Yellow Lab Cichlids Resting On Bottom

Hello there,

I have a new 55 gallon tank that was fishless cycling for a month.

Water parameters:

PH: 8.2
Ammonia: 0.25;
Nitrite: 0;
Nitrates: close to 5.0ppm but a bit yellow color.

It’s a second day.
I have a convict that when I’m getting closer to the tank they are start hiding, and even for some period of time resting at the button. That why I’ve noticed on this morning.

Is this a signs of stress on the outside?

They are not laying on their sides or gasping for air or anything like that.

Or it’s normal for the first days?

Thanks

 

Since its only their second day home I would say its normal, they are still abit stressed.

I would give them more time before worrying.

 

Since its only their second day home I would say its normal, they are still abit stressed.

I would give them more time before worrying.

Hope so. Because at the store they were preaty active.

Thanks for reply

 

No problem!

 

HI there,

Yesterday,

I bought a 3 Yellow Lab Cichlid 2 female and 1 male.

• So, the first day (yesterday) they were fine at least at the beginning when I've welcomed them to my tank. There were exploring, and swims but close to midnight they started to stick to the button and don't swim at all.
• I feed them but don't really see if they are eating or not, because as soon as I'm getting close to the tank they start hiding. So I'm trying to don't stress them and stay away from the tank.
• Today, they all time seating and the button and don't swim at all. Sometimes I even notice that some of the Cichlids while seating at the button seems like falling on the side a bit but if you trying to disrupt them they are running out and hiding again.

Water :

: 8.2
: 0.25;
: 0;
: close to 5.0ppm but a bit yellow color.

The tank is month fishless cycled prior.

1. Does anyone know if's normal conditions for Cichlid fish during the first couple of days in a new tank?
2. Or what is that could be?

I've provided pics below

thanks

 

Something in the water must be effecting them. There is some ammonia when there should be zero in a cycled tank, but .25 isn't enough to kill them so fast. They should never lay on their side like that. I'd do a large 75% water change ASAP, use water conditioner.

 

Something in the water must be effecting them. There is some ammonia when there should be zero in a cycled tank, but .25 isn't enough to kill them so fast. They should never lay on their side like that. I'd do a large 75% water change ASAP, use water conditioner.

The ammonia from mine tap water is: 0.25 - 1.0 ppm

They start swim a bit but not that active, and after some time they settled down again at button. The main problem is that they don’t eat at all that hat is scares me.

I did it a water change but they are still behave same.

Is that possible that the PH is too high for them?

 

Your pH is not too high. African cichlids need high ph and hard water so that shouldn't be the problem.

Them not eating isn’t the thing to worry about, they can go for a few weeks without food and still be fine.

How did you acclimate them? Seeing as you added them just yesterday perhaps they are in shock. If the parameters they were in at the store are different then your tap water and they were not acclimated properly, that could be the problem.

 

Your pH is not too high. African cichlids need high ph and hard water so that shouldn't be the problem.

Them not eating isn’t the thing to worry about, they can go for a few weeks without food and still be fine.

How did you acclimate them? Seeing as you added them just yesterday perhaps they are in shock. If the parameters they were in at the store are different then your tap water and they were not acclimated properly, that could be the problem.

As per the guy from the pet smart they lived in PH: 7.8 - 8.2 and were active more active.

I did a water change of 50% but they still seating at button, one very rear they start swim a bit hangs in middle or a bit top of the tank and the new goes down again.

I tried to field them today again, but when I put a food in a tank they don’t even react on it.

And what I notice is that some of the fish has some white or black pigments on her face, I,l provide a pic so that you could see it.

I bought the 3 Yellow Lab Cichlids and right on the second day they start acting strange, the symptoms like so:

• Quick breathing;
• A reluctance to eat food (at all);
• A lethargic appearance at the bottom of the tank;
• They won't swim at all, almost all time seating at the button;
• They have a white and black coloring of the skin;
• Sometimes one of them even seems like falling on the side;

Water Parameters:

PH: 8.0
Ammonia: 0.25 - 0.50 ppm ( from the tap water same)
Nitrite: 0ppm;
Nitrate: 0ppm;

• I have performed a 50 - 60% of water change today on the third day, but they still seated at the bottom;

I have provided some pictures below.

Please, somebody, help me because it sounds to me like they are dying.

