# Sick fish or attacked fish?



## SandyLee (Aug 23, 2008)

Hi! I'm new here and new with cichlids. I have an emergency post because my new Cichlid has either suddenly turned ill overnight or was attacked by other Cichlids in my tank. It was fine last night. It looks like a chunk was taken out of its top fin but on the other side it looks like a white mass. I can't tell if it looks like disease or flesh removed. I do have one dominant Cichlid in the tank (a Bumble Bee) and he chases everybody around. I've never seen him make physical contact though. I'm not sure what to do with this ill fish because I'm inexperienced. I'm posting a couple pics and would appreciate some comments and advice. Thanks in advance.


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

Hi and Welcome to Cichlid Forum

From the picture it looks like this fish was attacked and from your description it also sounds like the injury has quickly become infected--not a good sign.

I would remove this fish ASAP to a hospital tank. Hospital tank can be quite simple: a five gallon tank with a sponge filter. You can probably get away without a heater and since it may be a Columnaris infection you'll want to keep the temp around 76 anyways.

For treatment I would go with a combination of Maracyn and Maracyn-two. If you can't find that med look for Kanamycin, Furnon2 or Triple Sulfa.

Add aquarium salt at the rate of 1 tablespoon per five gallons. Dissolve the salt first and add it gradually over several hours time.

Since Columnaris IS contaigious you should do an immediate partial water change on your main tank using a good quality declorinator, turn the heat down to 76 and add salt, 1 tablespoon per five gallons. Keep a close eye on the fish for any signs of infection: white patchy or fuzzy areas anywhere on the body.

Bumble bee cichlids are considered one of the more aggressive cichlids so you may need to re-think the stocking of this tank. What size tank is this, how many and what species do you have in it?

Please post back with any additional questions or concerns.

Robin


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## SandyLee (Aug 23, 2008)

Hi Robin ~ Sorry for the delay replying. I've been out all day.

My tank is 55 gallons. I'm positive that we have too many cichlids for that size tank. But they're still small and by Christmas I want to get a bigger tank so we can split them up. Currently we have 3 BumbleBees, 3 Electric Yellows (1 of them is the injured one), 3 Blue w/black stripes (?), 2 Electric Blues (I think), 2 Paratiliapia polleni (little black guys w/white dots) and 2 small catfish.

The Bumble Bee who's being so bossy, was by itself when we bought the first small group. It's when we bought the 2nd group and we added 2 more Bumble Bees that things got heated. I'm wondering if the pet store might allow us to return him.

The only store that's open around here at this hour is a Walmart. I might just run over there now to buy another small tank. I don't know if they'll have any of the medicines you suggested but I hope they'll have at least one. I'll let you know if I'm successful treating the poor fish. He was so pretty and such a peaceful guy/girl (not sure). Thanks so much for your instruction.


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

Hi

You actually DON'T have too many fish for a 55 gallon. The problem is that Bumble Bee's are just a very aggressive fish. They need to be in a large tank with a male female ratio of one male to every 3-4 females. Even then you may have trouble. I would definitely take them back, they only get more aggressive as they get older. Definitely NOT a beginner fish.

The Electric Yellows on the other hand are on the less aggressive side of things. Still an aggressive fish but you could have a group of them in a 55. They prefer the same male/female ratio but since they are nearly impossible to sex most people get them as juveniles, get more than they need and then return the 'extras's when you're able to determine their sex. (Usually you have to see them spawn in order to be sure who's male and who's female).

Check out the 'Cookie Cutter' article in this site's library to get suggestions for stocking a 55 gallon.

Let me know how it goes with the injured E. yellow.

Robin


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## SandyLee (Aug 23, 2008)

Hi again Robin,
I'm very sad to report that when I woke up this morning and ran into my aquarium room to check on my assaulted Cichlid, it was not in its hospital tank that I did run out to buy and set up late last night. That's because hubby already removed it. It had died sometime during my five hour sleep. I couldn't believe it. Walmart didn't have the meds that you suggested, but I thought what they did have might help hold it over till today until I could buy what you said. I used Start Right because it stated it promotes healing of wounds and infections. I think my guy/gal was just too far gone. It didn't look like fungus or anything was growing on the battered areas; rather, it simply looked like patches of its flesh was ripped away. I was so disappointed. It was my biggest yellow of the three and they never bother anybody.

If the Bumble Bees get more aggressive as they get older, then we're just gonna have to think about getting another big aquarium. We have a friend who has a 55 gallon he's not using anymore and we're hoping he'll decide to offer us a deal on it. I've noticed that the brute Bumble Bee has selected an area that he seems to have claimed as his territory. I worry most about my 2 little black ones with white dots. They're just so precious and I don't want them to venture into his territory and suffer the same fate as the yellow did. So far nobody looks twice at them.

That aggressive one looks like it might be getting fat as if pregnant. I know they don't get pregnant, but if it's a female and has eggs to lay soon, would that make it more aggressive? That thought crossed my mind and wondered if that's what its problem is. My other two Bumble Bees don't bother anybody. Only the brute does.


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

Really sorry to hear the fish didn't make it. Sometimes they go so fast that there's not much you can do.

That would be great if you could get the other 55. Read up on the Bumble Bee so you know what sort of tankmates you can put in with him. In a 55 gallon you want to have between 12 and 20 fish--depending on the species. You don't want to put just the three Bumble Bees in the 55 alone. It's really important to know whether you have male or females since most cichlids need to be kept harem-style, one male to every 3-4 females. Keeping more than one male with only one or two females can create huge problems unless it's a really large tank.

Good luck

Robin


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