HELP!

[Jezah]

Ok, so I have a MAJOR issue in my tank. I bought 5 africans from a Mixed African tank and I found out I had 1 Rusty Cichlid, 1 Socolofi Cichlid, 1 Albino Zebra, 1 regular Zebra and a unknown mix....(Yellow with black stripes...). Anyways, 2nd day the Unknown fishie dies....I wasnt to concerned figuring it was just a fluke. Well, family emergency and I leave the house for 4 hours....come back and the Socolofi and the Rusty cichlid are both dead. Now the remaning two are flicking on the sand and acting erratic. I also have a Spotted Pictus Cat in the tank...and he is doing the same thing. My stats are...

PH - 7.5
Hardness - 300gm
Nitrate - less then 40ppm
Nitrite - 0
Alkalinity - less then 40ppm
Ammonia - .5ppm

Tank size - 29g
Filter - Bio-wheel 125
Aeration - Bubble wall along back on tank

Edit - It appears my Albino is an Albino Socolofi Cichlid....he/she has red eyes. Sorry for the mess up.

 

[Jezah]

Hello....? I really need help here.....

 

[Andyplec]

What is the temperature in your tank? Are there any signs of a desease on the dead fish?

 

[Jezah]

Well both the dead fish were eaten....so I could see anythign really. The temp is actually kinda high, I hadnt checked that. Its at 85 degrees farenheit. I just turned it down....could that have been causing the flicking...?

 

[Ferris]

It could well be the temp that has caused it. Their tank at the LFS would have almost certainly been around 78F and the sudden shock could be enough to have killed them. I'd get it down to 78F or thereabouts.

Failing that you could have been unlucky and the fish may have had some sort of infection when you bought them. If i had to bet on it though i'd say the temp caused the problem.

 

[Jezah]

=( Aw, now I feel awful. Poor feeshies. Well the temp is coming down...I dont really know how it got so high. Oh well. Thanks for the help

 

[Ferris]

These things happen, don't worry. How are the other fish doing now?

 

[Jezah]

Well, no more flicking. I added a Widemouth plec to help cut down on algae and a Fairy Cichlid(It was free...). Hopefully everything goes ok still...-fingers crossed-

 

[Jezah]

BTW....anyone know a surefire way of knowing if your albino is a albino socolofi or a albino zebra? My fishie is only about 1 1/2 inches long right now and is all pinkish white with pink eyes. Any hints....?

 

[Ferris]

An albino socolofi will not have any vertical stripes wheras an albino zebra will still have feint vertical stripes even at that size.

 

[Jezah]

Ah.....it IS a Zebra then. He/she does have faint stripes. Thanks!

 

[Andyplec]

I always thought that no matter what the animal, it would only be classed as albino if it had the red eyes, aswell as being white lol

 

[Ferris]

That's true but Jezah asked which albino....not if it was an albino.

 

[Jezah]

Sorry....by pink I mean red. I just usually say pink instead cause red eyes makes most people have flashbacks of horror films