Sick Johannie And Male Convict Distress

[electric yellow]

Hi everyone!

Its been a stresfull month for us! We have moved house and all our tanks and fish came with us. 2x 3ft, 1x 4ft and 2 30Ltr tanks. I have a couple of urgent questions though...

1 - Im having a problem with one of my Johannies though. He is going white/losing his colour and his dorsal fin is disappearing. I have inspected him daily for signs of fungus and there is not one sign. He is still eating but he hides behind things now because he gets chased around. He hasnt lost any weight and is not showing signs of being skinny. I think they are trying to pick him off because there is something wrong with him. Hes one of the first cichlids i got so there is no reason for him to suddenly get picked on when he is big and one of the eldest. I dont know what could be wrong with him. He was okay when we moved them all. A few days before we moved i lost one of my yellow tail acie's to what seems to be the same thing. He seems to be hanging in their longer though. His appetite hasnt died but he is looking worse every day. There are moments where he is full colour, then white. Could it be ammonia poisoning from we moved them? We kept them all in a large tub with a small filter and heater and they were in their tank water. Possibly an internal bacteria? I tried to catch him in the net the other day but i think he knows me to well when i net them they tend to not come back...

When i set the tank back up i expected it to cycle again but it hasnt even mini cycled. The readings have been spot on and i dare say the water quality is way better here then at my other home. Any ideas what could be btohering him? Naturally i thought the othes were being aggressive to him but he only gets picked on now when he comes out of hiding.

Tank stocking and details:

high range natural ph of 8.decore - white sand, plants, huge ship wreck, lots of hiding spots, deep 3ft tank, lighting 8hrs a day, heated t 28deg, mix of south american and african cichlids. most were all raised together since they were tiny. limited agression if at all. mature tank running into its third year. weekly sand vac and filter wash when needed.

2x electric yellow females (1 is 2yrs old and came with the johannies)
2x electric blue female
3x convicts...was 4 but one got stuck under a cave today and drowned the dads pacing frantically round back and forth stressing looking for his partner.
3x baby convicts
1x yellow tail acie female which is two years old

...some 3week old convict fry...

2 - one of my female convicts...the one that bred like there was no tmw...i found dead today when i got home. she had dug a hole under her cave and it rolle dover and she couldnt get out. did she drown? her eyes were wide open and her mouth was wide open to. i found her inside her upside down cave. her babies had got out and the dad is defending them like a solider. he is so stressed. i have removed half of the babies and am letting him keep the rest to let nature take its course. will he repair up with another one of my girls? he is argueing with them all and is so distressed because he female is gone. ive had the light off so he settles down and have put plants around their cave so he doesnt have to man the fry so much. he is returning them when they wander to far but he just keeps pacing back and forth...

 

[WILDER]

Does his belly look sunken in.
Does he sometimes swim on his side.
Check his anus to see if it's enlarged or red and inflamed.
What does it look like when he goes to the toilet.
Can the fish maintain balance.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing, or excess mucas, or laboured breathing.
What do the fish gills look like.
Does he act listless and lethagic.

It could be a bacterial infection if he pale and has finrot.

 

[electric yellow]

Does his belly look sunken in. - no not really. he still has the same body shape
Does he sometimes swim on his side. - yes, ive caught him doing that and swimming with on a horirzontal angle with his head upwards
Check his anus to see if it's enlarged or red and inflamed. - it looks normal
What does it look like when he goes to the toilet. - it looks ok. i have to inspect again
Can the fish maintain balance. - not really. when he is swimming around he is ok but he tends to lose his balance.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing, or excess mucas, or laboured breathing. - no flicking or rubbing. breathing is quicker and def laboured
What do the fish gills look like. - normal. blue like the rest of him or white when he turns white.
Does he act listless and lethagic. - not really. he isnt as active as he use to be but he still interacts with us when we walk past.



...if its finrot wouldnt there be visible signs like a fungus i could see?

 

[WILDER]

It sounds like swim bladder.
What do you feed the fish.

Can you issolate him.
http/www.flippersandfins.net/SwimbladderDisease.htm

 

[electric yellow]

Possibly swim bladder. He may of got knocked around a bit in the tub in the back of my car when we moved house the other week. Its only been since then that hes gone weird. I havent fed them today but i fed them yday morning. I will try to catch him and isolate him in my spare tank.

 

[electric yellow]

Is there symptoms i should watch out for incase is something more than swim bladder? Can other fish catch swim bladder if its an organ thing?

 

[WILDER]

Here a look to swim bladder.
http/www.flippersandfins.net/SwimbladderDisease.htm

But if he's poo not long white and stringy or clear it dosn't sound bacterial or internal parasite are involved.

 

[electric yellow]

Yeah true. I did look at that link I have tackled ich, fin rot and internal bacteria before with other fish so he really just appears to have swim bladder i think. I think his dorsal fin is disappearing due to stress so isolation should help him.

 

[WILDER]

Good Luck.