# Suddenly my fish are dying



## EnginerdLisa (Jul 14, 2014)

I've been lurking and reading info on this site for the last few months before and during set up of my very first cichlid tank. I've loved all the wonderful info, it has been so amazingly helpful. I finally joined today because I am having problems with my tank all of the sudden.

Here is my tank info
110 gallon
Nitrite and Ammonia - 0
Nitrate - 10 to 20 (I can't tell the difference between the colors for 10 and 20 in my test kit)
Ph - 8.0
Eheim 2074 canister filter

I do weekly 50% water changes, and have been rinsing the filter every other week. I use prime when I add new water. I know that Eheim is a little undersized for my tank, which is why I do 50% each week. I am adding a second Eheim to the opposite end of the tank, it should be here Thursday. Then I hope to drop back to 25% water changes and monthly canister maintenance.

I cycled the tank with a bn pleco, a rainbow shark, and 7 tigerbarbs from my other tank. I planned to catch them and return them to my 20 gal, but in the huge new tank they were too speedy for me to catch, so they ended up staying in. We then added 30 various peacocks and haps recommended by a local cichlid supplier (livefishdirect.com). 
I got 3 each all male juveniles
-German Red Peacock
-Red Shoulder Peacock
-Lethrinops Intermedius
-Livingstonii
-Mloto
-Ngara Flametail Peacock
-OB Peacock
-Lemon Jake Peacock
-Azureus
-Sunshine Peacock

Everyone was living peaceful and happy for the last 2 months, then suddenly last weekend I had 3 fish die in 2 days. Then this weekend 2 died, and one looks like he is about to die. The dead fish do not appear to be eaten, or otherwise picked on, and I don't see fin damage on other fish, so I don't think it is aggression. This morning one of the (still live) fish had a small fluffy white spot on his body, so I got fungal treatment and gave the first dose of that (the two dead ones this morning didn't have any spots I could see, and I can't find any on any other fish except that one). I didn't notice any strange behavior or anything before the fish died. However this morning there is a fish who seems very bloated, and pale and is just resting at the bottom of the tank. I removed him and transferred him to my 20, since it is still running with a few plants but no fish.

The only thing that has changed in the past few weeks I was trying a new chemical API Stresszyme, which is supposed to add bacteria to help with tank maintenance. I dose on Friday and then find dead fish Sunday and Monday. Seems like a weird coincidence, though it didn't happen the first week I tried it, just the second and third weeks. It would be easy to say oh, that must be it, but since I am so new to all of this I wanted to put it out there to see if it could be something else.

Also because I am so new to this, and the juvenile fish mostly kinda look similar to me I can't say which specific fish have died, though 3 of them were larger, 1 was smaller, and I know the fifth was a livingstonii because of the spots. If there is any additional info that would be helpful please let me know. If I left something out it was just out of ignorance, I am trying really hard to learn though. I've had fish all my life, but just simple things like tetras and barbs.


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## hisplaceresort1 (Mar 10, 2014)

stresszyme has never caused me any problems, but just to eliminate the possibility, throw that bottle away, even if it is one of the big (...expensive...) ones! 
Other than the bloated one, did you notice if any of the others that died had stopped eating? or, "pretend-eating" (acting like they're going to eat, but don't actually pick it up) or eating it and spitting it back out? 
Bloat doesn't always present as literally, physically bloated... I learned that one the hard way.


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## EnginerdLisa (Jul 14, 2014)

Only about half of the fish ever come up to eat when I feed them, but the ones that do seem to be eating normal, both the flake food and the pellets. The bloated fish and another have also died since this morning. Total 7 dead.

Food is the one area where I still really have absolutely no clue what I am doing. I am feeding "Ocean Nutrition - Cichlid Omni Formula" flake food and "Hikari - Cichlid Gold" pellets. Alternating every other day. If I understand correct bloat is usually caused by feeding wrong food. If these are not good what would you guys recommend, or what should I look for. A link to a good article about food would be great since most stuff I find is conflicting and I don't quite know what to listen to.


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## hisplaceresort1 (Mar 10, 2014)

pictures would help... there are moderators out here much smarter than me, but... it seems weird that all your fish don't come up to feed. Which could mean you feed too much - possibly way, way too much. 
If so, you probably need to read the BLOAT article. Epsom salts, Metronidazole (sometimes hard to find) and Clout are all used (sometimes together).
Anyway, back to the pictures... if you are a frequent over-feeder, your fish will look fat. then, bloat becomes more of a likelihood, I'd think.
Get the photos up quickly, who knows what they might show that would give a clue to what's going on...


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## EnginerdLisa (Jul 14, 2014)

So, another fish died while I was out looking for medication. It also turns out I left my camera turned on in my camera bag, and it is dead, so I had to take cruddy cell phone pictures.

Here are the last 3 that died. The one in the front left is the one that was super bloated this morning, the bloating seemed to go away after it died.








