# upside down, mouth wide open =(



## chels1289 (Feb 7, 2009)

I had a beautiful large cobalt blue zebra for about a year now, he was my oldest in the tank and always the healthiest looking fish, never hid out or anything.

Yesterday morning I looked in the tank and he was on the bottom upside down with his mouth as wide open as possible and his head was all dark in colour compared to the rest of his body. Fins werent tattered or no sores.

Does anyone know what this is? Was perfectly fine the night before.
Just worried it could be a disease, other fish look fine except a few tattered fins which is sort of normal.
Thanks.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

We're going to need alot more information in order to help try to figure out what happened!

What size tank is this?

What is the full stock list? (please include sexes and sizes)

What is your normal tank maintenance routine?

What are the water parameters?

Have you added any new fish recently? If so, were they quarantined prior?

Had anything changed in the tank? Any serious spawning going on?

Have you lost any other fish recently to suspicious circumstances?

Are all fish eating at feeding time?

Are any of them hiding or behaving unusually?

How large was this fish when you got him a year ago?


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## chels1289 (Feb 7, 2009)

Alright, well tank is 3 foot. I think off the top of my head 180 lts? Not sure.
Red Zebra (7cm), Venustus(7cm), Crimson Tide (8cm), Afra Cobue(6.5cm), Mpanga(5.5cm), Fusco(10cm), Chewere(12cm)
I do half water change about once a month while cleaning gravel and filter.
Have tested for ammonia, came up neg. Water Ph around 7.5-7.8, temp 26 degrees celcius.
No new fish added in the 2 months, nothing changed in tank since then. No spawning.
Havent lost any others for a few months and all fish are eating and behaving normally. No one is hiding etc.
When I bought him he was only about 6cm, when he died he would have been 11cm.
He was down where he usually digs holes in the gravel - is it possible he choked on a rock or something? It really looked that way but dunno if that actually happens...
Thanks.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

My guess is that this may have been aggression related. The species that you are keeping are too aggressive for this smaller tank size. I suspect this isn't going to be the only problem that you have in this regard.

There are some dwarf mbuna that will work in this smaller tank, and some of the more docile mbuna or haps/peacocks. This particular stock list will be too aggressive for the amount of space you have to offer, and the problems will increase as they begin to sexually mature.

I would suggest doing water changes weekly, rather than monthly, but this won't solve the problem with your stock list.

What type test kits are you using? (liquid reagent or strips?)

Were you shooting for an all male tank with this?


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## chels1289 (Feb 7, 2009)

Oh ok well thanks for all that its good to know. 
I always keep a close eye on them and if one gets too aggresive i take it back to the woman who sells to me. Shes really good.
Test kits are liquid regeant.
Not sure on the male/female part...
I'll see how things go anyway, all are pretty placid for the moment. Thanks again =)


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