# New cichlid tank, one floating up by its tail..Please help!!



## jrowephoto (Jul 10, 2009)

I have just setup a 55 gallon tank and I've decided to go w/ Cichlids. I purchased 3 from petsmart this tuesday, and they all were fine until the next night, one of them starting floating up to the top by its tail.

These are the three I have (at the store, they just called them South American Cichlids)


















i have two of the 2nd one, and one of the first purple one. They are always hiding, and never come out.

As for the big one that is floating up by its tail, I have an ornament that is a stump w/ holes where they can go in it, well he/she gets in there and just rests on the top wall of it. I don't think it's eaten since it got sick, and it just rests there. the other two fish seem to be fine, but the other red one like him always stays in there w/ it.

I thought maybe it was an oxygen issue, so I bought an air pump and a bubble curtain and put it in there. Nothing.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. As far as testing the water, what do you all suggest for keeping your cichlid tanks up to date, testing the water, and such? I want the most cost effective solutions, but i also don't want to buy 47 bottles that the pet store tries to sell me. i'm sure you all understand.

Thanks in advance!


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## Gervahlt (Jun 25, 2009)

I'm sorry I won't be able of much help to you with the fish, but as far as testing...

At a minimum, you should get a test set that tests for Ph, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. These should be chemical reagents, not strips.

As far as the fish is concerned, did you cycle the tank before you put these fish in it? Do you already have other fish besides these three? How are they doing? Definitely get a test kit as soon as you possibly can. Your fish's health WILL depend on it...the water is probably what is affecting them now.


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## Addesyn (Jul 1, 2009)

the 2nd is a blood parrot.


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## jrowephoto (Jul 10, 2009)

as i have taken the time to read, i did not cycle the tank as I should have, but the fish seems to be fine now. the only problem is the blue one is VERY territorial, and it stays in its end, and if the blood parrot's come over, he violently runs them off. i am buying test kits tonight, and i'm definitely going to read up a lot.

i had cheap test kits from walmart and they tested fine which was why i bought these fish, and the help at petsmart said the water was good (they tested it) but i still should have cycled the water. the two blood parrots seem scared to death, and will run out real quick to get a pellet of food, and will then run back into their "hiding spot".

Is it b/c I have only three , and the purple one is alone and territorial? if I get more will they actually come out?

Thanks SO much


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## Leucistic Guy (Jul 8, 2009)

There's your answer... It's not cycled & probably experiencing an amonia spike.
Your best choice would be to do PWC/partial water changes as much as you can to keep amonia levels @ bay. You can buy a product to help deal with this as well. I've never used it so I can't tell you if it works. Make sure to use the test kit to keep levels in check.

Do you know anyone with a healthy setup?
You could use some of their establish media to help speed up the process since you've already got a jump start on the process.

Can you get a pic of the 3rd pic is doesn't seem to look like a blood parrot.
You look to have 1 lake cichlid & 2 sa/ca cichlid which are not really compatible.
Their water parameters are different, lake cichlid require water thats much "harder" then the sa/ca cichlids. Although it may seem to be ok in the long run you may run into a few problems.

I've never kept blood parrots & can ID the thrid fish so I cna;t tell you if they're hary enugh to live through the cycle process.

I'm not much help with the lake species but I do know not to mix the 2.
All I know is they can be quite aggressive & are territorial as you have found.
I'd suggest returning or exchanging the 1 or the 2/3
I don't blame you cause most employees @ the major chain stores have very little knowledge.

Don't worry many people have done the same thing as you & not realized that cycling an aquarium is a must.

I hope everything works out in the end.


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

Hi, 
welcome to Cichlid-forum.

