Sudden death

[WolfFisho1]

could be internal parasites! unseen disease's or funguses!

and pH swings are not great for health either!

 

[Ozkar]

Well the surviving pike is still doing great.

I went back to the LFS yesterday, and the original tank with these pikes still had a few left. They really looked huge from the last time I saw them. I noticed they had some small fire eels in with them, so I bet they have been getting regular feedings of black worms!

I just had to buy a replacement! Got the biggest one left in the tank. About 5", and fat too!

While I was there, I also got 6 giant danios for dithers for the pikes. So far so good. They all seem to be getting along fine. However, I think I need to add some more hiding places / cover in the tank. Right now the danios are doing more harm than good; they freak out when I approach the tank.

I will keep you guys posted. Thanks for the help.

 

[apistomaster]

This type of sudden death, the bloated look, wide open mouth and flared gills
is something that has happened to many of the dozen C. compressiceps I had over this past year apears identical to the same thing that frequently occurs among Apistogramma.
Onset of symptoms is sudden. Often associated with fish that apparently had good appetites and interest in life, courting and normal territorial defense, then overnight or even just turning away fromthe tank and back the fish is dead or dying. Not like an epidemic, it can happen over a long period of time among different apparently healthy fish and tanks.

Autopsies don't show much more than you already can see, puffed up dead fish that was apparently fine shortly before. Maybe even better than fine, showing excellent color shortly before death..

It seems to have a slight correlation with a heavy feeding often on live blackworms or frozen bloodworms but it doesn't seem to be so much as what was eaten as it does with gorging. I don't think that is the cause. I suspect that it has to do with a few differnt known disease organisms but they are also just very common bacteria especially often found in abndance with any dead fish. Aereomonas, Pseudoareomonas ands Vibrio species are commonly found but I think it would be jumping to conclusions to assign the cause of death to these organisms. The deaths have also quickly followed a normal water change.
I do no have any experience with Rift Lake Cichlids and the so callled Malawi Bloat but it sure sounds very similar
I guess my point is mainly that if we are going keep these Cichlids, we are going to loose some fish this way and it may not have much to do with our care or lack thereof and until more is understood we should not be too quick to accept the blame. Just understand it may be an omnipresent risk we run as long as we keep these Cichlids and the cause and any treatments are unknown and ineffective.
The need for better understanding is great and we can hope that we will learn more eventually.

 

[Peanut_Power]

This type of sudden death, the bloated look, wide open mouth and flared gills
is something that has happened to many of the dozen C. compressiceps I had over this past year apears identical to the same thing that frequently occurs among Apistogramma.
Onset of symptoms is sudden. Often associated with fish that apparently had good appetites and interest in life, courting and normal territorial defense, then overnight or even just turning away fromthe tank and back the fish is dead or dying. Not like an epidemic, it can happen over a long period of time among different apparently healthy fish and tanks.

Autopsies don't show much more than you already can see, puffed up dead fish that was apparently fine shortly before. Maybe even better than fine, showing excellent color shortly before death..

It seems to have a slight correlation with a heavy feeding often on live blackworms or frozen bloodworms but it doesn't seem to be so much as what was eaten as it does with gorging. I don't think that is the cause. I suspect that it has to do with a few differnt known disease organisms but they are also just very common bacteria especially often found in abndance with any dead fish. Aereomonas, Pseudoareomonas ands Vibrio species are commonly found but I think it would be jumping to conclusions to assign the cause of death to these organisms. The deaths have also quickly followed a normal water change.
I do no have any experience with Rift Lake Cichlids and the so callled Malawi Bloat but it sure sounds very similar
I guess my point is mainly that if we are going keep these Cichlids, we are going to loose some fish this way and it may not have much to do with our care or lack thereof and until more is understood we should not be too quick to accept the blame. Just understand it may be an omnipresent risk we run as long as we keep these Cichlids and the cause and any treatments are unknown and ineffective.
The need for better understanding is great and we can hope that we will learn more eventually.

You nailed that man! Exactly what happened with my atapabo fires both times. Right after feeding bloodworms/black worms and doing a water change, BAM! The would start going all screwy and then kick the bucket within minutes. Wasn't a bloody thing that could be done either. Very very very frustrating to say the least. Somtimes there is just nothing to do except accept it and try to move on.