# My Melanochromis auratus looks weird



## Airamith (Dec 24, 2011)

Ok, so this guy, dubbed "Dude" by my nephew, is almost three years old now, and he has never had any health issues. His take mates are a Pseudotropheus williamsi (Blue), a mixed breed of unknown origin (Spot) and a synodontis eruptus (The Don). The only two who give each other attitude are Blue and The Don, and then only until The Don puts Blue's entire head in his mouth, then they both chill out together in the same hole. I don't get it, but anyway. Yesterday Dude went from looking healthy and normal like always to being seriously faded. Their water temp hasn't changed, chemicals are within normal ranges (I did water tests to check), didn't change their food or feeding times, no new tank mates, and no one else is looking different. I still put him in the holding tank to be safe though. That tank I also tested before putting him in it. I keep some feeders in there and test it on a regular basis, keep it going in case I have an emergency.

While he LOOKS different, all faded out, he isn't really acting any different. I mean he looks a little fat, but not bloat kind of fat. I worked in a pet store for almost two years, and while they didn't teach me anything useful (naturally) I did learn to recognize things like that. He's still eating, and acting normal. Still comes to the front of the tank to greet us, and is acting like he's King Tut in his own tank, but nothing unusual.

Anyone have any ideas?

Also, I have NEVER had so many problems entering a confirmation code. It says its wrong even if I double and triple check it before hitting submit.


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

Did the Auratus have male coloring (dark with white middle stripe) or juvenile female color (yellow white with black middle stripe)?

If the fish is eating it must be okay, no need to stress it out in isolation.

Color can change with pecking order. Also mature females are known to change to an ugly half male color sometimes when holding or no males around.


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## Airamith (Dec 24, 2011)

I'm pretty sure it's an adult male, he looks like most of the pictures I've seen.

You think he's stressing more because I put him alone? Maybe I should just put him back and keep an eye on him, I don't want to make things worse for him. He's almost black, with just a stripe down his middle and some lines on his face.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e165/ ... 130759.jpg

That's the best picture I could get of him, he's camera shy apparently. That faded color is VERY abnormal for him. He's usually very very dark, almost a blue black color.


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## Jarryd330 (Sep 14, 2011)

noki said:


> Did the Auratus have male coloring (dark with white middle stripe) or juvenile female color (yellow white with black middle stripe)?
> 
> If the fish is eating it must be okay, no need to stress it out in isolation.
> 
> Color can change with pecking order. Also mature females are known to change to an ugly half male color sometimes when holding or no males around.


My female turned ugly brown because I have no males. She even turns all black sometimes.


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## riverpaws (Dec 7, 2011)

Airamith said:


> Also, I have NEVER had so many problems entering a confirmation code. It says its wrong even if I double and triple check it before hitting submit.


First of all, thank you for admitting that. It makes me feel better that I couldn't get the code when I signed up either. Took me like 20 minutes trying fifteen different codes.  :roll:

Second, is he panting at all? Breathing abnormally? I had a fish mute its color recently when it got the beginning stages of ick on it. couldn't see the ick for a few days, but then it turned up a few days later and I was like....Oh.


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## Airamith (Dec 24, 2011)

Hmm. I've been watching him and I haven't really noticed him breathing weird. He's a lot more shy since going in the new tank, but I think that's because of the log house he can hide in. I've noticed that if they can actually hide INSIDE something, they tend to never want to come out. >.>

In case of the ick though I'll leave him in the isolation tank. It's still a fully functioning tank, with decorations and all, so its not like he's being tortured. I don't want anyone else to get sick if this is the problem. I'll also keep an even closer eye on everyone else. They still seem 100% normal, Blue is spitting rocks at the tank as I speak. Apparently I'm late with dinner. xD

Completely unrelated and about a different fish. Blue, the male williamsi, has this habit of swimming all over the bottom of the tank and...vibrating his body. I get the feeling he's doing something manly and gross, but I don't know. Do any of you?

