Newbie .... Intoduction .... HELP!!

Hi

I live in Bellville Cape Town, 25 years old.

I am new to fish keeping and need some help. I got a tank holding yellow morphs (breeding pairs) which I have been keeping very happy as they have been breading non stop for 5 months now (got 5 generations of fry and juvies). Last week I was given Red Top Gallireya 1 male two femamels, 1 Red Tail Shark. (all some kind of Malawi)

I watched them close to make sure they new fish don't upset the tank politics. They seemed to be contempt with each other.

I returned from my weekend to find one of the yellow morphs looking terrible!!!

He has become very thin, completely off color, breathing fast (looks like he could be panting), and his gills seemed to inflamed as well as his nostrils with red discoloration. There seem to be red sores down the one side of the body close to the dorsal fin. I have isolated him in a nursery net, gave him some food, but he is definitely not eating a thing.

I can see he is distress, but I have not a clue what is wrong. I am afraid for my other fish. I have not had to deal with sick fish before.

Take into account 5 new fish was introduced to the tanks no less thank two weeks ago. All the others seem to be doing fine, including the new ones.

Any one got a clue what it could be and how it should be treated.

 

Hi Foxy Smurf

Firstly welcome to the TASA!

Is it possible to take a photo of the sick fish at all. It will help to try and identify what the problem may be. Also if possible to help the pros here, if you can give info on your water parameters eg Nitrate levels, ammonia levels etc as well as how often you do water changes. The more info you can give the better the quality of help you can get. From your post can we assume that you did not quarantine the new fish before placing them with your other fish?

 

*burst out in tears!!!!*

"info on your water parameters eg Nitrate levels, ammonia levels etc" <- no idea what you are talking about!!! I clean the tank every two weeks and do i 40% water change. It kept the fish happy (so i thought as i saw them breading) Never knew water had to be tested! The tank and fish was given to me by a client whom moved out of the country.

There was no time to quarantine, the new fish came from a 2000L tank set as a wall in office, it burst. They grabbed what ever fish from the ground and called every one they know whom have a tank to find space for the miss placed fish swimming on the carpet.


I seriousely need to hook up with some one in Cape Town that can show me the proper way of doing things. I dont want my babies to die because I dont know exactly what I am doing or should be doing.

 

If your fish isn't eating then it really is not a good sign - sorry. Just a few more questions - have you managed to notice what his faeces looks like? Is it pale and stringy or normal?

Don't worry too much about testing the water right now, we'll explain that later. When last did you do a water change and do you add water dechlorinator before adding the new water to the tank?

 

Hi Foxy Smurf
You refer to yellow morph. Morph is usually a variant in colour or location on an existing species. What I need to know is what you have a yellow morph of. This will give an indication of aggression etc.
With regards your new additions, your red tail shark is not a malawi.
Yes, quarantine would have been first prize. What also helps, especially with very territorial species such as malawi cichlids is to remove all rocks and decor when introducing new fish leave it out for a week or so and then put it back. This gives all fish equal opportunity to establish a territory.
My personal view is that your very delicate balance has now been distrupted. Even though the affected fish is not one of the new ones, he was probably lower down the hierarchy, a subdominant male, and when all hell broke loose with the additions, he was first in line as being the same species as the dominant male in your tank, the "yellow morph". Get us some photos of all the species and I'm sure we can help some more.
With regards to helping him now, I would say try a hopspital tank if you have one, with two tablespoons per litre of aquarium salt. Make sure the tank is well oxygenated and leave the food for a few days.

 

hello and welcome to TASA! yep, we need some pics of the sick fish so we can help get him better...

 

Also if you could perhaps tell us if he is doing anything else 'funny', such as holding his fins against his body, rubbing up against things as though he is itchy, sitting with his mouth at the top of the water or just lying at the bottom of the tank....anything you can think of which is outside of his normal behaviour, even if you think it is not relevant, rather tell us as it could help diagnose what the problem is:blink1: I'll be holding thumbs for him and you in the meantime. :bigsmile:

 

I have been desperately trying to borrow a friends camera. Just cant get hold of one and my camera phone SUX!!

He is not rubbing up against anything. I have noticed he is very still, not moving much and sometimes he moves up to the surface of the tank. He has also developed eeeuuuhhh .... something that looks likes red dots on the ends op his tail fin, his dorsal fin is going transparent at the ends.

I have not seen his poo at all. So I cant comment on it.

I will update as I can ...

I don't have a hospital tank, so he has got to stay where he is for now. I would take him out and chuck him in a bucket but there would be no air supply then.

 

Foxy you mentioned that you put him in a nursery net - does this net attach to the side of the tank and share the same water as the main tank? Or is it enclosed (the water is separated from the main tank and cannot flow from the 'hospital net' to the tank?

 

The net is in the tank with the other fish. Attached to the side sharing the same water.

I just been watching and noticed another fish with a red spot on its side.

You know I think it might be the red tail shark being a brute. Can he bite the other fish?

 

The red tailed shark could be biting them but I doubt that is your problem. Is the tank at your office? Perhaps I could stop off there on my way home tonight and take a look and perhaps get a decent photo as well. Could you describe EXACTLY what the other fish which is showing the red spots is doing?

 

That is the combo of fish in the tank, plus a catfish. (the pics I found on the net, not mine in the tank)

Could you describe EXACTLY what the other fish which is showing the red spots is doing? <--- He seems to be happy and fat, not doing anything out of the ordinary. But I did see him being chased by the shark.

I will be ecstatic of you would be able to come have a look. I would even DRIVE to come get you where ever you are. The fish is in my office near Killarney gardens. I catch a ride with the boss back to Bellville at 5, but I can come back with my own car no problem.

 

I was supposed to go to Jo'burg today but it has been postponed until tomorrow early morning. I'm currently in Paarl and will leave here at 5. Usually get back to the Northern Suburbs at around 6h30ish. Send me your details via pm and we can get in touch. Check your pm as well, I've sent you my contact details.

 

Foxy, take a half an hour or so and watch the tank carefully. You will discover who the brute is. Then you know who to remove etc.

 

Thanks Rowland

I have been watching them for more than 2 hours now. Inspecting every inch of the other fish for any bad signs. The red tail shark seem to be keeping the malawi's on one side of the tank. And he is still doing lots of chasing. And I have only notice one other that looks a little dodge.

I saw the sick fish pecking at a grain of food I dropped in this morning. He still looks very poorly. I hope we can possible sort him out tonight.

 

MASSIVE BIG HUGE ...... THANK YOUUUUU to veegal!!!!

Driving out to the middle of no where late at night to look at my sick fish, testing my water and giving me a quick 101 on fish keeping.

We where able to sort out the problem quick quick.

The poor fish was being bullied by the shark, due to that he got stressed and also picked up a bacterial infection.

I will be popping down to a shop to go pick up some meds for him and also parts for a second 200L tank to put the shark and his buddy the catfish in.

yay ... I am so relieved to know what the problem was.

 

It was great meeting you and it is only an absolute pleasure As I said, I know what it feels like to want to help your fishy friends and not have a clue where to start - we were all there at some stage.

Let's hope he gets better quickly. Keep me up to date with how he's doing please

I'll be sending you a pm now to explain about the filter story so check your mail

 

Hey Cisca - How's your fish doing???

 

Hi

Very good thank you. She seems to be healed up now, but she is still very thin from not eating before. Im just fating her up before I let her back into the big tank.

 

Good stuff I'm glad to hear that.