Aquarium troubles
Tue, 05/04/2010 - 22:47
Hey guys, the other day my filter broke and I put some cycled HOB on there but about two days later I got another canister , and a UV filter as well. The water is now really clear and wonderful, but some of my fish aren't eating. All my smaller fish which i got from Samuel are doing great, but the larger cichlids don't want to eat. They started out eating the food that I was giving the great they also killed almost all the gold fish in the tank and one of my silver dollars. I don't know why they wont eat. The tank is perfect. Are they on a hunger strike?? PS. Samuel I will be taking your filter back tomorrow thanks so much.
Fri, 05/07/2010 - 19:20
#2
Sam my fish still don't want to eat! Today my green terror and the last of my silver dollars died. I dont know what to do. They just wont eat. It looks like they are gasping for air. What should i do??
Fri, 05/07/2010 - 21:18
#3
Three possibilities come to mind.
1. Are you seeing aggression in the tank? It is possible that the Malawi's are bullying the other fish. If possible separate them.
2. Check the temperature of the water. If it gets too hot, the oxygen levels can get dangerously low and it can cause gasping at the surface. You should be around 77-82 degrees. Heater malfunctions are unfortunately pretty common.
2. Water poisoning - have you changed anything in the water? Have you been doing regular water changes? Gasping at the surface could indicate nitrite poisoning that could be a result of losing your filtration and the tank cycling on you. Have you done water tests? The other possibility here is chlorine, if you've done a recent water change and forgot to add dechlorinator. That can cause damage to the gills which can cause surface gasping.
If after reading these you suspect water poisoning, start doing big water changes to get the toxins out of the water. If you think it is aggression, split the fish up.
I hope this helps! Good luck!
Sat, 05/08/2010 - 20:27
#4
So all i have left is all the fish you gave me and an albino Oscar, and the last green terrors. I just tested the temp and its good. The pH is at 8.2 and the Alkalinity is at 2.9 about.
Sat, 05/08/2010 - 20:32
#5
Did you observe any aggression or test for nitrites? Those would have been my two first guesses. Sorry about the tank crash. That always hurts. I'd still do some thinking about what went wrong though, because that way at least you learn something.
Sat, 05/08/2010 - 21:17
#6
Yeah and my Oscar just died. Not even 5 mins ago. Yeah very hurtful. im going to figure out whats going on now.
Sat, 05/08/2010 - 22:17
#7
I am sorry for your loss alejgin . Things like this are never easy. I know its hard, but the best we can do is to learn and move on as Samuel had stated.
A question, I know you used the filter from Samuel, but did you keep it on when you hooked up the new canister or did you just run the canister on its own?
Sat, 05/08/2010 - 22:27
#8
Very sorry for your losses Alejgin. I'm not sure what else to say. Fishkeeping can be a very delicate business and all sorts of things can throw a system off. Let us know if there is anything we can do.
Have you tested the water conditions? Clarity is not a good measure of how clean the water is. Also, after a major change to the tank, introduction of new tank mates, etc, some fish may be shy to eat for a day or two.
The other possibility is that the Malawi's are intimidating the other cichlids. You'll just have to watch and see if it looks like that is going on.
Fish can easily live a week or more without eating, so I wouldn't worry too much if it is just a couple of days after a major change in the tank.