And lol. I kind of didn't want to, but at the same time I was like "Omg, I can't be the only one suffering from this problem." xD


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Airamith said:


> he's doing something manly and gross, but I don't know. xD


Spawning and/or showing aggression to the other fish. You were right. :thumb:


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## riverpaws (Dec 7, 2011)

LOL manly and gross??? I prefer to think: sexy cichlids...


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## brinkles (Jan 30, 2011)

If he normally has some blue to him, check this guy out:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/m_chipokae.php


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## Airamith (Dec 24, 2011)

Oh wow, he's beautiful. But no, Dude has no blue like that on him. When I said blue I meant more like, so black it's a little blue.

For an update he hasn't changed at all. He's still eating normally and swimming around, but he's also still really faded out. I don't know what could be causing it, but as long as he doesn't get any worse, I'll be happy.


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## Airamith (Dec 24, 2011)

http://s39.photobucket.com/albums/e165/ ... -26-52.mp4

I figured a video might help. They're all in there. You can really see how discolored Dude is in this video too. D: My poor baby. You can tell he's still a good eater though. Even the kitten eyeballing him didn't deter him from stuffing his face. xD Sorry about the quality, I took it with my cell phone.


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## riverpaws (Dec 7, 2011)

Airamith said:


> http://s39.photobucket.com/albums/e165/Airamith/?action=view&current=video-2011-12-26-09-26-52.mp4
> 
> I figured a video might help. They're all in there. You can really see how discolored Dude is in this video too. D: My poor baby. You can tell he's still a good eater though. Even the kitten eyeballing him didn't deter him from stuffing his face. xD Sorry about the quality, I took it with my cell phone.


That is one chunky fish!  Have you tried not feeding him for a couple days?


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## Airamith (Dec 24, 2011)

We're doing that now, spacing the feeding out a little farther than usual.

I think he's getting worse though. Now his color is a little better, but he's swimming weird now. Pretty much vertical, only swimming normally when someone else gets close to him. D: I'm really worried now.


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## riverpaws (Dec 7, 2011)

Swim bladder problem maybe?


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## Airamith (Dec 24, 2011)

Well normally when they have swim bladder problems, don't they tend to float with their rear going up and head going down? He's the other way. His head is facing the surface and his tail is facing the bottom.

I was thinking constipation? I'm pretty new to cichlids, but I know we usually treat it with peeled peas in other fish so I went ahead and peeled cooked peas (total pain in the butt) and dropped them in there. Everyone likes them, so I spread the joy.

Any ideas on that?


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## Airamith (Dec 24, 2011)

Also Blue is a Pseudotropheus socolofi, not a williamsi. My mistake. D:


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## Airamith (Dec 24, 2011)

He's not going to make it. T-T We can't figure out what's wrong, and while we've treated him for some different things that he has symptoms for, nothing is helping. No one else has gotten sick that we can tell. Everyone is in full color and healthy as always. Only Dude is sick. I just don't understand.


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## riverpaws (Dec 7, 2011)

Airamith said:


> He's not going to make it. T-T We can't figure out what's wrong, and while we've treated him for some different things that he has symptoms for, nothing is helping. No one else has gotten sick that we can tell. Everyone is in full color and healthy as always. Only Dude is sick. I just don't understand.


That's frustrating. I'm sorry. Did you read the article on bloat? Is he still eating?


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## Airamith (Dec 24, 2011)

We treated for bloat in several different ways, nothing seemed to help.

I thought constipation, so we treated for that after giving him a bit of a break from medicine. I didn't want to treat him non-stop because that alone could kill him. He pooped after the treatment, and he's still eating and pooping, but not getting any healthier.

He has no sores on his body, I can't see any type parasite on him anywhere. We tried melafix as a general cure all and our last ditch effort because his fins and scales have started to deteriorate. Nothing has seemed to do him any good. He's still breathing, but it takes everything he has just to keep from laying belly up on the bottom of the tank.