Individual shots of each

























Tried to get a photo of some of the live ones, but they were not working with me on that. This was the best I could do.









I couldn't find Metronidazole or Clout anywhere, but am doing a partial water change and dissolving epsom salts right now.


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## hisplaceresort1 (Mar 10, 2014)

Well, the live fish in your tank (the ones I was wondering about) don't look at all fat to me. They look perfect, actually, not too thin or fat. As far as the ones that have died, I don't know if anyone could tell anything from them, but I'm sorry for your loss so far... Hey, Moderators, what do you think??? I've got some Metro in my freezer - PM me if you can't find it anywhere else that can overnight it, and I'll overnight what I have left to you... I'm in arkansas.


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## wortel87 (Apr 15, 2014)

fish dont always swell up like a balloon with bloat. i have had bloat 3 times in my demasoni. never have they shown a big belly. the only thing that was obviouse was that they were pretty timid, hiding between the rocks. not comming up to eat, and breathing heavy. and when it get sreally bad they start to do little hickups.

my guess is that this is certainly bloat. get metro and an antibiotic that can be combined. feed your remaining fish thawed pealed peas together with the epsom salt untill the meds get there.

added some new demasoni a few weeks ago out of the 6, 2 got bloat last week. weak little buggers. havent medicated yet. 1 has died and the other one made a miraculous recovery on its own. still some white feces but he's eating again and swimming arround  if none of my excisting stock gets sick no meds will be used.


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## hisplaceresort1 (Mar 10, 2014)

agree w/ wortel87... I'm guessing bloat, too. I feed thawed peas once a week, and I haven't had bloat since. it's like a natural laxative. I feed them peas until I see green fish poop... mine seem to like it, too. you didn't PM me, so I'm guessing you found some place to overnight you some Metro? Hope so... let us all know how it goes.


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## EnginerdLisa (Jul 14, 2014)

Got the Metro overnighted. Added salt Monday night, and the metro this morning. Since adding the salt Monday night I lost my pleco, but that is it.

Oh, and this morning when I opened the lid to add the metro almost all the fish swam up like they wanted food, there were only 2 that stayed down at the bottom.


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## EnginerdLisa (Jul 14, 2014)

And how does one peel a pea? We don't eat peas, so I've never really messed with them at all. Is it easy? It seems like they would be too mushy to peel.


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## hose91 (Mar 5, 2014)

Ha, great question! I'd also like to know how people are shelling their peas and/or feeding veggies to their Malawi omnivores.

opcorn:


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## hisplaceresort1 (Mar 10, 2014)

When the peas start to thaw, pick them up and squeeze them. The skin comes right off; takes like 1/2 second. Even if you let them thaw all the way, it's not that bad. But! they have to be frozen first for this to work... it kind of separates the skin from the meat of the peas...


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## hisplaceresort1 (Mar 10, 2014)

btw... if you are using activated carbon, Purigen, or any other chemical-type filtration in your canister filter, you will need to remove it for now. Some people have luck w/ Metro soaked food. I had better luck adding Metro full dose to the water (that already has epsom salt) and feeding peas. Some swear better to not feed at all. Either way, as long as you get the Metro in the water and it's not getting removed by some sort of chemical filtration. The salt will probably kill your plants, if you have any... but small price to pay. Good luck!


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## EnginerdLisa (Jul 14, 2014)

Salt has been going for nine days, metro for 6 days. I only lost two more fish since starting the salt and meds (total is 10 cichlids and my pleco). Everyone is coming up to eat when I throw peas in the tank, no more hiding. I am hoping we are past it. I am a little nervous, so I still want to leave it for a couple more days before transitioning from the medicated salt water to "fresh" water and returning to normal feeding. My husband was itching to go buy more fish Saturday, and it is killing him that I said no. The first time ever that I am grateful that the fish store is only open to the public one day a week, one day of telling him no buys my a whole week!

I just wanted to thank everyone for their input and help, and let you know how they are doing. My plants are a little brown around the edges, but I think they may make it through this as well.


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## hisplaceresort1 (Mar 10, 2014)

glad to hear it!
...one thing though, and I came across this last night. It's possible the salt killed the pleco. Any kind of salt is not... so... good...
I have a pleco in my 75 that I use regular aquarium salt in, and I'm going to move him to the Koi tank just in case...
But I would wait a couple of months before adding any more fish... I really would...


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## EnginerdLisa (Jul 14, 2014)

I figured it was the salt. As soon as I started adding the salt, he came out of hiding and started zipping back and forth from end to end of the tank kinda freaking out. I thought about taking him out and moving him to my empty tank. Then I also thought if there was something else wrong with the fish that I didn't know about and he had it as well, if I took him out and put him back later I would just be reintroducing the problem. I guess he was the civilian casualty of this little war. We are going out of town in a few weeks, so that will buy me another three weeks as far as adding new fish.


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