# HELP!!! my Cichlids are dying???



## randi07 (Feb 5, 2009)

This is my 1st time every having a fish tank and i keep getting different advise. I have a 55 gallon tank. i let the fish tank cycle for two weeks then i started adding fish. i 1st added 4 cichlids (not sure what kind) and a sucky fish (you know the fish that sticks to the walls and suck) 3 weeks later i added 4 more cichlids and 2 weeks after that 2 more sucky fish. one guy from petco told me to clean my tank every 6 wks so i bought the pump thing that hooks up to my faucit and removed half of the water and cleaned the rocks. i did put that stuff in the water to help with the nitrate and stuff. 1st one of my sucky fish died. then one of my cichlids wasn't eating he died. I can't find my other sucky fish i don't know if the cichlids beat him up and the big sucky fish eat him or what but his not in there. last night i went to go and feed the fish and another fish was dead. please help me because i don't wont anymore of my fish to die. i have a heater in my tank and it is set at 78 degrees. i have sand at the bottom of my tank and big rocks as well. This guy at walmart told me he has had african cichilds for over 5 years and he has never cleaned his tank he just lets the sucky fish clean his tank??? He only adds water when some evaporates??? please can someone HELP!!!


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## ChromisNZ (Jul 30, 2008)

I think you've been given bad advise. Do a 50% water change every week and all should be well. In fact, go and do a water change now :wink:


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## randi07 (Feb 5, 2009)

what about the ph levels??? what should they be?


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## ChromisNZ (Jul 30, 2008)

The pH should be in the range of 7.8 - 8.6


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## cevvin (May 2, 2008)

what are your nitrite, ammonia and nitrate levels? When you say you let the tank cycle for 2 weeks, what did you do? did you add ammonia? What kind of filtration are you using, which filter? Are you using a dechlorinator when adding new water?


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## 748johnd (Jun 30, 2007)

That Walmart guy who said he hasn't cleaned his tank in five years is full of **** even if his tank isn't. Those sucky fish (probably plecostomus) generate a lot of waste.


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## cevvin (May 2, 2008)

Pleco's do create alot of waste. And you shouldn't take advice from a guy that has never cleaned a tank. Thats like asking a bachelor that doesn't own a vacuum how to get a stain out of your white carpet.

Test your tank for nitrite, ammonia, and nitrates. Nitrites should be zero. Ammonia should be zero. And nitrates should be under 20 ppm. If you have nitrites and ammonia your tank has not finished cycling. And if your nitrates are above 20 ppm, keep doing water changes.

What kind of filter are you using? Are you using a dechlorinator?


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## randi07 (Feb 5, 2009)

I am using the filter that sits on top of the tank and has the long tubing. it has 2 blue filters that i have to replace. i checked those and they are not dirty. When i cycled the tank i put that nitrate stuff in there that is all. The guy at the fish tank store didn't tell me to do anything else. Again this is my first fish tank. so i should change the water every week every 2wks??? And how much water should i change i was told a 3rd or a 1/4??? I did buy the 5-n-1 test strips and i will test my tank today when i get off of work. I would like to get more fish to replace the fish that passed. How long do you think i should wait before adding more fish?


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## chrisFewell (Feb 3, 2009)

748johnd said:


> That Walmart guy who said he hasn't cleaned his tank in five years is full of #%$& even if his tank isn't. Those sucky fish (probably plecostomus) generate a lot of waste.


in his defense i fad a 55 gallon for 6 years and NEVER did a water change on it...had a 6" pleco in there too....when I went to college my little bro "watched it" and didnt change the filter for 3 months...The tank was still clear and no fish had died....weird I guess the bio sys. was perfect in it...


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## ChromisNZ (Jul 30, 2008)

randi07 said:


> I am using the filter that sits on top of the tank and has the long tubing. it has 2 blue filters that i have to replace. i checked those and they are not dirty.


The filter should have some bio-media, something for the beneficial bacteria to live in. This should be left undisturbed so the bacteria can colonise it. It may help to read this http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/biolo ... ncycle.htm



randi07 said:


> so i should change the water every week every 2wks??? And how much water should i change i was told a 3rd or a 1/4???


I repeat....


