# Melanochromis Johanni discoloration



## rsucre (Jun 1, 2008)

My Melanochromis Johanni is becoming pale, discolored. It is more evident in the belly/bottom area of the body. The fish is behaving, swimming and eating normally. My fish are juveniles, don't know exact age, but are around 2.5 inches long. I'm feeding them with spirulina sticks and a bit of Tetra Cichlid flakes. The water quality is excellent. Temperature is 29C. pH is 8.0. I noticed that another fish, a Pseudotropheus Socolofi is also losing it's color and becoming more whitish. Any idea of what could be happening?


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

What size tank is this?

What is your full stock list?

It could be stress, or it could be illness. It could even be that your fish were hormoned when you got them, and that would explain the colour fading now, although this problem isn't as common with mbuna as it is peacocks.

What are the exact water parameters? What type test kits are you using? (liquid reagent or strips?)

What is your usual tank maintenance routine?

How long has the tank been set up?

Have you added new fish recently?

Witnessed more aggression than normal?


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## rsucre (Jun 1, 2008)

The tank is a bowfront 50 gal.
I have 2 pseudotropheus socolofi, 2 yellow labs, 1 melanochromis johanni, 1 albino unknown (has been paceful), 2 red zebra. 
Have had them for around 2 months now.

The parameters that I can tell you: 8.0 - 8.5 pH, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, very low nitrate. I do large (40%) water change per week. I'm in the tropics (Panama), my water has the right pH and tap water has same temperature (almost) as the aquarium (29C). Test kits are regent, Hagen Nutrafin, ammonia test is salicilate based (not nessler). Water conditioner is Amquel+.

Water quality is excelent. Very clean. I have two external filters: Hagen Aquaclear 50 and Cascade 300.

Tank has been set up >3 months ago, I cycled with platties and guppies.

No new fish recently added. All of them were added 2 months ago.

I think that one of the pseudotropheus socolofi is bullying the rest of the fish. His aggression is increasing recently. A couple of days ago, I found an albino (unknown) badly bitten. He died. Bloody, without some fins. I think that the socolofi did this.

Do you think this is caused by stress? Should I remove the over aggressive socolofi?

Thanks!


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

Yes, I think you have some stress issues in the tank, which will worsen as they become sexually mature.

Your stocking isn't optimal for a stress free tank. These aren't pairing fish, they are harem breeders, requiring mulitple females for each male of a species. Having two of one species will only lead to more aggression and stress, be it male/male or male/female.

The biggest problem is that stress will almost always lead to illness and losses.

What are the dimensions of the tank? Let's try to see what you have room for and what needs to go, and how you need to complete the stocking of the tank.

Lucky you, in the tropics!


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## rsucre (Jun 1, 2008)

The size of the tank is 36.5 x 16.5 x 21". As you see it is taller than usual tanks, does not maximize footprint, which would have been better for a cichlid tank.

Another problem that I have is that LFS here in Panama are not knowledgeable, they don't know the type of fish they carry. For them, all kinds of african cichlids are just that, "African Cichlids". When I ask them about the exact type, they look to me as if I was totally crazy. So it has been a challenge when I find a fish I like, coming back home trying to match it in the profile section of this website, etc. Mail ordering from the US is not a very viable option.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

In that case, I would recommend trading all the other fish in for more Yellow labs, if you can find them and identify them. The other species' behaviour won't improve as they mature, it will only get worse. So unless you can identify what you're buying, you're going to be really limited.


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## rsucre (Jun 1, 2008)

I would not like to have a yellow lab only tank...

I have been able to identify some on my own... For instance I know that I have the red zebras, socolofi, johanni, yellow labs. Do you think that the red zebras (which I believe are 1 male 1 female) and yellow labs will not be able to coexist? The johanni? Could I just keep monitoring their behavior and remove any that becomes overly aggressive? Have heard that overstocking the tank also helps to reduce aggressiveness. Is my 50 gal. already overstocked with 8 fish?

The larger socolofi was increasingly aggressive today so I decided to isolate him. It was a challenge trapping him with the net, messed up the entire aquarium. I'm going to give him away (or try to trade him) tomorrow for a female yellow lab -- I have read about how to try to identify their sex (males having black dorsal, pelvic, abdominal fins, black marking in eyes).

Your help is appreciated.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

You don't have ample floorspace to overstock the tank. For the species you have, you need a 4 foot tank minimum.

The problem here is that aggression causes so much stress in a tank. It can manifest in instant deaths, but it can also manifest in illness/disease, and you lose the fish slowly. These cichlids aren't overly forgiving to our mistakes, so it's up to us to take proper care of them and house them appropriately.

Electing to "monitor their behaviour" may prove deadly to some of your fish.

Johanni and red zebra are both of the more aggressive species of mbuna, and I wouldn't advise keeping either with Yellow labs in a tank that small.

What about Ps. demasoni? Can you obtain those? A group of 12 would work with the Yellow labs in that size tank - they are dwarf and an exception to the rule as far as stocking goes.


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