# African Cichlids' Fins Have Gotten A Tiny Bit Chipped!



## mysterycichlids2 (May 11, 2012)

Hi, my african cichlids' fins have gotten a little bit chipped off. (By little I mean 0.15-0.2cm) They seem to be swimming fine and on the fish, there's only one fin that's gotten this chip (usually the top one or the tail). They rush to eat as normal, and the fins don't seem to be as extreme as rotting, so are they rotting? Please help!


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

Need some additional info, please post:
Tank Dimensions-
Water Parameters (Temperature, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, pH and if possible GH and KH)-
What and How Often You Feed-
How long the fish has been in it's current tank-
Fish species and Tankmates-
How long the tank has been running-
Regular water change amount and frequency-
List any water additives-

Usually, clean water low in nitrates is sufficient to allow torn or nipped fins to heal on their own. Increase the frequency of your water changes and regularly observe for any signs of infection such as white or gray fluffy growth or redness.


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## mysterycichlids2 (May 11, 2012)

Tank is 40 gallons in size will measure later.
Temp - 25 C = 75 F
I feed veggie flakes and cichlid flake frenzy 3-4 times a day.
The fish is very used to its tank since it has been in it for about 6 months. (A few of them have the nipped fins)
The water quality should be good since I change the water once a week. Amount 1/4
I have various species. They are red zebra cichlids, blue zebra cichlids, auratus cichlids, electric yellows, and one tropheus duboisi. (About two of each listed except for duboisi)
I only add cichlid lake salt.
That's all I can give for now. I will specify more later. Thanks GTZ for the quick reply!!


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

Glad to help. Unfortunately, I'm not surprised that there are nipped fins, due to your stocking. Generally, multiple species of mbuna require a 4 foot tank. Auratus are one of the more aggressive mbuna and are recommended to be stocked at 1 male to 6 or more females in nothing less than a 75 gallon tank.
Assuming that your 40 gallon is a 36" tank, it's sufficient in size to house a single mbuna species, preferably dwarf, such as Pseudotropheus saulosi, alternatively you could have success with 3 or 4 yellow labs in a 1 male to 3 female ratio.
Also note that mbuna don't pair. Instead, males have harems of females. Due to their aggressive nature, it's wise to stock multiple females, otherwise a single female will eventually be harassed to death.


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## mysterycichlids2 (May 11, 2012)

Thanks again GTZ! Does the female always get harrased to death?


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

mysterycichlids2 said:


> Thanks again GTZ! Does the female always get harrased to death?


I'd say more often than not. Certainly the odds aren't in her favor, especially if she has spawned and is holding young. The male may want to spawn again before she's ready which will raise stress levels and invite illness.


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## mysterycichlids2 (May 11, 2012)

Wouldn't taking her out after she has spawned prevent that?


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

mysterycichlids2 said:


> Wouldn't taking her out after she has spawned prevent that?


In protecting her yes it would help. It would not protect the other fish. Once he is revved up so to speak he will harass the rest of the fish. It really is too small a tank for most of these fish. You really need a 4' long and 18" deep tank minimum. Even then you may still have issues.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Also if you take her out and she is out of the tank for 28 days until she spits, you could have trouble adding her back. Established fish will almost always harass a single new fish.

And this does not just happen when she is holding. If she is just not ready to spawn (maybe she just spit) he will still harass her because HE wants to spawn. The constant fleeing wears her out and even minor injuries (he will nip her fins and scales) cause stress.


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## mysterycichlids2 (May 11, 2012)

With all these troubling problems, does anyone know what I could do?


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

mysterycichlids2 said:


> With all these troubling problems, does anyone know what I could do?


Bigger tank...or different stock list. That is going to be your only solution. You can do as GTZ has suggested with a couple smaller species.


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## mysterycichlids2 (May 11, 2012)

Okay, I'll save up for a bigger tank. But my fish don't seem to be attacking each other, though they do chase each other. The tropheus duboisi doesn't pick on any of the other fish and rarely gets picked on. My fish aren't adults, but do they develop aggression, or get it when they're little? My fish are about 2.5 inches.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

mysterycichlids2 said:


> Okay, I'll save up for a bigger tank. But my fish don't seem to be attacking each other, though they do chase each other. The tropheus duboisi doesn't pick on any of the other fish and rarely gets picked on. My fish aren't adults, but do they develop aggression, or get it when they're little? My fish are about 2.5 inches.


Some are very aggressive even when really small...some develop more aggression as they reach maturity. Hard to say.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

The evidence of the attacks are the chipped fins. They are biting each other.


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