new to africans

[freddyk]

For the fungus get yourself a bottle of Pimafix or other fungal medication and treat the whole tank, you can still save those that are left. First do a big waterchange, then treat the tank, and after treatment do another big waterchange.
By all means don't go trading in fish now - don't add anything while things are a mess. Don't take anything back to the LFS either, the last thing they need is your infected fish. If you have some spare smaller tanks then at least you can, as you mentioned seperate problem fish now.

One you've cleaned things up and have things under control you can start deciding what to do - but now you know to never add a cichlid to a tank randomly. When it comes to these guys it is safest to assume they are not compatible until you are convinced otherwise.

so mixing cichlids from different lakes is possible, fish purists or whatever u want to call them just dont agree with it

The whole point is that they can be mixed if you know what you're doing. Since you don't have a clue, wouldn't it make sense to keep things a little simpler for now?

 

[wixx]

im taking back dead ones.
i dont see the point in treating a 55g tank with 8 fish in it.
way too much water, will use way too much meds, and will be a pain.
there is no fungus yet. theres a white blotch, but its not fungus. im not positive what it is, but its not fungus.
i have jungle fungus eliminator that cures all sorts of stuff, including the cloudy eye they have.
im going to move them into a smaller tank and treat them there i think.

 

[playfulalliecat]

The thing is that a lot of diseases can still be in your tank. In my experience, it's better to "waste" the water and meds on the 55 gallon once a fungus or other disease starts. It's like a child with a cold....use a disinfectant spray in the bathroom but leave their room untouched? No, you wash their linens, disinfect their mattress, and also clean the bathroom. Just an example! If you don't treat the tank, you definitely run a risk of losing a lot more than a little water and meds. I don't know about your fish prices, but when I buy mine they cost more than the water and the meds.

I also agree with Freddy on this issue of mixing fish. Yes, it can be done. I have a mixed tank myself but I also have about 13 years of fishkeeping under my belt. When I started mixing this tank, I had extra tanks to put fish in if it didn't work out.

Keeping any kind of fish in a community setting is trial and error. Every fish has it's own temperament. Every fishkeeper will have tales of fish that couldn't live with anything including it's own kind and the same type of fish that was wonderful in a community. As you get more experience then you, too, will be able to mix more random fish.

 

[wixx]

well, i moved the fish into a 5g tank, and theyre doing a lot better. someone told me they think they might have some sort of nemotodes. these weird white things were protruding from the yellows' face and body. when i put them in the 5g they brightened up quite a bit and started actually swimming. one of the venustus isnt doing well though, it cant swim properly, its body stays in the same place, just spins vertically. the other fish dont look too bad. i treated with some parasite meds i have, but im going to the lfs today to find some meds for worms to try. im tearing the whole 55g tank down. totally cleaning everything with hot water and bleach. filter will be totally cleaned, tank will be scrubbed with bleach and hot water, gravel will be totall syphoned of everything amongst it. then i will actually cycle the tank properly for once i think. use a filter pad from one of my established tanks. and let the tank sit for awhile with maybe a convict or 2 in there.

ive been keeping fish for quite awhile, just never done africans. ive done pretty well mixing new worlds. took me awhile to figure out what can and cant be together, but i have a general idea now. if im interested in buying any more africans, im going to research them first. im probably about at my stock limit now for the 55g tank, but a few of them might still die so i will have to wait and see. also, the 55g tank will still have to cycle for a week or 2

 

[wixx]

this is one of the new ones i got

looks like it stays small. about 3 inches max size. its getting along well with the other africans.

 

[wixx]

i noticed the new fish i bought, in a different tank, also have the weird white stuff forming. its yellow labs, from the same tank at the store as the other ones. so its definately not my waters fault, its the stores. i bought pimafix, and am now treating the 5g with the old africans, and the 40g with the new africans.

it says to add 1 teaspoon for every 10gs, and to do that everyday for a week, then do a water change. that sounds weird .. should i do it for maybe 2-3 days, then do a water change and treat again? 7 days sounds kind of long to leave old meds in the tank. doesnt water turn toxic from leaving old meds in the tank?

thanks for everyones help !