synodontis cats and have not had any issues. NLS has a lower protein that is very digestable but just 2 cents. Keep us posted.
 
Here is a video of my two sick fish. I took the one that looks like it is dead out and put him in a bucket. I have no other tank and didn't want my other fish to eat it if it dies while I am not home.

Will do another water test soon and will post the results.

[video=youtube;Uomv98hMLsw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uomv98hMLsw&feature=youtu.be[/video]
 
I don't think it is swim bladder due to over feeding. I feed once every other day and they eat all the food in one minute. Could I be feeding them any less?

Tank temp is at the highest my heater can keep it at in my house. Which is 82.


Symptoms:
- swimming as seen in video
- slight concave stomach
- yellow / green patch on side or under belly ( the white part on the bottom of the fish)
 
its the only thing that fits I copied this from
http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/problemsolving/p/swim_bladder_disorder.htm

Cause:

Compression from surrounding organs, such as:
Enlarged stomach from overeating, or gulping too much air
Enlarged intestine, due to constipation
Enlarged liver, generally due to fatty deposits
Enlarged kidney, generally due to cysts
Egg impaction in females
Bacterial or parasitic infection
Mechanical injury from fall or other hard blow
Birth defect

Swim Bladder Disorder is usually caused by compression of the swim bladder. The most common cause of swim bladder compression is a distended stomach from rapidly eating, overeating or gulping air. Eating freeze-dried or dry flake food that expands when it becomes wet often leads to an enlarged stomach or intestine. Low water temperature can slow the digestive process, which in turn can result in an enlarged intestine. The result is pressure on the swim bladder, and potentially Swim Bladder Disorder.

Less common causes of compression on the swim bladder are other organs becoming enlarged. Cysts in the kidneys, fatty deposits in the liver, or egg binding in female fish can result in sufficient enlargement to affect the swim bladder.

Parasites or bacterial infections can inflame the swim bladder, which can cause Swim Bladder Disorder. Occasionally a hard blow from striking an object in the tank, a fight or fall can damage the swim bladder, causing problems that may be permanent. Rarely fish are born with birth defects that affect the swim bladder. In these cases symptoms are present from an early age.
Treatment:

Do not feed for 3 days, then feed skinned peas
Increase water temp to 80
Lower the water level to make it easier to reach the surface
Hand feed during treatment, if needed
Use broad spectrum antibiotic if indicated

Because an enlarged stomach or intestine is the most common case of Swim Bladder Disorder, the first course of action is to not feed the fish for three days. At the same time increase the water temperature to 80 F and leave it there during the course of treatment. On the fourth day, feed the fish cooked and skinned peas. Frozen peas are ideal for this, as they can be microwaved or boiled for a few seconds to thaw them, resulting in the proper consistency (not too soft but not too firm). Remove the skin, and then serve the pea to the fish. This course of action resolves many cases of Swim Bladder Disorder.

While treating the fish, it often helps to reduce the water level to make it easier for the fish to move around within the tank. In tanks with a strong water current, it will help to reduce water flow while treating the fish. If the affected fish floats with part of its body constantly exposed to the air, applying a bit of stress coat to the exposed area will help avoid development of sores. Hand feeding may be necessary if he fish has significant issues with movement.

If fasting and feeding peas does not relieve the problem, and the fish is having normal bowel movements, the problem is probably not due to an enlarged stomach or constipation. The fish may exhibit signs of infection such as clamped fins, shaking, and lack of appetite. Treatment with a broad-spectrum antibiotic may help in these cases.

When it is suspected the fish has Swim Bladder Disorder due to a fall or injury, time is the only treatment. Keep the water clean and between 78-80 degrees and add a small amount of aquarium salt to the tank. If the fish does not recover and is unable to eat, the humane resolution may be euthanasia.
Prevention:

Maintain good water quality
Keep water temperature at 78 or above
Soak dried foods before feeding
Thaw frozen foods before feeding
Avoid overfeeding, feed only small portions

Growing evidence indicates elevated nitrates may have a part in Swim Bladder Disorder. It is well known that poor water conditions cause fish to be more susceptible to infections. Keeping the tank clean and performing regular water changes will go a long ways towards preventing Swim Bladder Disorder. Keeping the water temperature a bit higher will help digestion, and possibly avoid constipation, another major cause of swim bladder problems.

Using high quality foods will help, and soaking dried foods for a few minutes before feeding will help prevent constipation. Always thaw frozen foods thoroughly before feeding. For fish that frequently gulp air when feeding at the surface, try switching to sinking foods. For all fish that have had Swim Bladder Disorder, it is wise to cut back on overall feeding. Feed smaller portions, so they can’t overeat.
 
I can only see swim bladder being the issue from the cold temp that could have weakened them. However, I don't see how swim bladder makes them have a yellow green hue develop on their body.
 
Today a few of my fish are now having white spots develop on their face and eye. It is not just white spots but they stick out a little, could it be ick?

Already treating with PrimaFix.
 
Yea, that seems like it. Stop treating with Pima because at this stage fungus seems out of the question. Use Melafix, quick cure or methylene blue which treats for bacterial infections. I just went through something similiar. I use a 5 gal bucket as a hospital tank to remove the sick ones to cut down future sickness. It worked for me hope it could work for you. Walmart carries quick cure. I now prefer it over Melafix because it doesnt smell and you can see the blue in the water. i dont remember if this was said but pull out the active carbon.
 
Thank you again for the responses.

The ick went away by itself. I didn't see it the next day, not sure what got rid of the ick.

My fish have still been dying. Today, my first yellow lab died. Im not sure what to do besides watch them die right now. Still treating with PimaFix, since I started the treatment. I wanted to try Quick cure, but it doesn't list anything that resembles as my issues and it stains the tank.

I really don't know what to do besides frequent water changes.
 
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