Vallisneria Posted November 30, 2009 Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 After 5 years of not having any deaths or issues my 90g african tank isn't doing too well. Previously these were the inhabitants: 2 Ps acei 8 yellow labs 1 P. Pheno 8 Syno. petricola It all started a few months ago, one of my yellow labs died but I didn't notice until I found it floating one day all decomposed at the top of the tank. It had obviously been dead for a LONG time. The water tested ok(0 ammo, 0 nitrite) even with the dead fish in there and I had been doing weekly water changes. I uped my water changes but I stilled lost 1 more yellow lab. I couldn't figure out what killed them. A few weeks later I decided to add a few(8) M.Cyans to the tank. At first things were fine but then the male Cyan started to be aggressive. I noticed him chasing the other cyans, not so much the other fish, but the other fish were the ones showing stress. My Pheno died unexpectedly one night and then over the next week or so the 2 acei were picked on(didn't see it but they were stressed and injured) and died. I decided to add a few more yellow labs to the tank in hopes of spreading the aggression out a bit. It helped a bit but I"m still having a few issues with my older yellow labs. A few days ago I lost another of my "older" labs. It had stopped eating and wasted away(tummy was very sunken). It didn't look like it was getting picked on, it just wouldn't eat. It was interested and would come up to the top but didn't eat anything. Now 2 others aren't eating anymore. One isn't eating at all, but is still interested in food(she comes up to eat but doens't eat the pellets) and the other one tries to eat the pellets but spits them back out. Both don't look very good. I don't know what to do. I've been doing water changes every few days to make sure the water is as clean as possible. Does it sound like the fish are sick with something like a parasite? Bloat? Or is it just them being stressed from the new Cyans? Should I treat with something like Jungle parasite clear as a precaution? I've been feeding NLS Thera A but that doesn't seem to be doing anything, especially now that they aren't eating. I"m so pissed I added those Cyans. I had the perfect "peaceful" african tank before and I ruined it :cry: Current tank info: 90g AC500 & AC300 8 Yellow labs 8 M. Cyans 9 Syno. Petricola Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RD. Posted November 30, 2009 Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 Sorry to hear that Val. At this point I think that treating with Jungle PC or Clout would be the way to go. When stress levels increase in cichlids it's usually followed by an increase in intestinal flagellates. The following quote is from Ad Konings book Back to Nature Guide to Malawi Cichlids 2nd. edition. "Malawi Bloat is believed to be caused by a flagellate (a unicellular animal, a protozoan). This flagellate occurs in the intestines of all Malawi cichlids but normally causes no harm since the fish's immune system can cope with it. However, in a stressful situation such a balance may disappear and the fish may lose its resistance against an outbreak of a flagellate "attack". This often leads to bloat." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallisneria Posted November 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 Yeah thats what I figured Would you recommend the jungle clear or the clout? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RD. Posted November 30, 2009 Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 Either or, but Jungle PC should resolve any internal issues and I find it less caustic than Clout. Treat for 48 hrs, 25% water change, then give a break for 24 hrs, then treat for another 48 hrs. Good luck Val! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallisneria Posted November 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 Thanks Neil, I"ll see what I can pick up tonight. Hopefully the fish start doing better. I forgot how discouraging it is to loosing fish, especially your favorite fish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallisneria Posted December 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2009 First round of medication(Jungle labs parasite clear) is done. The sick fish haven't eaten yet, they keep spitting it out. But they don't look like they have gotten any worse, like the others had by now. I also take it as a good sign that they are still attempting to eat, even if they do spit it out. Just finished the water change and I'll start another medication round tomorrow. Hopefully that will do the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallisneria Posted December 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2009 OK 2 rounds of Jungle Labs parasite clear complete. The fish are looking better but there is still 1 that is spitting the food out. She is a yellow labs and is very skinny. Today she went after the food enthusiastically and I thought she would eat it, as she didn't spit it out right away and ate a couple pellets. But after maybe 15secs she spit all the pellets out What should I do about her? Does the medicine keep working even after the treatment? Anything else I can do? I did a big water change tonight to get the medication out of the water. I'm going to add some carbon but was wondering if I could use these Fluval Carbon Pads A friend gave me a couple boxes of them. They look like a black filter floss pad and according to the packaging they are "High quality carbon impregnated pads" that "remove harmful liquids". Will they do the job or should I stick with regular activated carbon? Just trying to use these guys up. Thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catshanon Posted December 6, 2009 Report Share Posted December 6, 2009 I hope you don't have the callamanus nematode. My fishes were infected with that and they used to take the food and then spit it out. You are more experienced than me, so I guess you will know better if its really the nematode infestation. If you see worms sticking out from the anus, then I guess it might be callamanus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallisneria Posted December 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2009 I hope you don't have the callamanus nematode. My fishes were infected with that and they used to take the food and then spit it out. You are more experienced than me, so I guess you will know better if its really the nematode infestation. If you see worms sticking out from the anus, then I guess it might be callamanus. Nope, I dont' see any worms sticking out or any issues with the anal area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RD. Posted December 6, 2009 Report Share Posted December 6, 2009 Val - those Fluval pads will be fine, I typically just use large water changes to remove any residual meds. (at least when using Jungle PC) Does the medicine keep working even after the treatment? Not really, no. You could remove the single lab & try treating further, but I wouldn't continue treating the main tank if the rest of the fish are now eating & showing signs of improvement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallisneria Posted December 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2009 Val - those Fluval pads will be fine, I typically just use large water changes to remove any residual meds. (at least when using Jungle PC) Does the medicine keep working even after the treatment? Not really, no. You could remove the single lab & try treating further, but I wouldn't continue treating the main tank if the rest of the fish are now eating & showing signs of improvement. If I were to leave the lab in the tank would there be a risk of her reinfecting the others if she is still sick? Or could she be disease free but just too far gone to get better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RD. Posted December 6, 2009 Report Share Posted December 6, 2009 Yes, to both questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallisneria Posted December 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2009 Ok thanks Neil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallisneria Posted December 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2009 Success!!!! -ham- She is eating again! This is the first time i've actually saved a fish that stopped eating :thumbs: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyBlue Posted December 14, 2009 Report Share Posted December 14, 2009 Success!!!! -ham- She is eating again! This is the first time i've actually saved a fish that stopped eating :thumbs: Yayyyyyyyyyy I hope your troubles are over I just love the yellow labs someday I hope 2 afford a larger tank and yellow labs you worked very hard on this Well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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