# Sunken belly with healthy appetite.



## Robert.Cichlid (Feb 10, 2018)

60 gallon with about 30 mbuna. All are 2 years old. I feed them north fin veggie 1 mm pellets since I got them. I feed them 1x a day. 50% WC every week with gravel vac. I have 2 Fluval 406 running. Water parameters are perfect. I add 1/4 teaspoon of safe with every water change. I didn't even see much aggression. 
Over the past month I have noticed sunken belly with great appetite. I noticed the deaths only happen at night. 
I've even increased the amount of feeding. I have not added any new fish in over a year. Any advice/suggestions would be appreciated.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Sounds like too many fish for a 60G, what are the dimensions of the tank and what is your stock list.


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## Mudkicker1 (Aug 6, 2013)

DJRansome said:


> Sounds like too many fish for a 60G, what are the dimensions of the tank and what is your stock list.


... and details of your water tests.

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## Robert.Cichlid (Feb 10, 2018)

PH is 7.8, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 20 tops. 
Tank is 48" wide x 30" high x 12" deep. 
Here's my current stock list.
1:	(M) Kenyi
5:	(2M, 3F)	Yellow Labs
5:	(2M, 3F)	Cobalt Blue Zebra
1:	(1M)	Mangano
3:	(1M, 2F)	Orange Blotched 
1:	(1F) Nkhata Bay Afra
1:	(2F) Labeotropheus trewavasae (Chilumba) Ochre
3:	1M, 2F) Labidochromis sp. Mbamba
1:	(1M)	Metriaclima greshakeis, Ice Blue Cichlids


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## Mudkicker1 (Aug 6, 2013)

How many deaths and how much time between deaths?

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## Robert.Cichlid (Feb 10, 2018)

About 10 deaths over 50 days with deaths every 4-5 days.


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## Mudkicker1 (Aug 6, 2013)

Robert.Cichlid said:


> About 10 deaths over 50 days with deaths every 4-5 days.


Ok. Do you see any white stringy poop or translucent poop?

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## Robert.Cichlid (Feb 10, 2018)

I do not. That's what's really odd.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Do they all have sunken bellies or is it worse on the less dominant fish?


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## Robert.Cichlid (Feb 10, 2018)

It's in both.


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## Mudkicker1 (Aug 6, 2013)

There is no doubt that I would treat for internal parasites both in the water column and in food.

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## Robert.Cichlid (Feb 10, 2018)

How do you think they get parasites with adding any new fish in over a year?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

If they were not eating I would say that organisms that live in their gut all along begin to multiply when stress makes them susceptible to illness.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

I would treat with Kanaplex. Same as metro except it can be absorbed through the body. ie: in the water column.


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## OntarioChris (Jul 28, 2021)

Sorry to revive an old thread, but I'm wondering what the outcome was...did you find a solution? I haven't had any deaths yet, thankfully, but noticed the sunken stomach on 3 of my yellow labs. No new fish have been introduced recently, so I'm not sure how a parasite or such would have got introduced.


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