Christopher V wants to know:
I can’t figure out what is making my cichlids sick, but they are dying off. They have stopped eating and hide. In the end it looks like their intestines are coming out of their butt. Malawi type. Any ideas what is making them sick? What kind of medicine should I treat with? In a hospital tank? What about my tank, do I have to treat that because of possible reinfections?
I can’t figure out what is making my cichlids sick, but they are dying off. They have stopped eating and hide. In the end it looks like their intestines are coming out of their butt. Malawi type. Any ideas what is making them sick? What kind of medicine should I treat with? In a hospital tank? What about my tank, do I have to treat that because of possible reinfections?
Thanks for any help, it is greatly appreciated
October 17th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
First thing you should do first, is take a water sample in a container to your local pet store. They do water tests for free. So unless you are pro with using test kits, I’d leave it up to the “professionals”.
Usually a sense bad water quality or stress does result in lack of diet, even hiding at times. With Malawi African cichlids, they must have a high pH level. About 7.5 and up, usually adding a little rift salt will help raise the pH level, as well as pH up and various other liquids you should use every time u perform a water change. (Which a 60% water replacements should be done every 2 weeks for maximum health)
2ndly, it could be some sort of parasite, in reference to the white worm like/intestine thing hanging out. Usually that also has to do with either a sick fish entering the tank, or bad water quality (aka high ammonium, nitrates, or nitrites.) If it a parasite, then the local petstore should have some remedies for that.
October 20th, 2009 at 6:52 am
I think you are right when you believe it is bloat. Fish will hide and not eat. Are any of them just sitting on the bottom or at the very top? The intestines you see coming out could be white stingy feces that is usually associated with bloat. Test your water but also cut down your feedings. They get bloats because they do not have enough roughage in their diet so think about switching food. The bacteria for Malawi Bloat is always in their system but can manifest when they become weak. Usually a community tank will lose about three fish if it appears. If they are just not eating there is still time to save them. Secondary symptoms usually mean death. Treat the tank with either pimafix, or clout. With clout:(1) DO NOT FEED ANYTHING during this process.
(2) Start this procedure as soon as the fish shows symptoms (spitting familiar food, hiding during feeding, etc.)
Medication required: Clout (Aquarium Products)
Day 1: Move fish to quarantine tank and treat with Clout at full strength (1 tablet / 10 gallons–remove carbon from filter)
Day 2: No water change. Treat again with Clout at half strength.
Day 3: Do nothing
Day 4: Do an 80% water change and treat with Clout at full strength
Day 5: Do nothing
**Day 6–?: Return fish to main tank only after symptoms have subsided and the fish has been healthy: (eating, swimming, breathing normally) for at least a week.
Resist the urge to try feeding the fish until after the treatment is over and do not cut the treatment short regardless of whether the fish looks better or not. If at any time during the treatment your fish seems to be experiencing stress as a result of the medication then do an immediate 75% water change.
Some stressors:
1. Low oxygen (O2) levels
2. High nitrite (NO2) levels
3. High nitrate (NO3) levels
4. High ammonia levels (NH3)
5. High or low temperature levels
6. Water pH
7. Lighting
8. Rough handling fish
9. Overcrowding
10. Not enough shelter
11. Harassment
12. Excessive salt
13. Improper diet (specifically herbivores)
Make sure these are fixed and your tank should be ok.