ChromisNZ said:


> Do a 50% water change every week and all should be well.


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## webgirl74 (Jan 30, 2009)

This may not be the case with all locations, so I don't want to point fingers, but I've never been to a Wal-Mart that had healthy fish. I always just take a peek at what they have, and I'm shocked at the condition of the fish many times. I think all the tanks are probably linked too, so diseases spread like wildfire. In fact, a location near me had to get rid of all their fish recently and disinfect all the tanks and equipment due to rampant disease. Your fish might have not been in good health to begin with. I don't know about the rest of the members here, but with a fresh set-up, I always cycle for a minimum of 4 weeks. And I agree with ChromisNZ to use a bio filter of some sort. They are readily available and not expensive for a basic one. Since using a bio-wheel filter, I haven't had an illness related death in my tank in at least 3 years. Luck may be on my side as well, but maintenance, water condition and healthy stock should lead to a successful tank.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

The first thing you need to do is pick up some liquid reagent test kits. At the very least, you should be monitoring ph, ammonia, nitrate and nitrite.

Once we get readings on those, we can better advise you what direction to go with your tank. I do weekly water changes on my tanks, of 30-40%, and I have double the filtration needed on all my tanks. I would never recommend not doing water changes on a tank. These fish are beautiful, but we're only going to get the results we want from them if we care for them properly, and an unmaintained tank will eventually catch up with you.

The second thing you need to do is identify your filter system and see how many gallons per hour you are filtering. You may need more filtration.

The third thing you need to do is identify those fish. Many cichlids are not suitable in a 55G tank as these are highly aggressive fish with considerable needs. Many cichlids should not be housed together, so this could also be an issue.

Any stressor in a tank can cause problems, whether it manifests in illness or losses.


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## randi07 (Feb 5, 2009)

I bought the test kit and here are my readings. nitrite 10.0-p.h 7.8-water gh ppm 150-alkalinity 120 nitrate 40. please advise


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## Terrence23 (Oct 2, 2008)

randi07 said:


> I bought the test kit and here are my readings. nitrite 10.0-p.h 7.8-water gh ppm 150-alkalinity 120 nitrate 40. please advise


Something is off there with those readings. You shouldn't have nitrites if the nitrates at 40ppm are being created by the biofilter unless the biofilter is overwhelmed for some reason. A 10.0 nitrite reading sounds like it would be lethal to any fish at such a high level. What did the ammonia test say? A high concentration of ammonia or nitrite in the tank water will kill your fish in quick order.

Oh, and you can get all the information about tank maintenance you need right here on this site over in the tank setup forum by the great contributors there. :thumb:

I have never gotten good advice from any of the pimply kids at the big box pet stores or the infamous "guy at the LFS".


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## ChromisNZ (Jul 30, 2008)

randi07 said:


> I bought the test kit and here are my readings. nitrite 10.0-p.h 7.8-water gh ppm 150-alkalinity 120 nitrate 40. please advise


Please go and do your fish a favour........ a 50% waterchange.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

ChromisNZ said:


> randi07 said:
> 
> 
> > I bought the test kit and here are my readings. nitrite 10.0-p.h 7.8-water gh ppm 150-alkalinity 120 nitrate 40. please advise
> ...


Agreed. And pick up some Prime to use for your dechlorinator...It will help detoxify any ammonia - I would get a test for ammonia, as well.

You may need to do more than one water change to get things back where they need to be. You want a zero reading for ammonia and nitrite, and you want those nitrates down around 20.


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## gmaschke (Aug 23, 2008)

Don't get too overwelmed here. Just do as suggested, with the w/c and other helpful info. It may seem like a lot now but once the tank is cycled properly and you get the proper mix of fish in there you maintenance time will decrease dramatically and the enjoyment time will not only increase 10 fold but be even more enjoyable.

Although the walmarts and most LFS give advise most is bad or pushing sales. The people here may not always agree on everything but there is more experience here than any store you will find and no one here is trying to sell you anything they all have the same agenda on this site and that is pass on the magical hobby of enjoying fish keepeing.

Though my advise isn't the answer to you problems I just wanted to remind you what the goal here is. Hang in there as said it WILL get better.


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