Cichlids sitting at bottom of tank

We have a pair of African cichlids in a well-established tank that have suddenly started sitting at the bottom of the tank.

I'm trying to figure out what's wrong - I've done several 50% water changes (over a few weeks) with tap water conditioner, added aquarium salt per directions, and changed filters, tried several water conditioners, but nothing seems to help. If I approach the tank they'll swim to the top but otherwise sit on the bottom on the gravel like they're depressed. I switched up the decorations in the tank but that didn't help either.

The water temperature is 81F. I believe 81 is on the high end of what they prefer but I've tried several different heaters and they seem to all keep the temperature at 80 or above even if I set them lower.

The tank is in direct sunlight in the morning but not in the afternoon and evening. I've tried closing the window blinds to keep them in complete darkness in the morning, as well as leaving the window open to cool down the room.

Here are my current water readings taken with a 5-in-1 test strip:

NO2 = 0
NO3 = 40
PH = 6.0
KH = 40
GH = 180

How can I make my fish happier?

Distressed,
B

PS sorry for the poor picture quality but I can't get close to the tank to take a picture of the fish sitting at the bottom otherwise they swim to the top. It's only when I'm not near the tank that they're at the bottom.

bab5470 said:

GH = 180

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Do the strips read only as high as 180 ppm or does the chart go higher than that? If it stops at 180 ppm, it could be exactly 180 or anything above that.


I am not well up on Rift Lake cichlids, but if the strips go higher and the actual reading is exactly 180 ppm, but don't these fish need harder water than that?

Essjay said:

Rift Lake cichlids, but if the trips go higher and the actual reading is exactly 180 ppm, but don't these fish need harder water than that?

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That's as high as the strips go.

OK, so your GH could be higher than that. Though I do suspect it is may around the 180 mark as your KH and pH are both low. Rift Lake cichlids are hard water fish which need a pH of around 8 and a GH higher than 180 ppm. This could be why the fish are not happy - the water is too soft and acidic for them.


Does your water provider's website list your hardness? That will be more accurate than any home testers.

bab5470 said:

added aquarium salt per directions

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Aquarium salt is sodium chloride and is not needed for fresh water fish. It is a hangover from decades ago which we now know is not good for freshwater fish except as a very short term treatment for certain diseases.
Rift Lake Cichlids salts are a different matter and your readings do suggest those are what you need to be using as they will raise GH, KH and pH to the levels needed by these fish. But the right amount must be determined by adding the salts to a bucket of water until the desired levels are achieved, then water prepared to the exact same concentration outside the tank for a water change. To do this you would need a GH tester which reads higher than 180 ppm as these fish need a GH higher than that.

What size is the tank please?

AmyKieran said:

What size is the tank please?

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I can't find the box anymore (the tank is nearly 2 years old) but I seem to recall it was a non-standard size top fin bubble wall tank.

Anyway from taking measurements and using a calculator it seems to be around a 34 gallon tank. (22" height x 12" depth x 30 length)

bab5470 said:

I can't find the box anymore (the tank is nearly 2 years old) but I seem to recall it was a non-standard size top fin bubble wall tank.

Anyway from taking measurements and using a calculator it seems to be around a 34 gallon tank. (22" height x 12" depth x 30 length)

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Yeah that sounds big enough, sounds like a gh/ ph issue. Or perhaps have you noticed any aggression? Do you have a photo of the other fish?

Ide also suggest to use sand rather than gravel. These fish like to dig

I don't see an mbuna tank, but I do see mbuna. Could it be stress? Their tank should be a maze of caves so they can stay out of sight of each other, and they should live in a larger group to spread their dislike for each other around. It would be interesting to see if their behaviour would change in a more natural set up.

I wouldn't look to the water, but to the needs of the fish. What tankmates are there?

They don't pair off, by the way. Mbuna recognize fish in their group, but don't bond with each other. What are the tankmates? As rough as they are, could they be being picked on?

It's just the two cichlids and a crayfish that only comes out at night. That's it in the entire tank. We were advised by the store not to put more than that in the tank.

They were perfectly happy for a year in this tank but the only thing I can think of that we changed was the food from flakes to pellets. I did switch back to flakes but that didn't really change their behavoir.

bab5470 said:

It's just the two cichlids and a crayfish that only comes out at night. That's it in the entire tank. We were advised by the store not to put more than that in the tank.

They were perfectly happy for a year in this tank but the only thing I can think of that we changed was the food from flakes to pellets. I did switch back to flakes but that didn't really change their behavoir.

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Do you have a picture of the other cichlid?

If the other is an African species of cichlid, they like to be in groups

GaryE said:

I don't see an mbuna tank, but I do see mbuna. Could it be stress? Their tank should be a maze of caves so they can stay out of sight of each other, and they should live in a larger group to spread their dislike for each other around. It would be interesting to see if their behaviour would change in a more natural set up.

I wouldn't look to the water, but to the needs of the fish. What tankmates are there?

They don't pair off, by the way. Mbuna recognize fish in their group, but don't bond with each other. What are the tankmates? As rough as they are, could they be being picked on?

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Sorry to sound condescending but where do you see mbuna in the image they provided? The fish in the picture looks like a strawberry peacock, not a mbuna

I thought I saw a Maylandia estherae there. Didn't seem to be an Aulonacara hybrid. @bab5470 - what is the fish?

The red one is hiding behind a rock and I can't get a good picture of at least not without forcing her out which I don't really want to do.

I dug the receipt out - I purchased then June 13, 2021. The orange fish is just a SKU (no name or description).

The other one (which I am pretty sure is the red one) says Dragon Blood Mali (African).