TomK2
Aquarium Advice Addict
Well, I was about to get out of the aquarium hobby but my daughter wanted to try her hand at a cichlid tank. Established tank for YEARS that had dwindled down to just a single skunk loach prior to converting it to the cichlid setup. Talking to LFS, daughter doing research,daughter picking fish based upon appearance she liked, she decided on pseudotropheus demasoni and Labidochromis caeruleus . LFS and her own research made her decide to get 12 small demasoni and 8 Labs of medium size. The tank is 55 gallon 48 inches long and equiped with 100 pounds of texas holey rock. Two Fluval 404 can filters. Push button water changes available as needed, currently doing it 20 - 30%twice a week.
PH 7.8, GH 11 gd, ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 5. Tank temp 80 to 82 degrees F. All fish were added at the same time to this established tank 5 days ago. One demasoni seems to be exhibiting courtship behavior.
The problem is that one demasoni became distressed in the bag on the way home and died, a refund was given. Today, on day 5 two demasoni turn up dead and one Lab is dead. Everything seems peaceful enough in the tank after the initial 36 hours where the skunk loach was being agressive. That has quited down now.
While this is my first attempt at cichlids, I have lots of other aquarium experience. I thought that the sudden increase in bioload could possibly cause a nitrogen cycle spike, but was prepared to do 60% water changes daily if it happened ( I have a 30 gal holding tank with dechlorinated water at tank temp for water changes). I think at least one of the dead domasani had been exhibiting very pale colors the past day or two. The Labs have been very melow the whole time.
So, fish deaths are stress, possible poor fish stock, possible agression? Its not the water.....
PH 7.8, GH 11 gd, ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 5. Tank temp 80 to 82 degrees F. All fish were added at the same time to this established tank 5 days ago. One demasoni seems to be exhibiting courtship behavior.
The problem is that one demasoni became distressed in the bag on the way home and died, a refund was given. Today, on day 5 two demasoni turn up dead and one Lab is dead. Everything seems peaceful enough in the tank after the initial 36 hours where the skunk loach was being agressive. That has quited down now.
While this is my first attempt at cichlids, I have lots of other aquarium experience. I thought that the sudden increase in bioload could possibly cause a nitrogen cycle spike, but was prepared to do 60% water changes daily if it happened ( I have a 30 gal holding tank with dechlorinated water at tank temp for water changes). I think at least one of the dead domasani had been exhibiting very pale colors the past day or two. The Labs have been very melow the whole time.
So, fish deaths are stress, possible poor fish stock, possible agression? Its not the water.....