# PLEASE HELP! Sick Cichlids! - I have done everything!



## stottlemyer0121 (Sep 29, 2012)

I am new to the forum and need help fast! I appreciate any input you guy are willing to give! I know this is long but please take the time to read! First off..

-I have a 55 gal, well established tank for about a year now. 
-I do regular 25% water changes, with a siphon to get all the poop out. 
-keep my tank at a steady 79 degrees.
-I have about 13 smaller african cichlids in this tank (2''-3'' long).
-My boyfriend has an 150 gal tank that I transfer them too when they start getting too large for a 55 gal. 
-My fish have plenty of places to hide, and are usually very active and happy!
-I also regularly check my water levels with a dropper kit!

I always buy my fish from the same store, great service, extremely knowledgeable employees, and have never had any issues with sick fish befor! I know it is my fault, but about 3 weeks ago I purchased 2 new fish and did not quarantine them before adding them to my tank! (I will never do this again!) A couple days later I noticed that the 2 fish I had just purchased had wounds on their mouth and fins. Because I have never had a sick fish befor I assumed that the other fish had been picking on them, even though my fish are not very aggressive. I did not remove them from the tank (Uggg..) but put them in a net to the side to keep them away from the other fish. A couple days later they were dead! And I had two sick fish with the same symptoms! (mouth looked like if had a white fungus and fins were damaged and fish were slightly swolen) probably rot, and mouth fungus! First thing I did was call the store and ask if anyone else had reported sick fish. They said that no one had called, but recommended that I do a 25% water change once a week, slowly raise the temperature to 82 degrees within several hours (plenty of time for the fish to adjust) and to get some aquarium salt to help my fish recover. So I did. within the next couple days I noticed more sick fish, lack of appetite and the two fish that were coming down with symptoms had died! I called the store again and they recommended treating them with melafix. So for the last week I have been treating them daily with the recommended dosage for sick fish and have now had a total of 7 fish die! and a couple more sick fish! If you can recommend anything! I am absolutely devastated! Please help me save the few fish I have left!

Thanks everyone!


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## stottlemyer0121 (Sep 29, 2012)

Oh and I also removed the carbon filters so that the Melafix is not filtered out!


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## FloridaGuy (Sep 29, 2012)

Pics would help. But it kinda sounds like columnaris. You could try mardel maracyn. And you can lower the temp back to 79 with the meds. By any means am I NOT an expert on this. I went through the same problem about 3 weeks ago and lost ALL my fish within a week. It was a very sad time. And having to start over and completely restock is not going to be fun. I'm sorry for your loss and good luck.


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## stottlemyer0121 (Sep 29, 2012)

I am so scared all my fish will die. My boyfriend thinks I am going to loose them all. I am so sorry to hear about your tank! I know how you feel.. I called the store I got them from again, and they recommended Copper-safe? He said I have to filter out all of the Melafix first. I just feel so bad for killing off most of my tank! But at least we are trying to save them!


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## FloridaGuy (Sep 29, 2012)

I understand your pain! I thought about selling my entire setup because I was getting more pain then joy sometimes. But I decided I'm not gonna let this beat me. As far as the coppersafe I personally never used it. But I looked it up and I would still try the maracyn instead. I started to use it and saw improvement but by that time it was to late for them. Another product to look into is by mardel and it's called clout. My stores don't carry it around here. But I've heard very good things about it. And one thing we've both learned from this is to use a QT tank! All the money I spent replacing fish and buying meds I could of setup another tank! Lol and removing the meds is easy enough with a water change and some carbon. Again good luck and keep us posted with the outcome.


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## stottlemyer0121 (Sep 29, 2012)

Seriously! if they all dies I will be so upset! But at the same time I love fish way to much to let the hobby go. I just can't believe this happened to us! I always thought having the perfect set up, tempeture/ ph level/ water changes etc., would be enough to keep my fish healthy. (boy was I wrong) I think most people don't QT fish until something awful like this happens!. And it is unfortunate but what can we do but live and learn. Yeah they told me to put the carbon filters in for 2 days before I use any other meds. I just feel like after two days it may be to late.. I will look those meds up and hopefully some stores around here carry them! Thanks so much for your help and good luck with your new fish!


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## stottlemyer0121 (Sep 29, 2012)

And if i can figure out how to post pictures I will put some up soon!


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## stottlemyer0121 (Sep 29, 2012)

[IMG]http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a612/stottlemyer0121/fishtank_zps497da93d.jpg[/IMG]


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## stottlemyer0121 (Sep 29, 2012)

[IMG]http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a612/stottlemyer0121/sickfish1_zpsfe20e52a.jpg[/IMG]

This is my most recent sick fish, still alive!


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## stottlemyer0121 (Sep 29, 2012)

[IMG]http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a612/stottlemyer0121/sichfish2_zps0104de94.png[/IMG]

This one has passed away


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## stottlemyer0121 (Sep 29, 2012)

[IMG]http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a612/stottlemyer0121/sickfish3_zpsfdec04dc.png[/IMG]

This is in the earlier stages, but this one has passed away as well.


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## stottlemyer0121 (Sep 29, 2012)

And please if anyone else knows that is going on please help me out! let me know if the pictures are visible.


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## FloridaGuy (Sep 29, 2012)

The only good thing is my garden has plenty of fertilizer! But I plan on ordering online this time which I will make a post shortly about. And stocking all my fish at once and I've picked up a 10 gallon QT tank which was free! Your pics did show up and I would do 2 50% water changes one in the morning and one in the evening and you should be ready to put the new meds in. Research,research,research.....and then research some more! That's one tip I've learned


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## stottlemyer0121 (Sep 29, 2012)

I just wonder if it would put to much stress on the healthy fish and cause them to get sick. but honestly I am getting to the point where I will try anything!


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Can't tell for sure from the pics if it is columnaris or fighting injuries. Are they eating? Any thready white feces? This would lead more toward a diagnosis of bloat...different treatment.

Google columnaris and see if this looks like your fish. Since they are dying, I might treat for it just in case. For me, a combination of Maracyn and Maracyn2, at the same time, worked best.

Good luck!


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## stottlemyer0121 (Sep 29, 2012)

Thanks a lot for your input! It is not aggression, I am 100 % sure. They are sick, very sick! The pictures I looked up on columnaris look exactly like what they have! (White fuzz around mouth an if the desease starts around fins the fins are rot off and the desease keeps spreading) My fish that I posted yesterday passed away this morning and the only fish that Is still sick looks slightly better today. and no new fish came down with symptoms yet.. Should I keep using the melafix?


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## stottlemyer0121 (Sep 29, 2012)

Thanks a lot for your input! It is not aggression, I am 100 % sure. They are sick, very sick! The pictures I looked up on columnaris look exactly like what they have! (White fuzz around mouth an if the desease starts around fins the fins are rot off and the desease keeps spreading) My fish that I posted yesterday passed away this morning and the only fish that Is still sick looks slightly better today. and no new fish came down with symptoms yet.. Should I keep using the melafix?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

No, using melafix for columnaris is like using aloe vera for cancer. I had luck with Maracyn and Maracyn2 treating with both at the same time. Columnaris acts fast so I'd run to the fish store right away.


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## stottlemyer0121 (Sep 29, 2012)

Yes I have have lost over half of my tank in 3 weeks. I will go get those ASAP! Thanks for your help!


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