help with small tank

Q&A about aquarium maintenance

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kmrnclrk
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2004 11:23 am

help with small tank

Post by kmrnclrk »

I was bad and didnt listen when i was told i needed a bigger tank for my cichlids.... :cry: ...now one of mine is dead....

The question I have is kind of broad, maybe as to why it happened, or what i can do to prevent that (besides a bigger tank)...but let me tell you the story to begin with...

I have a 29 gallon tank with 4 pseudotrophes socolofi and i was away for a day or 2, and when i returned, one of them was laying on his side and he had no tail fin left, and he was bleeding from his side fins. The water was kinda warm, but i usually keep it warmer than normal.
Do you think he was attacked and is dead because of that? or did he get sick, and the others attacked him as "fair game"?
Is it true that if i keep the temp cooler they wont fight still? cuz they constantly cause a ruckus all night long chasing each other...but they never bit until now...
Also is there a pH problem? i keep it at 8.2 but i'm sure it fluctuates from that....

I just feel so sad and i dont want to have to get rid of my little fishys i love them so much....
Pam Chin
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Post by Pam Chin »

Hi Kmr,

You are right, your tank is too small for Ps. socolofi, unless you want one, and that is probably what you will end up with eventually. Usually deaths in this type of situation is totally controllable with a larger tank. Cichlids are very territorial, and a normal territory is larger than the footprint of your tank. The dominate fish will chase the other fish away, and in the wild they can swim away, but in your tank they can't. The dominate fish can't understand why the fish hasn't left the area, and so it just keeps chasing it. And although many times this actual chasing doesn't kill the fish, but it stresses the chased fish, and soon it can't take it anymore, and it can't escape. The more it is stressed, the immune system shuts down, and all sorts of things can happen, that the fish nomally would be able to fight off. From baceterial to parasites, and then it is weakened and it is only a matter of time, before it kicks the bucket.

Temperature of your aquarium is very important, and you should always try to keep it the same temp as they would have in the wild. In this case, Lake Malawi, you want to have your fish about 76 -78 degrees. If you have it warmer, you are only asking for trouble. Warmer temperatures increase aggression, compromise your water conditions, and shorten the life span of your fish. Ph is also important, you are on the line at 8.2 and if you think it is falling, then you need to add something to keep it from falling. Either change your water more, or add crushed coral, dolomite etc. as a substrate or in your filter. If that is not enough then you can add one of the many pH upper products on the market.

You need to re-think your plan, there are many cichlids that will do fine in your size of tank, you have just picked the wrong one! Consider many of the dwarf cichlids that are available, and even though they are smaller, they are 100% cichlid.
Cichlid Power!
Pam

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