# peacock cichlids dying fast! help!



## kb0903 (Nov 25, 2008)

my african peacocks are dying fast and the water is all good. and the temp is a 78 degrees. but they will start to shake really bad and then swim super fast all around the tank and then go limp? and ideas what it is?


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## Regulatorocks (May 10, 2007)

that doesnt sound like a disease but water parameters, maybe ammo spike or high nitrates.


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## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

Generally speaking, if you need help you must provide enough useful information for people to get an idea of what is happening, such as:

how big is your tank, how long established, your regular maintenance routine, exact parameters for ammonia, pH, nitrites and nitrates, you entire stock list and whether or not you have recently added new stock or in any way changed the tank.

In the meantime, it's never a bad idea to do a water change with a good dechlorinator while you wait for advice . . .


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

What are the water parameters on the tank?

How long has it been set up?

Was it cycled before you added these fish?

When was your last water change in relation to the deaths beginning?

What is your normal tank maintenance routine?

Are you using a good dechlorinator with the water changes?

What size tank is this?

What is the full stock list?

This does sound water related. We're going to need alot more information in order to be able to help.


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## corrie22 (Oct 11, 2008)

sounds like bacterial septicemia from columnaris.

While you are testing, add 1 tablespoon of regular salt per real gallon of water.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

corrie22 said:


> sounds like bacterial septicemia from columnaris.
> 
> While you are testing, add 1 tablespoon of regular salt per real gallon of water.


How would you possibly diagnose that from the information given, just out of curiousity?


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## corrie22 (Oct 11, 2008)

because it's text book

goldfish, catfish, tilapia

The symptoms are exactly the same.

erratic, seasure like, fast death.

Being very common in african cichlids helps too.

and while kb is trying to locate all those test kits, which they probably don't have
and trying to figure out how to run a blood workup, uinalysis, and fecal sample

might as well add salt, can't hurt, and will help


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## Regulatorocks (May 10, 2007)

i just had columnaris in my tank and this symptoms dont match.

i highly believe this is water related.

i think this because i rememeber when i was a novice, i added some cichlids to a tank that i didnt set my parameters right yet, i think my PH was off or something. The cichlids bounced all over the tank, then suddenly just died pretty fast.

Columnaris is different, you see weird white patches on their skin. the fish dont bounce around, they sometimes scratch, but usually they just sit in the corner of the tank or near the top of the water still for a day. then the next morning they are dead.


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## corrie22 (Oct 11, 2008)

I said septicemia

The columnaris bacteria is primarily a gill problem.

Most of the time hobbyists will not even see it.

and most of the time it takes a lab to ID it from a farm for that same reason.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

corrie22, the symptoms of both Columnaris and septicemia are a bit more involved than what you have described. Septicemia leaves red bloody streaks all over a fish, and guess what? It _usually_ stems from poor water quality, not Columnaris.

The OP hasn't mentioned red streaks, or any symptoms to indicate Columnaris.



> The columnaris bacteria is primarily a gill problem.
> Most of the time hobbyists will not even see it.


These two statements are inaccurate as well. Although Columnaris can be internal and does affect the gills, it can also ravage the entire body of the fish externally, including fins and internal organs.

From the information the OP has given us, this could be a multitude of things, even a neurological disorder. If it's happening in more than one fish, the first thing we need to investigate are water conditions.

It is also a very good idea to find out more than we currently know before advising the addition of medication to a tank. If the water isn't stable (and we don't know that yet) we could do more damage than good by jumping to a diagnosis without any basis for that diagnosis.

Hopefully, the OP will post back soon with more information. :thumb:


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