# My fish keep dying



## tsioftas (Jun 9, 2013)

So I had gold fish some years ago and they died, and this yer my dad got me four cichlids for my bithday (im 14). He took me a Nimbochromis Venustus i think it was male, and some other three which I couldnt recognise them... here they are 


Within the first week, the black one died. It wasn't eating and it was hiding in the fake seaweed and swimming with head up. Then i removed the seaweed cuz i thought it was a problem. a few hours later i found it with head up behind the filter . I moved the filter a bit to let it go cuz it seemed trapped. Next morning i found it dead. I was really sad  . The other fish seemed ok. but a week after the first fish died, I found the orange one doing the same things ( not eating swimming with head up in seaweed(i put them back) and it went behind the filter too! )  I isolated it on a small bowl because i saw the other fish chasing it so i thought that was the problem. I put him some food there but it won't eat! in the next few hours it died :? The other two fish seemed to get well together for a couple of weeks so we thought that my aquarium was finally stabilised. So the day before yesterday we went to the pet shop and we bought two electric yellow cichlids, a male and a female. The pet shop owner also gave us a female Nimbochromis Venustus as a gift cuz the other two fish died  . So, we put the fish in the tank and they all seemed fine apart from the female yellow. It wasn't eating too and the male Nimbochromis and the other electric were chasing it. in one hour I found it with head up in the fake seaweed! Not again... I isolated it cuz the other fish were constantly chasing it. the next morning it died :roll: The other day, I fed the fish normally as I do everyday and that night I noticed my first Nimbochromis ( the male) was having the same symptoms... hiding with head up etc... I removed the seawwed again... today (next morning) I found him dead behind the filter. Can someone help please??? :-? 
Here is my tank now

And this is what I feed them


These are the fish that are left


Thank you!


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## Angelsong777 (Apr 15, 2013)

1. What size is your tank? It is too small for those fish.

2. Your tank probably isn't cycled. You should get a test kit for ammonia and nitrites because it could be toxic levels of one or both of those that is killing your fish. Will your pet shop do a water test for you?

3. It is my personal opinion that fish are stressed by gravel that is brightly colored (such as the pink).


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## tsioftas (Jun 9, 2013)

Ok! thanks for the advise. i'll do what you said and I will let you know. I will buy a bigger tank. what size do you think is ideal? Also I'll change the gravel and i will use less intense colors and do an ammonia and niritate test. In addition, I wonder what species is the small grey fish


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## tsioftas (Jun 9, 2013)

Ok! thanks for the advise. i'll do what you said and I will let you know. I will buy a bigger tank. what size do you think is ideal? Also I'll change the gravel and i will use less intense colors and do an ammonia and niritate test. In addition, I wonder what species is the small grey fish. Tell me if you know


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## Yasir saeed (Jan 28, 2013)

for cichlids the lower limit is 55 gallon, but buy as much big as you can afford


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Here is an article to read so you understand how to do a fishless cycle.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/f ... _cycle.php

It can take six weeks, so while your tank is cycling you can try to get ID on your existing fish (post pictures in the Unidentified forum) and decide what size tank to buy. Many mbuna are ok in a 55G tank (rectangle, 48" x 12") but the venustus would need a 72" tank.

I'd check with the fish store on ID for the gray fish...many mbuna females and juveniles look similar.


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## tsioftas (Jun 9, 2013)

DJRansome said:


> Here is an article to read so you understand how to do a fishless cycle.
> http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/f ... _cycle.php
> 
> It can take six weeks, so while your tank is cycling you can try to get ID on your existing fish (post pictures in the Unidentified forum) and decide what size tank to buy. Many mbuna are ok in a 55G tank (rectangle, 48" x 12") but the venustus would need a 72" tank.
> ...


oh I didnt know I had to do that :s but what am i supposed to do with my fish while my tank is being cycled? Can i cycle when the fish are in?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

No, the toxins will kill them which maybe what you are seeing now. You are supposed to cycle before you buy the fish.

I'd keep the fish you have (don't add more) in the small tank and change the water almost 100% every day. That will remove the toxins generated by the fish. Test every day to be sure your ammonia and nitrite are less than 1ppm.

Or you can ask the fish store to take them back until you have had a chance to cycle with ammonia.


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## tsioftas (Jun 9, 2013)

Ok i will go tomorrow to get some testers for ammonia and see what to do with the cycling. Is it ok if i buy a bigger tank and let it cycle and while it is getting cycled keep the fish in the small one and change the water every day? Btw my dad says 55 gallon is too big :-|


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Well then rather than buy a bigger tank, return the fish you have and stock your tank with fish that are the right size for it. What are the dimensions of your tank?

You could cycle both tanks at once.


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## tsioftas (Jun 9, 2013)

its dimensions in cm are
31x9x9


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## tsioftas (Jun 9, 2013)

Awww now the other venustus seems to have something... when I fed them it didn't even move to eat. It just sits there at the bottom, doing nothing :s I changed the water


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

You need to get that test kit right away because if there are toxins in the water you can easily remove them.

None of the fish you have (venustus and unknown mbuna) are a good fit for your tank size.

How about some shellies from Lake Tanganyika? Are those dimensions in inches? Just checking, LOL.


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## tsioftas (Jun 9, 2013)

I didnt do anything but the venustus seems to be better now... no the dimensions are cm i said. anyway the guy at the pet shop said that with the regular change with the vacuum and the use of a medicine (microbacter something like this) we can control the ammonia and nitrites levels.


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## NJmomie (Jan 17, 2013)

Even if you can control the ammonia and nitrites, the tank you have is much too small for the fish you own. You should rehome them and get other fish that will fit the size of your aquarium (once the tank is cycled).


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## tsioftas (Jun 9, 2013)

which species (and how many of them) you suggest for my tank size? (i'm not sure if i will return these fish or buy a bigger tank)


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## NJmomie (Jan 17, 2013)

tsioftas said:


> its dimensions in cm are
> 31x9x9


Are you certain the above is the size of your aquarium? If yes, it is VERY small (1 US gallon) and the MOST you can put in there is one beta fish.


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## k7gixxerguy (Jan 12, 2012)

When they are saying that your tank is too small it is both too small for territory and aggression reasons as well as size. A venestus can get up to about 28 cm long by itself. Picture putting a football (american, ie, not a soccerball) in that tank.


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## tsioftas (Jun 9, 2013)

OMG perhaps I'll buy a bigger tank then


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

But...the smallest tank that will work is 48" even for the mbuna and you said the parents said no to such a big tank?


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## tsioftas (Jun 9, 2013)

My dad said he will buy as big as we can


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## NJmomie (Jan 17, 2013)

Once you figure out the size of the next tank, post on forum and people will help you with selection. In the meantime, I would advise you to re-home the fish you have in that small tank. Also, don't buy any new fish for the new tank until it is fully cycled.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

And...decide what fish to stock after deciding tank size. If it is not 48" you will likely want to trade in the fish you have.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

Unfortunately the fish that you have will not be able to wait for a new tank, in all likelihood.

And venustus need a larger tank than 4 foot, really.


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