My husband tested all of the levels. Plain tap water, then treated water, then the established water in both tanks. There was nothing abnormal, and the treatment worked to remove all the bad things from the tap water. I don't know what to do for him anymore.


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## Airamith (Dec 24, 2011)

R.I.P. Dude.

I still have no idea what happened, so I went through some extreme cleaning. I emptied the isolation tank, scrubbed everything in it, including the rocks, and washed the tank out. Then I refilled it and let it run for a couple days, put some tetras in there for couple more days and when they didn't die I moved everyone still alive from the big tank to the holding tank and did the same thing to it. Everyone is now safely back in their homes and seemingly happy about it. Well, Blue is utterly outraged because I destroyed his house, but he's quickly setting things to rights.

If anyone can think of ANYTHING that could have killed Dude, I would like to know so please post any ideas you may have.


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## lilcountrygal (Dec 27, 2011)

Sorry to hear about Dude. I had been reading up on the thread since its onset. I hate losing fish.

Which makes me wonder (its actually a question, not so much an explanation of Dude)... what IS the life expectancy of Mbuna? Could it be that he just lived a full life?


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## Airamith (Dec 24, 2011)

According to some quick research they have a life-span of 10 years. He was only 3. :/


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## lilcountrygal (Dec 27, 2011)

I was way off. Again, sorry


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## eeztropheus (Jan 10, 2010)

Stressed


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## Airamith (Dec 24, 2011)

From what though? It's not like the second tank is something horrible, and he's been in there before. Usually he would exhibit stress signs from being put back into the big tank, not from having to stay in the 20 gallon by himself. In fact he always seemed to increase his activity levels in the isolation tank. Making a nest, rubbing on everything in there, displaying his fins at me like Blue does when I feed them.

They've all been in isolation before. When ever something happens to them, or once when something happens to the tank itself and I have to empty it for what ever reason, even though it isn't isolation when they're all in there together. THAT is when I worry about stress related death. >.<

I know that in reality no one will be able to give me an answer, I'm just hoping someone will recognize something and tell me what I can do if it ever happens to anyone else.


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## Ntrinsic (Jan 30, 2012)

@ Airamith
The fin deterioration is often due to bacterial infection, often a secondary affliction from stress of the primary ailment. The proper treatment is quite harsh, I generally use a combo of melafix and salt. For the salt, it's a mix. Regular dose aquarium salt with a very light dose of epsom salt. Yeah, ANOTHER use for epsom salt  
Honestly, the only Mbuna I had issues with was a Metriaclima Crabro. With the others (Greshakei, Mbenji, Estherae, Johanni, Acei, Lombardoi, Callainos, Socolofi, Auratus, Polystigma, Caeruleus, leleupi <Tanganyika> and Hap Sp #44 <Victoria>) the problem was each other. I did have a male Oscar that had issues - put carbon in, he got ick, cloudy-eye and fin rot, if not swim bladder problems. Melafix, salt, 82 degrees did the trick. Melafix and salt = the Duck tape and WD40 of aquariums :thumb: IMHO, avoid other stuff unless they fail. Read the warning labels on some of 'em, rude eye-opener, that. Suggest gloves  
The loss of coloration, I agree with others, stress (probably due to the "mystery issue). I had a Greshakei or Mbenji (difficult to tell apart) that looked like Pawn Stars (called him Porky) and swore up and down he was ill - happens that he was just... thick.
Mbuna have silly-long intestines due to the nature of their food in the wild. If I *HAD TO* guess, I'd say "maybe" your fish had a blockage. Maybe swallowed a rock? Epsom might help with constipation but a solid blockage... unless you know a killer fish surgeon, not much you could have done. What toasts my biscuits is that your fish was coming out and taking food (or so it appeared). Only other "theory" I am willing to put forth is possible tumor, pressing on intestines and causing restriction/blockage "somewhere." Without a necropsy, mystery remains.
I also have a Synodontis Featherfin. Lost my Lombardoi and Auratus to him (and many a tertra, etc), fighting over hiding spots. Some species of Synodontis are BRUTAL mean. When light goes off, IT'S ON (they're nocturnal)! Got one from a friend after it beat the **** out of a Black Ghost several times its size, called that one Taz (manian Devil). I actually gave it to somebody else for it beating on my Featherfin and Mbuna. Think that one was a Nigrita. IMHO, avoid them. Nasty little devils. Featherfin can be a rough customer, the other one was magnitudes nastier. Like a pleco compared to an Auratus. Ya know?
Sorry for being so verbose... I actually joined the forum to reply to this thread. I sincerely hope something in my ramblings is helpful/useful to you and wish you the best with the rest of your flock. Had two Socolofi, loved them. The "shimmy" they do is hilarious to watch. All I have right now is 1 Featherfin, 1 Auratus, 1 Firemouth and 1 Jack Dempsey (a most gleefully violent male). The Auratus is soon to go in with the Dempsey (Boca). BTW, that Chipokae OP sent picture of? AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!!!!!! In an aquarium, can be FAR WORSE than ANY Lombardoi (Kenyyi) or Auratus or Johanni!!! It's got a temperament like the Dempsey or Jaguar cichlids, NASTY is a sore understatement. And... males get big, 6+ inches. Murder on the half-shell, so to speak.
Best Regards,
Ntrinsic


