View Full Version : Help! Cichlid attacked!
ogopogo
06-08-2003, 7:48 PM
One of my electric yellows attacked another one of my yellows and basically ripped its tail off. I have isolated the wounded one but am wondering if I should be treating him in any way? This happened about a week ago and I haven't seen any signs of infection yet. He's eating well and doing okay otherwise. Will his tail grow back?
Molino
06-08-2003, 8:04 PM
If he seems to be healthy, is eating and swimming well his tail should grow back. Be sure to watch for any other symtoms of disease. Otherwise you can add a little salt to the water and give him some time to recover.
Kirin Fang
06-08-2003, 9:09 PM
My Jack Dempsey's tail got ripped off when it was younger and in about a month it grew back. I just isolated it and let it's tail grow back.
Hi Ogopogo,
What I would like to know is what size tank you have, and how did you decorate it.
Jimmy.
Yeah, I had a Dempsey regrow a tail in about a month as well.
ogopogo
06-09-2003, 9:28 PM
Thanks for your replies...I sure hope the tail does grow back because he sure looks funny now. I have added a little salt to the water and he seems to be doing okay. I'm weary about putting him back into the tank (with the other yellow) when he gets better though. May have to get rid of one of the two to prevent any future attacks.
You sound surprised ogopogo:D
scott: salt is supposed to speed up the healing process, whether this works or not is a different story, im sure it does in some cases.
DarthV
06-09-2003, 9:58 PM
I think I'd add in some Melafix as well.
ogopogo
06-09-2003, 10:29 PM
Originally posted by jimbo
Hi Ogopogo,
What I would like to know is what size tank you have, and how did you decorate it.
Jimmy.
Jimmy,
I have a 66 gallon decorated with various tufa rock, gravel and crushed shell substrate and a couple plastic plants.;)
A 66 should be big enough for some African cichlids.
You didn't mention(sorry for not asking) whether the two Y.L. are a couple or both males.
If both are males you want to consider removing one of them.
Two males of the same species(African mbuna)simply doesn't work unless the tank is big enough like at least 200 gal.
If it's a male and a female, well, lets hope they start liking each other.
Jimmy
Mystroe_TheMyst
06-10-2003, 3:42 AM
Someone said why salt..
Well from what i've heard a salt bath is great for fish, I think the theory is that all fish originally came from salt water and can survive or adapt rather in salty conditions and it is also common knowledge that if you (person) have a cut the salt water aids in the healing process..
someone back me up here..
but my cousin has pretty much saved a fish that anyone could've easily given up on, man that oscars lucky hes had 2 salt baths and is still going strong..so they all benifit from it
salt in parasitic cases is just something to disolve or "dry out" the critter. Salt in the water the fish lives in is directly connected to its osmotic pressure. For anyone who doesn't know what osmosis is with fish, you have alot of membranes. For example you have gills and skin and fins etc. etc. Now with freshwater fish, the insides are more concentrated with things other than the water around them. Their bodies have salts and internals in the form of blood, the foods they eat, and what not. So freshwater fish are constantly taking in water into their bodies due to osmosis (dilute water comes in to try and dilute their bodies). Therefore freshwater fish constantly have to be "shedding" water from their bodies in order to survive. This happens in several ways including urine and breathing to name a couple.
Now when you add salt to your tank water, it raises the concentration of salts in the waters around the fish and so the differences between the concentration of the water and the inside of the fish are reduced some and therefore the osmotic pressure is lowered. Less water is taken in so the fish doesn't have to work as hard to rid their body of this excess water.
This is one reason why adding salt to a freshwater tank can be helpful. Your sick fish is already stressed and weakened, so by lowering the osmotic pressure by adding salt, you help your sick fish by giving its body a little easier time in dealing with that problem and more energy towards getting better or healing itself.
Marine fish have the exact opposite problem. The ocean has a much higher concentration of salt in it than in the fish's body, so the osmotic pressure is constantly trying to draw water out of the marine fish. Therefore, to keep from dehydrating, a marine fish is always drinking water to replace lost water. Marine fish have ways of getting rid of the excess salt. does that help any?? Now as far as it speeding things up, its possible. Just look at it as getting a cut on your knee while you are sick with the flu or something. The cut isn't going to go away as quick as it would if you were healthy because your body would focus on healing that wound as opposed to dealing with a virus and trying to heal a cut.
ogopogo
06-10-2003, 5:01 PM
Originally posted by jimbo
A 66 should be big enough for some African cichlids.
You didn't mention(sorry for not asking) whether the two Y.L. are a couple or both males.
If both are males you want to consider removing one of them.
Two males of the same species(African mbuna)simply doesn't work unless the tank is big enough like at least 200 gal.
If it's a male and a female, well, lets hope they start liking each other.
Jimmy
My yellows are both male. I've also got one female. I got them all as juveniles so didn't know what sex they were at that time. I've also got a pair of cobalt blue cichlids and 4 dogtooth cichlids (2 females, 1 male, and 1 2-month-old offspring).
If it were me, I would trade one male Y.L for a female.
I guess the fights they're having aint gonna stop, it'll only get worse.
What's a "dogtooth"? Does it have a Latin name?
ogopogo
06-10-2003, 9:03 PM
Originally posted by jimbo
If it were me, I would trade one male Y.L for a female.
I guess the fights they're having aint gonna stop, it'll only get worse.
What's a "dogtooth"? Does it have a Latin name?
I think I will trade one of the males for a female. I doubt things will get better.
The Latin name for dogtooth cichlid is Cynatilapia afra.
hehe sounds like fun!! My electric yellows dont fight at all.. Not sure of the sex.. Have 3 of them in a 77 GAL.
Fish in African Tank:
2 Male Saulosi ( 1 = very dominant, 1 = looks like a female haha )
5 Socolofis ( or some kind of hybrid crossbread mutt fish )
3 Cynotilapia Afras ( These guys dont fight at all.. 1 has a small nip outa its top fin )
2 Elongatus ( 1 might be a labidochromis something or other )
3 Electric Yellows ( Same behaviour as Afras )
1! Demasoni ( had 3 but two got stuck in the powerheads :( Installed Quickfilters! )
1 Common pleco
1 Rhino pleco
Now THAT is stocked haha.. Gonna be a war in there when they grow a bit more
There is one male socolofi that runs one side of the tank, while the saulosi owns the other side! They have some AWESOME fights. neither walks (swims! ) away with any damage. Just some straight up mouth fighting. Fun to watch.
So far they all seem to be living in harmony togehter.. but im sure at least a few will be killed off! But its ok, we have a 2nd 77 GAL that will soon be dedicated to some kind of africans!! not sure what kind yet!
Any suggestions would be great! So far my favorite in the tank is the demasoni.. bloody amazing contrast.
Yes dear......the Demasoni!! and the ELONGATUS!! they look really dark and dull in the tank now.....but in the store they were super nice......I think we need better lighting.
I pretty much like any striking fish that look like the Mpanga's and Mbamba's................I just can't find them anywhere!! :(
i like your mpanga baby..