There's a few articles in the site's library that will go into detail about cycling and I advice you to read them but I'll give you a short run through. 
First of all, if you just set up your tank and put fish in then the tank IS NOT cycled. Cycling is a process in which you bascially grow beneficial bacteria in the tank's filter and this bacteria is then able to process the ammonia that is produced from fish waste and uneaten food making the water safe for your fish to live in. Unless you go through artificial means, (read about them in the above mentioned articles), then this cycling usually takes about three -four weeks. 
Cycling your tank using fish is a good way to go BUT you must choose fish that are what we call _hardy_--fish that can withstand the toxic levels of ammonia and nitrite that will be present until the beneficial bacteria has grown. 
Cichlids are NOT considered hardy fish and should NOT be used to cycle a tank. Allowing fish that are not hardy to go through the cycling process exposes them to life threatening levels of ammonia and nitrite and even if they don't die from these toxins they may be permenantly injured which will leave them prone to illness and disease.

Your water may be fine, right now, but once the cycling process gets underway ammonia and nitrite will rise.

So what should you do? 
First of all take the blood parrots back. They won't get along with your cichlids. Or if you like the parrots better take the blue cichlid back. 
Then make sure you've got a good quality declorinator--one that removes ammonia and detoxifies nitrite and do a 30% partial water change 3-4x a week until the tank is cycled. 
The blue one is a mbuna--not a south american cichlid--somebody will likely ID it for you at any moment here or you can try looking it up in the site's library. It's important that you know what species your fish are because not all cichlids get along together. 
Don't get anymore fish until the tank is cycled and then you can start building your tank around the fish you want to keep.

You've got a good size tank so you should be able to have a pretty nice tank.

Robin


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

Looks like Leucistic Guy and I were typing at the same time and said basically the same thing.  Please post back with additional questions or concerns. 
Robin


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## Leucistic Guy (Jul 8, 2009)

This happens to me all the time. I can't type very fast & for me to proof read. 

A good fish to cycle with are Danio's they're fairy cheap & ad a bit of life to your tank while it cycles.Around here I can get them for $.78 @ petsmart. Other places sell them for up to $2.50 which is a rip off IMO.

I'd personally go the route of "establish media". It's much faster & you don't have to worry about introducing any diseases to your tank.


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## jrowephoto (Jul 10, 2009)

Hey everyone,

I'm going to try to go to Texarkana (closest place w/ a decent pet shop) and possibly return the Purplish fish. He's torturing all the other fish. All the others seem to be doing fine, and after I added the bubble curtain (don't know if it's fluke or if it helped) the parrots are not floating anymore, but only come out to feed...then are chased back in by the purple fish.

He's about to get taken back, without a doubt. He's running around nipping at every one of them, being a big jerk


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## joiseymike (Feb 8, 2009)

One option is to order some Dr Tim's Aquatics One and Only Nitrifying Bacteria. I have a 72 Gallon tank that we (read: my wife) decided would be cycled with fish instead of without. Well, 72 gallons with 6 mollies and 3 zebra danios takes a long time.

After week 8 with still low ammonia readings and no nitrite/nitrate readings, I ordered Dr. Tim's One and Only from the local fish store. According to the website and the podcast interview I found (links below), you add the stuff, ad then about 12 hours later, add your fish. We added 18 mbunas, and they're all pretty happy 

If you go this route, get a good testing kit and test daily to make sure the levels are correct, since you might have to do some extra water changes.

Dr. Tim's Website:
http://www.drtimsaquatics.com/Helpful_hints/OneandOnlyFAQs/OneandOnlyFAQs.html

Pet Fish Talk Podcast Interview
http://www.petfishtalk.com/interviews/dr_hovanec/interview_one_and_only/one_and_only.htm

Anyway, it's always better to naturally cycle a tank. If you don't want to go that route, this is an alternative that worked great for me.


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## jrowephoto (Jul 10, 2009)

thanks very much! I will definitely check that stuff out.

The tank seems to be doing fine now that I have the purple african cichlid out.

i just posted some pictures here if you want to check them out, any suggestions are greatly appreciated setup-wise!

Thanks!

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... p?t=197466


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