# Lost a Rusty :(



## SamuraiLawyer (Apr 2, 2014)

I have been a Malawi tank owner for 20 days.

Went to feed everybody this morning and one of my 3 Iodotropheus sprengerae (rusty cichlid)'s was a floater. Everyone seemed perfectly healthy last night. The little rusties are the smallest of the all juvenile tank, but I don't think anyone was going hungry. I have no idea where I went wrong, cause of death indeterminate. The tank cycled 2 years ago, but, as stated, Malawis have only been in the tank for 20 days. I hope it's an isolated incident.

With all the research we do to try to get compatible species and an adequate number of each species in the tank, what do we do when we lose one and it throws off the plan? If we simply replace the lost fish, isn't there a real risk that any newcomers will be unwelcome by the rest?

75g
3 Cynotilapia afra
2 Iodotropheus sprengerae
4 labidochromis caeruleus
3 Metrialclima estherae
4 Pseudotropheus acei
3 Aulonacara jacobfreibergi
2 Eclectochromis milomo
3 Synodontis cats


----------



## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Well I would look at 2 things.

First- you just put the fish through the cycling process. 
Second- you have a very ambitious stock list.

I would chalk it up to poor water quality. Keep an eye on them and watch for aggression.

I wou


----------



## seattle_530 (Mar 6, 2007)

I have a rusty I'm keeping my eye on. The most common ailment I deal with is wasting disease where the fish appears normal but if you watch carefully they spit out all there food. So over time they waste away. I read they have been in for 20 days? It may have had it when you brought it home. Its pretty easy to cure but really hard to spot until it's to late.


----------



## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

seattle_530 said:


> I have a rusty I'm keeping my eye on. The most common ailment I deal with is wasting disease where the fish appears normal but if you watch carefully they spit out all there food. So over time they waste away. I read they have been in for 20 days? It may have had it when you brought it home. Its pretty easy to cure but really hard to spot until it's to late.


Read up on Malawi Bloat. That may be what you are experiencing.


----------



## SamuraiLawyer (Apr 2, 2014)

Water quality is pristine. Everyone else in the tank is doing fine, but this morning I caught a SECOND rusty sucking oxygen up at the surface. Everyone else was doing their normal thing below. Maybe coincidence. The 3rd rusty seems to be fine. I'm watching it.

75g
3 Cynotilapia afra
2 Iodotropheus sprengerae
4 labidochromis caeruleus
3 Metrialclima estherae
4 Pseudotropheus acei
3 Aulonacara jacobfreibergi
2 Eclectochromis milomo
3 Synodontis cats


----------



## eeztropheus (Jan 10, 2010)

Are they being chased around by the larger fish? If so I would imagine the stress alone is enough to kill little the rusties...


----------



## SamuraiLawyer (Apr 2, 2014)

Not that I can tell, but I don't watch them all the time so anything is possible. My second rusty still spends more time than the others at the surface. It's up there now. Third rusty behaves normally. I'm wondering if the rusties require more oxygen than the rest, since in the wild my book says they typically go no deeper than 25 ft. Of course, my aquarium is a good deal more shallow than 25 ft, but maybe it's still an oxygen issue. I've learned that even once a month isn't enough to change the filter. I change it every three weeks, otherwise lots of the cichlids are at the surface sucking wind, so to speak. As soon as I clean the filter, all returns to normal.


----------



## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

When you 'change' the filter do you mean a cartridge? If so, you remove all the bacteria that has grown in/on it.

What do you have for filtration? What are your water tests telling you?


----------



## SamuraiLawyer (Apr 2, 2014)

No. I have a Fluvial 406, a cannister filter. I clean parts of it on a rotation, always leaving one part to be cleaned the next time. 
Water test:

Nitrate <20 ppm
Nitrite <.5 ppm 
GH 150 ppm
Chorine 0 ppm
KH 300 ppm
pH 7.8--8.4


----------



## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Any detectable nitrite is a sign that your tank is still cycling or experiencing a mini cycle. Do you have a test for ammonia?

How's the surface agitation?

I would suggest an additional filter like a simple hang on back.


----------



## SamuraiLawyer (Apr 2, 2014)

The nitrite is the whitest color on the test strip, so hopefully there isn't any. Surface agitation is choppy and noisy with the Fluval outflow. There's also an air wand down in the substrate, but I doubt it aids aeration in a significant way. The Fluval 406 is supposed to handle 100 gallons, but I got the extra horsepower for my 75, and that's not a full 75 considering 3 to 4 inches of substrate and 40 lbs. of lava rock.


----------



## forever_fishing (Jan 12, 2014)

Maybe theres gasses in your substrate, do a wc and mix it all up to release anaerobic bacteria gas, I just know its bad and put the air stone outside of the gravel if you buried it


----------



## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

A liquid test kit that can check ammonia is what you need to be sure that your water is not an issue. The strips are inaccurate.


----------

