Malawi's being wiped out?

[Ferris]

Hi all,

My Malawi tank has a real problem, I've lost 6 fish in the last week. No obvious symptoms until the last minute when the fish lose their colour and at this point they last about half an hour. The tank has been well established for over a year now with no problems, I haven't introduced any new fish or new treatments etc. I don't have a test kit at the moment so can't provide water parameters although i have never has any problems with the water. I have been doing daily water changes since the 1st death which should rule out any amonia/nitrate blooms. As there have been no obvious problems like fungus/finrot etc I have treated the tank with melafix as i am guessing it could be an internal bacteria but this hasn't helped.

Any ideas/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[aberdeen aquarist]

what do you feed them, do they look bloated?
lack of oxygen maybe, do their lips look whiter than normal?

 

[CFC]

Melafix is next to useless for internal problems, if you suspect internal bacterial infections and have evidence to back it up then i recomend Interpet #9 treatment but be aware this is a VERY strong medication which will affect bacterial colonies in your filtration as well so only use it if you are certain. If it is a bacterial problem then this treatment will clear it up in two doses but you will need to take it very easy with feeding and do extra water changes for a couple of weeks after to allow the filter to recover.

As hinted on by AA the problems could be down to diet, let us know what you have been feeding the fish and it may shed some light on the subject.

 

[Ferris]

Thanks for the help guys, I currently feed them a mixture of Tetramin pro crisp and spirinula cichlid sticks, which is what i have always fed them. I do also use catfish pellets and algae wafers for the syno's and plec and the Mbuna do eat some of these but again, this is nothing new.

There is a large powerhead and large airstone in the tank so oxygen should be OK and no external symptoms at all until its too late. No strange or unusual behaviour either, thats why I'm guessing it maybe an internal infection but this is just a guess.

The remaining fish do seem OK so maybe the water changes have helped but its early days yet to consider everything is OK.

 

[CFC]

Id cut out the tetramin pro and catfish pellets from their diet, mbuna have longer intestinal tracts than normal tropical fish and foods like flake and pellet can block inside the intestine and turn bad before the fish can pass them. Stick to vegetables and frozen "malaiwi mix" which has a low protein content and is made specificly for mbuna. The Synodontis should be able to scavenge enough food from algea wafers (which are predominantly fish and shrimp meal) and Cichlid food without needing additional pellets which could be harming your Cichlids.

 

[Ferris]

Thanks CFC, do you think i should avoid flake food altogether or just certain brands/types?
Also are the spirinula sticks any good?

Thanks again

 

[CFC]

Spirinula is ideal food for mbuna so i would carry on using that as their staple feed. I would avoid flakes unless it clearly states that they are manufactured specificly for mbuna but even then i would use them sparingly since surface feeding can cause fish to take in gulps of air which could become trapped in the intestine of greedy Cichlids. Most shops i have been to sell a frozen selection of food for mbuna in one pack which gives them a varied nutritionally balanced diet. All green vegetables will be devoured quickly, try blanched spinnach or spring greens, rommaine lettuce or courgette.

 

[Ferris]

Thanks again, I'll give it a try and put them on a new diet. I'll need to restock as soon as i'm sure things are ok as the tank is a bit empty and my big orange blotch zebra now chases everyone else, they can't get lost in the crowd now! Plenty of hiding places though, they'll be ok.