1. What should I do?
2. Or what is that could be?
3. Does is calling a Bloat Diseases?

 

How old is your tank? The symptoms are from a fish that has been shocked/poisoned by the water chemistry. The ammonia is high, it should be zero. How are you treating the tap water for water changes?
After you reply, maybe I (or others) can tell you what you could do.

 

Is your tank cycled? Try to get that ammonia down, that's a little high.
Have you noticed any signs of dropsy? Watch for pineconing on the scales.

What are you using to condition your tap?

 

It is not bloat desease. How old is your tank? The symptoms are from a fish that has been shocked/poisoned by the water chemistry. The ammonia is high, it should be zero. How are you treating the tap water for water changes?
After you reply, maybe I (or others) can tell you what you could do.

How old is your tank?
The tank is a month and a half old. And it was fishless cycled for a month till Amonnia, and Nitrite is dropped to a proper level.
How are you treating the tap water for water changes?
Usually, I'm filling the bucket of water with an appropriate temperature from the tap and adding a Conditioner inner, then waiting for at least a 5 - 10 means for every bucket till Conditioner makes some effects, and after that slowly adding a water to the tank. As soon as the tank is full I'm adding some beneficial bacteria. ( That how I was instructed from the fish store representative).

I have provided the more pictures of the Conditioner and Beneficial Bacteria Battle which is colling Jup Start. and some fish pictures and food that I'm trying to use for them.

 

Hi, sorry the fish is sick!
I really cannot tell from the photos of any problems with bloat, but he certainly looks a bit stressed.

If your tap water has such high ammonia naturally, I would recommend using Seachem Prime to remove the ammonia and test the new water before adding it to the tank during a water change.

 

Don't add bacteria every water change. I would recommend using Seachem Prime, as listed above.
I agree with above, that I don't see anything wrong with him, except stress.

 

Hi, sorry the fish is sick!
I really cannot tell from the photos of any problems with bloat, but he certainly looks a bit stressed.

If your tap water has such high ammonia naturally, I would recommend using Seachem Prime to remove the ammonia and test the new water before adding it to the tank during a water change.

Thanks for the reply, I'll definitely buy a Prime.

But, if they are not sick, and just stressed due to a new environment, and migh be due to ammonia of that low level - why they don't eat at all?

I'm scared that they are just going to die without the food.

Don't add bacteria every water change. I would recommend using Seachem Prime, as listed above.
I agree with above, that I don't see anything wrong with him, except stress.

But the problems is that it's just one of them behave like that - All of them 3 Yellow lab Cichlids behave like that =(

And they don't eat at all!

 

Stress can be a reason that they are not eating.
My fish usually don't eat immediately after I introduce them to their new aquarium.

 

Stress can be a reason that they are not eating.
My fish usually don't eat immediately after I introduce them to their new aquarium.

That what I got with mine tetra fish that they don't for a day or so. But in that case, they are not eating at all for about 3 days now.

I heard that the fish could possibly survive without the food for about a week or two. but I don't want that!

And, I heard that sometimes folks adding a liquid garlic drops into the food so that help them with a food, don't know if it's true or not!

 

That is true, add some garlic juice into the food, and they maybe will eat.
My fish once didn't eat for a week, because of the new place.

 

That is true, add some garlic juice into the food, and they maybe will eat.
My fish once didn't eat for a week, because of the new place.

So, what would be your recommendation, in that case, I mean what would you do if you had a situation like this?

 

Thanks for the reply, I'll definitely buy a Prime.

But, if they are not sick, and just stressed due to a new environment, and migh be due to ammonia of that low level - why they don't eat at all?

I'm scared that they are just going to die without the food.

I wouldn't say ammonia is at a low level, if it is present it can be an issue. It should be zero. You have a new tank, and it might have started to cycle again now that you added fish. Keep monitoring the ammonia, and add prime to detoxify the ammonia.
Please keep in mind that prime does not remove ammonia, it makes it non toxic for about 24hrs....so if you still have ammonia readings after 24hrs you need to be adding prime to help the fish.

I would start aging the tap water for water changes, most water conditioners will generate non toxic ammonia during their chloramine removal process. This non toxic ammonia is ok to add to an established tank because the nitrifying bacteria will consume it before it becomes toxic. However, in a new tank with low bacteria it could become toxic before it is consumed.

Finally, stressed fish tend to stop eating.

Hope this helps

 

I wouldn't say ammonia is at a low level, if it is present it can be an issue. It should be zero. You have a new tank, and it might have started to cycle again now that you added fish. Keep monitoring the ammonia, and add prime to detoxify the ammonia.
Please keep in mind that prime does not remove ammonia, it makes it non toxic for about 24hrs....so if you still have ammonia readings after 24hrs you need to be adding prime to help the fish.

