Cichlid hiding!?!?!?

[Colin_T]

If you are going to use heat treatment, do a big water change and complete gravel clean first, and clean your filter. And add some more aeration to the tank to maximise the oxygen in the water. The warmer water holds less oxygen and fish can suffocate if there is not enough surface turbulence.

The big water change and gravel clean will dilute the number of pathogens in the water so the fish will have fewer to deal with while the tank warms up.

Reduce the feeding when using heat because the water can go off faster when its warmer.

 

[Ericag90]

Okay I usually do a 25% water change....maybe a 50? Also I have 2 bubble aeration going I do have one more I can add! Now one question I do have is since I use tap water to replace my water...I have prime and I also have tetra brand water cleanse to make the tap water safe...which should I use!?!?!

 

[Ericag90]

On a different note my little blue guy isn’t
Hiding anymore!!!!

 

[Colin_T]

You want to do as big a water change as possible to dilute the nutrients in the water and also the number of parasites in the tank. A 75% water change will reduce more pathogens than a 50%. So try to do as big a water change as possible. The fish will be fine as long as the new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added.

If you have 2 airstones bubbling away it should be fine and you don't have to add the third. But monitor the fish and if any of them start gasping at the surface, put the other airstone in the tank.

re: Prime vs Tetra brand, use whichever one removes chlorine and chloramine from water.

Good to hear the little blue one is out and about

 

[Ericag90]

Okay thank you!!!!

 

[Ericag90]

Just did my water change....wooooosh that was a process! My temp is at 82 currently. Fish seem happy but the blue one whom was hiding turned BLACK DURING WATER CHANGE and is slowly turning blue again is that normal?

 

[Colin_T]

stress colours and nocturnal colours are usually darker than normal colouration in fish so yes, if the fish was stressed it would go darker.

 

[Ericag90]

Okay thank you!!! And I cannot for the life of me remember how to start a new forum lol

 

[Colin_T]

To start a new thread click the "Forums" button and then scroll down the page to find the section you want to start the thread in. Then at the bottom of that page there should be a button for "Post New Thread"

 

[thrujenseyes]

Hello! And thank you for your sympathy...yes it has I ran it for a couple weeks before adding my cichlids....I did however have a goldfish in it in the beginning ( my kids won at the carnival) when I lost my peacocks and the red eyed cichlid I removed the goldfish thinking the ammonia was too much. I need to get some ph testers and plan on getting the whole kit on Friday when I have some more money. I had 2 Amazon sword plants that I removed yesterday because they were turning brown.... so as of right now I do not know my ph levels they all seem super happy I had no idea this one was even gonna die

Oh boy...this was my fear.
You didn't cycle this tank.
Running for a couple of weeks is not the same as Cycling.
Cycling a tank is very involved and can take about 2 months.
I'd tell you to take these fish back to the store ASAP but they're already ill and you'll have to deal with that.
Although I don't know how that will go being that they're in unstable water.
Everything is going awry because the tank is not cycled and stable.
Please read the article here on Cycling.
Also you'll need test kits, not just ph, but gh, ammonia, nitrate and nitrite.
And because you have cichlids you'll really need to read up on the parameters or find someone here that keeps them as they aren't the same as your average freshwater community tanks.
There is so much more involved with fish keeping than one thinks and people often find themselves in the mess you're in now.
Always best to do very thorough research before jumping into any pet....even just a little fish.
Good Luck, sorry to bring such icky news.

 

[Demeter32]

Just did a quick review of the entire thread. Sounds to me the tank may not have been cycled before adding the fish. Do you know about the Nitrogen cycle? If not you should do some reading up on it, your fishs' well being depends on it. Might be a moot point after the big water change, but can you test the water for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates then post the number results? Also, what is the pH of the water and is it hard or soft?

The heat treatment should work well in your case, get that temp up to 86-88 and leave it there for a couple weeks.

As for fish hiding, they will hide if they feel threatened/stressed, if they are ill, or if someone is bullying them. 55gals should give 12 juvenile fish plenty of room to get away from each other. Can you possibly post a picture of the entire tank? African cichlids prefer to have heavily decorated tanks with lots of rocks (especially mbuna, which your yellow labs and blue zebras are). If a fish doesn't have enough hiding places to feel secure, they will hide all the time. Sounds contradicting, but the more hiding places available the less the fish will hide.

What is the stocking now?

 

[Ericag90]

Hello! The tank was empty for close to a month! Added the goldfish first and the. The chiclids after it cycled. I have the strips and everything is testing great....

 

[Ericag90]

Also was told by the place I bought the fish that only saltwater tanks needed cycled for more than a month? Was I told the wrong info? I did do plenty of research but I like real facts and not google facts

 

[Ericag90]

I don’t see an option for new thread but I keep finding my yellow cichlid up by the heater at the top of the tank!?!?!? I can move him away easily and he stays away for awhile but I go back and he is there!?!? Is he cold!?

 

[Ericag90]

???