New and need Help.

[mikey5290]

Hello

New to the site but I have been reading a ton over the last couple weeks as I recently purchased (on impulse of course) a 40 gallon tank and cichlids to go along with it. (3 yellow labs, 1 red zebra, and 1 yellow top jalo, all about 1-1.5")

Didn't know about cycling, but learning real quick. I bought another used tank ( for my son) with all the substrate foam filter and rocks, plant etc and used most of it to help kickstart my 40g cycle which seems to be working; Parameters earlier today were:
Temp 79.8
Ammonia "0"
Nitrite ".25"
Nitrates "20"
Did a 30-40% water change, I am using "Prime" with every water change and doing the PWC every 2-3 days.

The last 2 days I have noticed long white poop coming from my red zebra. They get 3-4" long and it seems as soon as one breaks off another is forming. Tonight one of the yellow labs also had the same looking poop. Everybody seems to be eating without issue and acting as they normally would.

Does this sound like "bloat" or another parasite of some kind?
Do I treat just the fish with symptoms or the whole tank? And with what?
Lastly will the medications affect the cycling process?

Thanks for any and all advice.
Mike

 

[vapocalyptic]

Without diaging your fish woes, (I'll leave it to smarter minds) you are resetting your cycle with pwc every three days and those readings. Defeats the purpose. I don't care for fish in cycling but seriously... Don't use cichlids for it. Some would suggest danios and though they are hardy...idk not right. I wouldn't wanna swim around in ammonia for others to feel better later!!!

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[Autumnsky]

Here is some solid reading in case you missed it, links below...

Sounds like the fish have parasites, you can get medicated food for them.

Fish-in Cycling: Step over into the dark side - Aquarium Advice

Guide to Starting a Freshwater Aquarium - Aquarium Advice

 

[mikey5290]

Without diaging your fish woes, (I'll leave it to smarter minds) you are resetting your cycle with pwc every three days and those readings. Defeats the purpose. I don't care for fish in cycling but seriously... Don't use cichlids for it. Some would suggest danios and though they are hardy...idk not right. I wouldn't wanna swim around in ammonia for others to feel better later!!!

Sent from my 710C using Tapatalk

Here is some solid reading in case you missed it, links below...

Sounds like the fish have parasites, you can get medicated food for them.

Fish-in Cycling: Step over into the dark side - Aquarium Advice

Guide to Starting a Freshwater Aquarium - Aquarium Advice

I did read the above articles (unfortunately too late) and now I am on the dark side like it or not. As I have learned and read on numerous posts you can't always follow the advice of your LFS.

But....am I doing too many water changes?

I thought I was doing the right thing by upping the amount of times it was being done for the sake of the fish. Or do I just rely on the "prime" to keep the fish semi-safe until the next semi weekly pwc, thereby giving the BB time to colonize?

I will check my LFS for the medicated food selection.
Will I need to treat the tank as well?

Sorry for all the questions.

Thanks Again

 

[Autumnsky]

For fish health, I don't think too many water changes. You will want to follow the darkside suggestions.

You can injure fish without doing pwc to keep ammonia low. Hardy fish or any fish will be injured by high ammonia. Prime is great to help keep the fish safer.

I haven't had to treat internal parasites (yet)... but follow the directions and do some quick checking for the kinds of meds the lfs might have about messing up your BB.

For the best response, I would do a follow up question specifically for treating with food or medicine dosing the whole tank, while doing a fish in cycle in unhealthy fish.

Welcome to the community!

 

[mikey5290]

For fish health, I don't think too many water changes. You will want to follow the darkside suggestions.

You can injure fish without doing pwc to keep ammonia low. Hardy fish or any fish will be injured by high ammonia. Prime is great to help keep the fish safer.

I haven't had to treat internal parasites (yet)... but follow the directions and do some quick checking for the kinds of meds the lfs might have about messing up your BB.

For the best response, I would do a follow up question specifically for treating with food or medicine dosing the whole tank, while doing a fish in cycle in unhealthy fish.

Welcome to the community!

Will do,
Thank you

 

[Freakgecko91]

I have done several fish-in cycles, just don't add more fish, and keep up on your water changes. It's not a super horrible thing to do, and trust me, I deal with animal cruelty every day, I'm an animal control officer lol


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[mikey5290]

Thanks for the reassurance.

Got some meds today---polygard and focus
Soaked some food and I am pretty sure right after they spit it out I saw them give me dirty look.
They tried over and over and over, so hopefully some meds ended up in their bellies. Definitely no lack of appetite.

I never would have thought fish would beg for food, but they have been swimming (pacing) back and forth as if to say where is the regular food??


Crossing my fingers they are back to normal in a few days.

Mike

 

[JAnders]

I was kinda in your shoes. I bought a tank and ran it for a few days then did a fish-in cycle with 3 cichlids. I was VERY diligent on water changes and prime.

Four months later those three fish are doing well. I wouldn't do that again but please don't feel you did anything wrong as long as you keep that water changed and the fish healthy.




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[joecoones]

Thanks for the reassurance.

Got some meds today---polygard and focus
Soaked some food and I am pretty sure right after they spit it out I saw them give me dirty look.
They tried over and over and over, so hopefully some meds ended up in their bellies. Definitely no lack of appetite.

I never would have thought fish would beg for food, but they have been swimming (pacing) back and forth as if to say where is the regular food??


Crossing my fingers they are back to normal in a few days.

Mike

You can always add aquarium salt also after each water change. Works well as a general elixir. Just following dosing directions on the box/bag. Aquarium salt will increase the general hardness of your water (Malawi has a great deal of calcium carbonate salts in it and therefore is quite hard).

P.s. African cichlids beg like a starving dog all the time. Only time I haven't seen them beg when someone walks up to the tank is if they are being fed with an automated feeder and don't associate your presence with goodies. (Personally I enjoy the begging behavior, gives me a chances to get a good look at any damage etc..)