Sorry, but I have another Cichlid question

[WendiDell]

I have several female African Cichlids, all are doing real well except one.
About a month ago, my female Red Zebra began acting sickly. So I put her in my Hosp. tank and gave her some Polyguard to cure what ever it was that she may have had.
Simonne is her name. Any way after she was healthy again I tried to put her back in the big tank. She immediately looked sick again, so I put Simonne back in the Hosp. Tank and she swam around like everything was great.
So the next day I put her back in the Cichlid tank and once again she started acting sickly . So now she's a permanent residence of the Hosp. tank.
But shouldn't she be with other Cichlids? Or did I get an antisocial Cichlid?
She really hates being in the tank with anyone else ,except it turns out, that she likes having Sonny (my male Red Zebra) in the Hosp. tank with her. But Simonne won't go in the Sonny and all the other Cichlids.
Am I going the need a tank just for her? Or is there a way to get her to be social and stay in the tank with the other Cichlids?
I really love these African Cichlids. They are beautiful and each and every one of them has a distinct personality. They appear to know their names and come to the front of the tank when we call them.
I want to make sure that I don't kill any of them out of ignorance.
I truly appreciate everyone here at AA. Have a perfect fish day!

 

[Wy Renegade]

Please describe what you mean by "looking sickly".

 

[HUKIT]

Is she being harassed ? Is she hiding around rocks and equipment? Without a better desricption sounds like aggression.

 

[spoonman]

Sounds kind of like aggression to me also. How soon does she start acting like this? I like to rearrange my tank when I reintroduce a fish back in. That causes all the fish to re-establish territories....etc. This may help when you put her back in.

 

[drprowant]

it could like they said aggression but it could be stress too any thing from the lighting to harassment to too many other fish hope that this helps

 

[WendiDell]

Please describe what you mean by "looking sickly".

She hangs out near the surface of the tank just kind of floating on her side. She does it just as soon as I set her in the tank. The other fish don't have time to harass her.
Then after a few hours I can't stand to see her like that so I put her back in the 5 gallon tank and she swims away like nothing was ever wrong.
It's frustrating.
She's in 5 gallon tank now with a 4" Red Zebra male Cichlid (Sonny).
She's not bothered at all by him. She acts like a regular Cichlid every time I put her in the 5 gallon Tank. Then she plays possum in the 55 gallon.
I don't get it, there isn't anything wrong with her. None of the others do anything to her. I only have 8 2 1/2-4" Cichlids in the 55 gallon tank. And I've rearranged the tank several times.

 

[WendiDell]

Is she being harassed ? Is she hiding around rocks and equipment? Without a better description sounds like aggression.

No she doesn't hide. From the moment I get her acclimated and then put Simonne in the 55 gallon tank she rolls on her side and floats around until I can't stand it and I put her back in the 5 gallon tank. She then swims off like she'd been fine all along.
She's making me nuts.

 

[WendiDell]

it could like they said aggression but it could be stress too any thing from the lighting to harassment to too many other fish hope that this helps

What do you mean by lighting? It's not harassment or over crowding.

 

[drprowant]

like my Oscar he was use too soft white light bulbs not tub florescent cus the guy i got him from had him in a room with soft white lighting so i modified a tank light with a soft white light and now he is just fine and it could also be water temp change from the 5gl to the 55gl get both up too 76oF and try to add her to the 55gl cus Cichlid's like the temp at around 72oF to 81oF i hope this helps

p.s and also fish do not have eye lids so it might put her into shock with a different light hitting her eye's
and i wish you the best of luck

. sincerely Derek

 

[WendiDell]

like my Oscar he was use too soft white light bulbs not tub florescent cus the guy i got him from had him in a room with soft white lighting so i modified a tank light with a soft white light and now he is just fine and it could also be water temp change from the 5gl to the 55gl get both up too 76oF and try to add her to the 55gl cus Cichlid's like the temp at around 72oF to 81oF i hope this helps

p.s and also fish do not have eye lids so it might put her into shock with a different light hitting her eye's
and i wish you the best of luck

. sincerely Derek

Hi Derek,
First all 4 of my tanks are at 78oF at all times.
I had a 4:00am tank leak once and I had to move all my fish fast. Having all the tanks the same temp. helped minimized the shock of not having time to acclimate before switching tanks.
Also thank you for the lighting idea. I did a little experiment with Simonne (the Cichlid) and different lighting.
The 5 gallon Hosp. tank that she's been staying in has a 15w incandescent bulb. The 55 gallon tank that she acts sick in has a florescent bulb. As does my 10 gallon QT.
My QT was empty so today I put Simonne in the QT with a florescent bulb to see if she acted any different than in the Hosp. tank.
Well it's not the florescent bulbs, She's even happier, alone in the 10 gallon tank, than she was in the 5 gallon. She was positively perky all day and she ate well and then bedded down for the night as soon as the light went out.
I've never known a fish to like being alone as much as she does.
But, she's doing great in the QT. So as long as I don't need the QT, that's where she'll get to stay.
But thank you for the info about lights. I'll remember it for any future issues.
Sincerely,
Wendi

 

[drprowant]

you are very welcome but yea some fish do like to be alone and the same type like some fish but it just depends one the attitude of the fish i hope you pass the info around were it is needed

.Sincerely Derek

 

[WendiDell]

you are very welcome but yea some fish do like to be alone and the same type like some fish but it just depends one the attitude of the fish i hope you pass the info around were it is needed

.Sincerely Derek

I will definitely share the info. wherever needed.
I spend part of every day reading through different threads just to learn more. And sometimes, not often, I run across a question that I actually know the answer to. So I do lend my 2 cents worth in the conversation.
I do have to say it's amazing how often people disagree on a given subject. They have completely opposing theories on what is the best way to proceed with a fish or water problem.

 

[mudraker]

This is just something to put out there.

I once had a similar problem that went on for months with a tinfoil barb. Back and forth, back and forth.

Without going into too much detail, I finally figured out he very limited or no eyesight in the maintank but could get around fine in the smaller tank very well, it was more open and a little brighter. He became disoriented, confused and could barely swim in the main tank. I finally figured it out when I tried to acclimate him in the maintank for at least the sixth time. He swam into a clear, glass bowl I had in the tank and he couldn't figure out where to swim out.

I just had to give up and keep him in the smaller tank.

 

[WendiDell]

This is just something to put out there.

I once had a similar problem that went on for months with a tinfoil barb. Back and forth, back and forth.

Without going into too much detail, I finally figured out he very limited or no eyesight in the maintank but could get around fine in the smaller tank very well, it was more open and a little brighter. He became disoriented, confused and could barely swim in the main tank. I finally figured it out when I tried to acclimate him in the maintank for at least the sixth time. He swam into a clear, glass bowl I had in the tank and he couldn't figure out where to swim out.

I just had to give up and keep him in the smaller tank.

Thank you, I've had to do the same thing. Simonne wins, she gets to have her own place. She's staying in my 10 gallon that I usually use for a QT. and as long as I don't need to use it as a QT it's all hers