Why are my cichlids gasping for air?

Why are my cichlids gasping for air?

Both ammonia and nitrite affect gills and can cause gasping, so test the water at the first sign of trouble. Nitrite affects the blood by changing the haemoglobin bit that carries the oxygen, so fish gasp in trying to extract the oxygen they need from the water. Any signs of ammonia or nitrite are worrying.

Why do cichlids stay in one spot?

This is usually because they aren’t getting enough oxygen in their system to breathe properly. Most of the time, fish will do this because the water that they are in isn’t clean enough for them live in. Another reason why they may be doing this is because of chemicals or medications that have been added to the water.

Why do my cichlid fry keep dying?

A lot of time with fry there are two potential issues – ammonia and food. If you are getting most of them to about 2 cm and they are dropping off it maybe that the food is too small for them to get enough. If they seem to be dwindling slowly, that would point more to water conditions.

How to care for a Mbuna cichlid in an aquarium?

If you do break flowerpots in half, sand down the rough edges and rinse them thoroughly before placing them in your tank. You can also use structures made for aquariums. You don’t need to add plants to the tank, as this species will likely just dig them up. Treat the water with aquarium salt and water conditioner.

What to do if your cichlid can’t swim?

Verified Your cichlid is suffering from something called Swim Bladder Disorder (sbd). A fish’s swim bladder is the organ fish have which enables them to swim upright and maintain their buoyancy. When it becomes infected, blocked or too full of air it ceases to function properly. The way to treat this is: 1) Change 25% of the water in the tank

What to do if your cichlid fish has SBD?

Your cichlid is suffering from something called Swim Bladder Disorder (sbd). A fish’s swim bladder is the organ fish have which enables them to swim upright and maintain their buoyancy. When it becomes infected, blocked or too full of air it ceases to function properly. The way to treat this is: 1) Change 25% of the water in the tank

How often should I Change my Malawi cichlids water?

The Malawi bloat condition that it causes may kill your fish. Change 25% of the water at least every other week. This process will help keep the water clean and nitrite- and ammonia-free for your fish. You will need to siphon off the old water (avoiding any fish), and then replace it with pre-conditioned new water.

Verified Your cichlid is suffering from something called Swim Bladder Disorder (sbd). A fish’s swim bladder is the organ fish have which enables them to swim upright and maintain their buoyancy. When it becomes infected, blocked or too full of air it ceases to function properly. The way to treat this is: 1) Change 25% of the water in the tank

What are the different types of mbuna cichlids?

The Mbuna group can be broken down into several genus levels: 1 Cyathochromis. 2 Cynotilapia. 3 Genyochromis. 4 Gephyrochromis. 5 Iodotropheus. 6 Labeotropheus. 7 Labidochromis. 8 Melanochromis. 9 Metriaclima. 10 Petrotilapia.

Your cichlid is suffering from something called Swim Bladder Disorder (sbd). A fish’s swim bladder is the organ fish have which enables them to swim upright and maintain their buoyancy. When it becomes infected, blocked or too full of air it ceases to function properly. The way to treat this is: 1) Change 25% of the water in the tank

How often should you change the water for a Mbuna?

Food should be mostly Vegetarian based (algae-spirulina) with alternation (1-2 days per week) of food that is a bit richer in animal protein once every few days. Water changes should be done each week 50% to keep water quality. These are wonderful fishes with most interesting behavior.