# HELP!!!MY CICHLIDS ARE DYING UNEXPECTEDLY!



## LoganGriffy (Oct 31, 2014)

60 gallon tank
catfish pleco
all about 3-4 inch fish
well established tank
rock formations with fake bog and plants with 2 bubblers
temp about 84
All of a sudden my cichlids one by one have started dying, really none except one has shown signs of stress before dying and the one that did seemed to be choking or breathing heavy. The fish that died are a ruby red, an apache, and a fish that i dont remember the name to but he was brown with tiger stripes based on how he was feeling with a bullet shaped head ( rounded off). 2 of them died last night ( Ruby red and tiger stripe fish), the ruby red fish appeared to be choking or breathing heavy so we did a big water change (About 40-50%) and changed the old filters with new ones. We woke up to check next morning and found the ruby red dead and unexpectedly found the tiger stripe fish dead also with it in the corner. We were especially alarmed when we found the apache fish dead the day before on the bog with no signs of being bullied, the same was with the ruby and tiger stripe fish ( no signs of being bullied) Please help! the tank has been well established for over 3 months and we recently got a ruby, a sunshine that was too small, and an apache and then all of our fish started dying.


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## hisplaceresort1 (Mar 10, 2014)

Hi!

so sorry to hear about your issues... we all get very attached to these fish... 

You've given some good information, but you haven't provided some basic information, like your water parameters. You will get better, faster, more accurate information if you could tell us a little more.

(This is probably you haven't received an answer so far... no one wants to lead you in the wrong direction by guessing, since they don't have all the necessary information...)

"well-established" your tank may well be, but your readings for pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and if possible gH and kH will go a long way to helping get you an answer...

What are you treating your water with? Are they eating normally? Any white, stringy feces? (common signs of bloat, but just guessing, of course.)

The other thing that could be problematic moving forward is "replacing old filters with new ones" because the bacteria that you need, that makes your tank "well-established", lives in that filter material to a great extent, which is another reason you need to be looking at your water parameters.

Go buy an API test kit - the actual kit with the drops and the test tubes... not the strips... 

The more information, the better...

There are plenty of people here that can help you if you will provide the requested information.

You should repost this under Illness, Health & Nutrition forum, too.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=29339

Hope this will help you...


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## rennsport2011 (Oct 21, 2013)

So you hadn't done any water changes, or anything within the last 48 hours of the symptoms?

If not, I would assume bloat and start treating immediately for it. Go to the Illness section to find out how.


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## hisplaceresort1 (Mar 10, 2014)

rennsport2011 said:


> So you hadn't done any water changes, or anything within the last 48 hours of the symptoms? If not, I would assume bloat and start treating immediately for it. Go to the Illness section to find out how.


...OK, so even w/o all the info, there are 2 people guessing bloat...

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/malawi_bloat2_pt1.php

is the bloat article... good luck & let us know


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Before I skipped to the conclusion of bloat, I'd want the test results for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, the tank dimensions since a 60G can be a 36" tank, and the stock list. I'd suspect water issues or aggression are more likely.


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## Borsig (Nov 21, 2012)

Isnt 84 a bit warm?

Enough water exchanging with air? water movement?


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## gverde (Mar 3, 2010)

Borsig said:


> Isnt 84 a bit warm?
> 
> Enough water exchanging with air? water movement?


I would keep the temperature closer to 78 degrees.


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## michael21esposito (Mar 25, 2015)

were you able to find out why??? Mine are dying now..


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