# Dying Fish Please help



## petfish6873 (Jul 3, 2014)

First time on this site but I need some help. I have lost 6 and about to be 7 big fish in the last 6 weeks. My fish are all Lake Malawi and Mbuna's as far as the cichlids are concerned.

A little history. Tank is 48 gallon with a 150g canister 4 stage filter with UV light. Never had any issues until recently when I discovered I had HIGH nitrites. So I added purigen and no more issues after water changes. I have to admit in the past I had not done water changes regularly but always had clear water. However since the dying off I have been doing them weekly. For the last 3 weeks.

First 2 chinese algae eater died one after the other, then a bigger peacock got bloat (I think), then another peacock died from stress (he was added to the tank as a replacement and was picked on and gone in 10 hours), then my big blue dolphin lost a third of his tail and was very bloody, then a red zebra got bloat (I think), then another mbuna got these bloody bites all along his tummy and across his dorsal fin, he died in the hospital tank. Now another mbuna has a wounded tail with white fuzzy stuff and a bad side fin. And is hovering at the top corner of the tank and doesnt look good.

At first I thought this was all about aggression so I over crowded the tank with about 10 "baby" cichlids of various kinds (about 20 fish total now, but dropping). The babies are fine and good to go. Then I moved all the decor around to eliminate territory. Seems to work but fish keep dying or looking injured. But there are no longer any signs of said aggression. All fish have plenty of caves and nooks and holes to live in.

I am on day 3 of dosing with melafix in the hopes of helping my dolphin grow his tail back and help my dying fish in the corner. I have tested the water and ALL chemicals are good to go. Now I'm not sure if it was ever aggression or fin rot or water or a combo of all of it.

What am I doing wrong here? My LPS is of no help, so I need some experts.


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## aicardi (Sep 15, 2012)

What is your stock list and size?
What are the tank dimensions?


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## petfish6873 (Jul 3, 2014)

Its a bow tank, 48 gallon. Its about 36 wide, 25 tall, 15 deep. I couldn't tell you the stock list, my fish are by color, The ones dying are the bigger ones in the 3-4 inch size range. The little ones are fine. So I have about 10, 3-6 inch fish and 10, 1-2 inch fish. Also since *** added Melafix, my 6 inch chinese algae is having his fins starting to go black but he was never one of the fish in danger so im not sure what to make of that.


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## anthraxx4200 (Aug 16, 2012)

id say your big chinese algae eatter is doing what they do at large size... they feast on slime coats of other fish. it would explain the "bite marks" you described, the many many deaths, and the fact that he never really took much damage. also cut down on feedings for sure. your fish should always be coming up to greet u for food, just gotta really limit it down. also identifying what you have would really help, cichlids cover much of the planet and many species vary GREATLY to say the least. GL to ya but for starters id dump the CAE's


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## petfish6873 (Jul 3, 2014)

Well the Chinese algae eater does his own thing he is never hostile. But I was wondering if the melafix turned his fins black. He has never had black fins but add the medicine and black find show up. As far as food I feed them once a day, and theythey swarm for the food and most come out to meet me. I also only feed them enough to last about a min. Which in told is fine. But why are they dying all of a sudden? I have never seen the algae eater show any aggression towards the fish ever. Besides he stays on the bottom some of the wounded fish are to tank fish.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Welcome to the forum. Sorry that problems brought you here...

What are your exact water test readings- ammonia nitrite and nitrate?

Your tank is incredibly overstocked, and not suitable for most Lake Malawi fish. Even then, a single species of a dwarf mbuna would be all that's appropriate. For instance, Blue dolphins(Cyrtocara moorii) need a 6' tank long term. Sounds like you have a combination of things going, especially aggression due to the missing tails and such. What symptoms led you to believe bloat?


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## petfish6873 (Jul 3, 2014)

I was under the impression that over stocking would stop aggression. But I have yet to actually see any aggression. My nitrate ammonia nitrite readings are zero. I only have one dolphin he is about 4 inches.

The bloat? Well they puffed like balloons and rolled over upside down. They couldnt swim right side up then they sank. Is that bloat?


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Not really. Generally a fish dies well before it gets to the 'bloated' phase.
Here's an article. See if any of the symptoms match up to what you've experienced.
http://cichlid-forum.com/articles/malawi_bloat2_pt1.php

Nitrate should never show a zero reading in a cycled tank, unless you performed a full 100% water change. What type of test kit are you using?

Aggression sometimes happens when you're not watching. The chomped tail is evident of this. Adult fish will often ignore juveniles like the fish you added. They pose no threat to territory or available females.

Please post a full stock list. Pictures of those you're not sure of will help.
Posting pics-
http://cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=255444


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## petfish6873 (Jul 3, 2014)

Yellow lab (3inch)
blood parrot (3.5 inch)
Julido Marlieri (baby)
electric blue johanni (baby)
SOCOLOFI CICHLID (3.5 inch)
Cynotilapia afra white Top (3.5 inch aggressive and digger)
LIVINGSTONII CICHLID (4 inch)
Callainos OB Makonde F1 (baby)
Red Top Orange Trewevase (baby)
Blue Dolphin (5 inch)
VC-10 (baby)
Red Top Lwanda Peacock (baby)
FIREMOUTH (baby)
muddy green with dark vertical stripes over length of body (almost dead,) 3inch

4 hybrid babies of the muddy green and scoclofi
upside down catfish
baby pleco
5 inch electric blue crayfish
6 inch chinese algae eater

This is best to my knowledge
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Test kit? API Freshwater Master Test Kit


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