WHY IS MY CICHLID DIEING?

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T-Hbrand

T-Hbrand

Candiru
MFK Member
Nov 28, 2008
182
2
48
36
Grande Prairie Alberta Canada
Ok so heres whats happening 2 of my cichlids are sitting on the bottom breatting heavally not moving looking slittly discolor not eating. my other cichlids are swiming around very slowly and only a couple of them are eating. This is a huge turn around from an extremly actice tank. I do not see any thing wrong with the fins. I did a 25% water change added salt turned the temp to 86 and turned up the airration it is not getting better what do I do.
 
What was the temperature originally? Are you sure the heater is working properly? What thermometer do you use? What do you feed your fish? What are the water parameters? Have you done any new changes to your tank?
 
Alot more info is needed. But if i had to take a blind guess it would that you have ammonia or nitrite present in the tank.
 
I cant say that I know for sure my heater is working properly I havent had a thermomiter in there for a while so I will check again. I'm feeding them Hikara cichlid staple. I have done know new changes on the tank. Ive been meaning to get my water checked but didnt becsue I figured the water change would take care of that. and I am now noticing what looks like fin rot breaking out on one of the fish. and It seem almost like the scales are lifting on the one fish.
 
It kind of sounds like bloat. Do there stomachs look bloated at all? Have you noticed white stringy feces?

Didn't you post about these a few days ago in the african cichlids section (just seeing if you are the same person, thats all)?

Edit-
I went back and found the thread I was referring to and you are the person I was thinking of. If you are keeping Mbuna you could be feeding them too much protein, which leads to bloat. Most mbuna are herbivores and have trouble digesting a food high in animal protein.
 
He said "THE" water change. As in the first water change. As in ammonia spike because of freed ammonium ions. The tank is not cycled and he just poisoned his fish by raising the pH and now the best thing to do is more big water changes until ammonia is zero.
 
Ok if you have no way of checking you water out then just doa 50% water change every day until you get it checked or a test kit. If its ammonia poisoning then the water changes will help. And if its another illness the water changes will help that as well. ----------We can not really help you with out some water parameter numbers. Pictures of your fish will not work cause it may only show what the water is doing to them.
 
This was happening before the water change and my tank is cycled it has been running for like 3 years. Yes i'm the same person who posted in the african section and gonna go get my water check today.
 
I did notice some stringy poop but I did not notice any bloating. Is there someting specific that I can get so I can check the parameters properly. I dont think the pet store telliing me that my water is safe is enoughf. is it?
 
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