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## Airamith (Dec 24, 2011)

Ntrinsic:

Thank you for your post, I really appreciate it. I know how violent The Don can be, I've done night recordings to monitor their behavior before. Thankfully, he's very calm and only attacks Blue, never Spot. This is because Blue is an a-hole and won't leave him alone. It's a never ending pattern in my tank. Blue with pick and peck and bite, and push and tail slap The Don non-stop and he'll put up with it for awhile. But then he snaps and attacks. The first time I saw it I freaked out, thought Blue was a gonner. His whole HEAD disappeared into The Dons mouth! I started yelling OMG DON NO SPIT HIM OUT! as if he could hear and understand me. Then a few seconds later he did spit him out, and Blue slunk to the bottom of the tank to hide in his terracotta house for the rest of the day. Since then, this has become a weekly activity. I have never though, never once, caught The Don picking on anyone else. Even with night shows (yes I love my fish enough to spend the night watching them sometimes. >.>) he only ever goes after Blue.

At this point, no one else is showing any signs of illness. I'm going to have to agree that it was probably something like a blockage or tumor. I can't think of anything else. We won't be adding any new members to this tank though. The three of them will be alone in their 56 column until we buy a new tank, closer to 220 in size.


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## r-fishies (Jan 2, 2012)

Several similar things to my tank here. My Auratus 'Rat' for his charming personality, regularly changes his colors. He appears healthy enough but he goes from proper dress colors, to almost all white,at least very faded, to very dark all over & even upside down colors. Crazy. I got him a female once but in 2 days he killed her. I felt so bad for her  No more, he will be my 1 and only token Auratus. He went through a rediculously aggressive period so that earned him a 3 week tme out in the 10 g. He's been a pretty good boy since. 
I have a Greshakei who is also 'thick'! I love this fish & want at least one female for him, haven't found any around here yet (I see ntrinsic is in Gloucester-maybe u know of some? I'm in Guinea)Grey is quite an excavator too. And on telling the difference, the Greshakei has the orange only going down the top half of his tail, a definite line right in the middle of the tail.
I have a 'Blue' socolofi pair too. (Wonder how many of us call ours 'blue')They regularly breed & blue is psychotic! Sometimes call him BB for bossy blue. Zips around at full speed, shimmies at everyone, would like to claim at least half of the 300g tank, but Grey & the dominant male Kenyi (want him? lol) won't allow it. Just those 3 are endless entertainment. 
At the moment I have 14 fishin it with about that many more of various kinds growing out in the 55.


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