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I noticed last night, my female yellow lab was kinda of dancing around in circles with her other male counter part. Everything else seemed normal, good eating habits. Water Parameters are fine (we just moved 2 weeks ago).

pH: 8.5
Temp: 77 F
Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: Basically undetectable

Tonight, I look over, and she's not using one of her side fins very much, she's sticking near the surface and often poking her mouth out a little. She keeps swimming vertically and just hanging out like that near the surface.

I have her seperated right now because I don't want the other cichlids picking on her if she's unable to swim away.

What do you think the problem could be with her?

Edit: I also wanted to add that I use the AquaSafe water conditioner, the tank IS cycled. I've had these fish sense last December and haven't seen a problem with them. The other inhabitants are doing fine.

Last edited by AngelZoo at 05-Oct-2004 00:17

Last edited by AngelZoo at 05-Oct-2004 00:53

Last edited by AngelZoo at 05-Oct-2004 15:46

Well she seems to be doing worse.
I just checked on her and she was laying belly up on the bottom, but still alive.

I netted her and placed her back into the tank.
She's hanging out in the net down in the water. I'm letting the net support her.
She keeps wiggling a little as if she's trying to swim, but keeps on rolling up onto her side and her belly, and then back up right again.

I don't know what more I can do right now.

I am sad to say that this does sound terminal.I have had experience of a fish doing this not long after i upgraded to a bigger tank.Does the fish show any interest in food,if not that is really abig sign that all is not well.I have always been amazed though how long a fish can hang on in there before giving up.


Gibson SG you know you want one!!

Well I just did my water change today, I started to notice that parts of her back fin, and some of her side scales were starting to look frayed and like they were pealing off.
So I added in some Melafix as well.

I tried to feed her, she seemed interested, she tried to move, and her eye was following the peices, but she couldn't get up well enough to eat.
Her body is starting to look reddish/brown around her anus and to her tail fin.

Is being in the net harming her scales? I don't have anything else that I can just hang off in the tank like that, while still getting the benifits of the moving water/filtration and heat.

Should I go to the fish store and buy something like a plastic or nylon netted fish breeder for her instead? So I can just hang it inside the tank?
What more can I do?

you could try one of those floating fish fry tanks that are made of clear plastic that might help and may come in handy in the future.as for thr disclouration and frayed fins that sounds like some form of bacterial infection unles you can see any spots or flukes.

Gibson SG you know you want one!!

She isn't show any other signs of a problem except for what I have mentioned.

If the melafix doesn't work, what should I try next?

I have AP Plus Anti- Bacteria Meds, as well as Jungle Fungus Clear which says it's for fungus and bacteria problems, as well as Pimafix. Should I use one of these or pick up some other medication.

I'm about to head out to the store, its about an hour or so round trip, so I'm trying to get everything at once that I might need.

it maybe bloat. there is a article on bloat at cichlid-forum.com you might want to look at it

Ugh. Should I just treat the whole tank then?
I noticed on my male yellow lab the area right behind his anus was totally swollen up. But I don't see any other signs of a problem.

I haven't really changed their diet or anything like that. The only thing different I have done, was putting on a new glass canopy yesterday evening.

Well, when I came home from the fish store to check on everyone, the little female yellow lab had died. I'm all sad now

I talked to the fish medicain guy at the store, and he told me to get... Seachem Metronidazole, and Mardel Maracyn Plus.
I'm using the Metronidazole first, adding it slowly, as he said the Maracyn Plus would kill all of my bacteria and could have to deal with an ammonia spike, I'd rather not put them through that if I don't have to.
So we'll see how well this medication works first.
He also recommened that I do twice weekly water changes instead of once weekly until I finally get to move them into that bigger tank * a 55 Gallon *.

I set up the netted fish breeder box, and put the biggest guy in there, as he's typically the aggressor, so there will be less stress on the other fish while letting the medication work. But let me tell you, that guy is HATING it in there. Keeps on poking his nose on everything trying to get out. But I'm worried if this will freak him out and do more harm then good for him. He's also my favorite guy an albino lab. trewavesae.

I think I will be sticking strictly to Nutrafin's Spirulina Tabs and deshelled Pea's from now on. I've had problems on and off with the New Life Spectrum Cichlid Pellets. While I feel New Life Spectrum is a good food, it's just not fit for these African Cichlids. From my experience this past year, I just can't stress enough how important a proper vegitable based diet is for these species.

So sad

Sorry to hear about your loss Angelzoo. Hopefully all the other fish will pull through. Good luck!

sorry to hear about your loss, AngelZoo. It sounds like it was flukes, what with the one fin being used more than the other, the staying at the top lethargically, and the pepping up at food time. Did she spit her food back out after? The problem with flukes is that they are microscopic, so you aren't gonna notice those very quickly Here's a link for future reference:

http://www.fishdoc.co.uk/disease/flukes.htm

Flukes are an External parasite. The symptoms you describe do not sound like a parasite to me. The inability for the fish to right itself sounds more like a problem with the swim bladder, which seems a likely culprit espescially after vigorous breeding behaviour. It is possible that in the joy and frenzy of breeding dances, she somehow injured herself (usually by running into something like a rock), and the frayed scales are signs of this. The gasping at the surface and the inabililty to swim seems to be indication of either a ruptured swim bladder, a swollen (bruised) swim bladder, or a bacterial infection that is either first hand, or secondarily affecting the swim bladder. In this case I dont see that there was much, if anything you could do for her. I do not expect that you will see any other fish affected in this way.
Treating the tank without knowing what caused this, espescially by jumping to conclusions about parasites and infections, can be hazardous. You risk your fish, and your bacterial colony. Some fish Can NOT be treated with conventional medications. This is why the best way is to get a 5 or 10g tank and use it to quarantine new fish, or sick, or injured fish. Keep it running at all times, and a few interesting animals in it will keep you interested in maintaining. In my 10g quarantine/fry tank, I have 2 snails, a shrimp, a baby BN and a Hillstream Loach, and am quarantining 7 new tiny hatchetfish and a betta.
This way If I need to treat a fish, I just pop the shrimp and snails into my 25 tank, and treat the sick fish in the 10g.
I would avoid treating your tank, and stop treatment right now, unless you see any fish display any symptoms. If there are no other affected fish, why waste money, your bacteria, and your fishes life?
I hope this helps you some.
Good luck!


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Sorry for your loss.