I would start aging the tap water for water changes, most water conditioners will generate non toxic ammonia during their chloramine removal process. This non toxic ammonia is ok to add to an established tank because the nitrifying bacteria will consume it before it becomes toxic. However, in a new tank with low bacteria it could become toxic before it is consumed.

Finally, stressed fish tend to stop eating.

Hope this helps

Thanks a lot for your time and advise! I just bought the Seachem prime froAmazonon, so as soon as it will be delevered I'll add it.

So my cycle is not finished even if I did fishless cycle prior to add them to my tank?

 

Several threads have been merged to keep all the information in one place, multiple threads on the same topic causes confusion & you may not get the best responses.

 

Thanks a lot for your time and advise! I just bought the Seachem prime froAmazonon, so as soon as it will be delevered I'll add it.

So my cycle is not finished even if I did fishless cycle prior to add them to my tank?

A fishless cycle (the only cycle I would recommend) can be tricky, and I am not sure how you completed it. Your fishless cycle will eventually create/generate enough nitrifying bacteria to consume the amount of ammonia present in your aquarium. The best way to complete a fishless cycle is to add pure ammonia, until your filter can handle X amount (you would need to read instructions about this for specifics). If you did not add ammonia, fish food, raw shrimp or anything to generate ammonia then the amount of bioload your filter can handle after the cycle will be very small. You fish addition could have restarted the cycle, or at least a minI cycle.
Also, if you had that ammonia reading before adding the fish, I would not say the cycle was completed. Where you tracking your parameters during the cycle? did you get a big spike of nitrites that were there for a few days and all the sudden gone and your nitrates high?

 

A fishless cycle (the only cycle I would recommend) can be tricky, and I am not sure how you completed it. Your fishless cycle will eventually create/generate enough nitrifying bacteria to consume the amount of ammonia present in your aquarium. The best way to complete a fishless cycle is to add pure ammonia, until your filter can handle X amount (you would need to read instructions about this for specifics). If you did not add ammonia, fish food, raw shrimp or anything to generate ammonia then the amount of bioload your filter can handle after the cycle will be very small. You fish addition could have restarted the cycle, or at least a minI cycle.
Also, if you had that ammonia reading before adding the fish, I would not say the cycle was completed. Where you tracking your parameters during the cycle? did you get a big spike of nitrites that were there for a few days and all the sudden gone and your nitrates high?

First of all thanks for reply and your time.

They way I did mine fishless cycle is:

I was adding a basic fish food with beneficial bacteria.

After that on third or fourth days I have started to reading ammonia level by using API Fresh water Kit. Then a week or so after ammonia rise to 5ppm or even more, then close the second week Nitrite starts reading and ammonia drops almost to zero it was 0.25ppm so by the end of the fourth week ammonia and Nitrite drops to 0 and nitrate start reading a bit like 5ppm or even less. The checked the results of ammonia and nitrite for next few days so that there is no spikes - they were remain constant. Then I did 50% water change and After that I bought the fish and added it to the tank.

Today is fourth day and they are not eating and seating at the button

The temperature is 79 Fahrenheit

The water becomes a bit milky cloudy just a little bit.

 

First of all thanks for reply and your time.

They way I did mine fishless cycle is:

I was adding a basic fish food with beneficial bacteria.

After that on third or fourth days I have started to reading ammonia level by using API Fresh water Kit. Then a week or so after ammonia rise to 5ppm or even more, then close the second week Nitrite starts reading and ammonia drops almost to zero it was 0.25ppm so by the end of the fourth week ammonia and Nitrite drops to 0 and nitrate start reading a bit like 5ppm or even less. The checked the results of ammonia and nitrite for next few days so that there is no spikes - they were remain constant. Then I did 50% water change and After that I bought the fish and added it to the tank.

Today is fourth day and they are not eating and seating at the button

The temperature is 79 Fahrenheit

The water becomes a bit milky cloudy just a little bit.

"The water becomes a bit milky cloudy just a little bit"
This right here is telling you the tank is cycling again, and you are having a bacterial bloom. My first option would be to donate the fish, or have someone with an establish tank hold the fish. You can keep fish, but need to minimize the effects of ammonia and nitrites with chemicals such as Prime, and/or daily large water changes using aged water instead of straight from the tap (you mentioned you get ammonia readings).