My Cichlids are dying

Cichlids4ever

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Oct 31, 2006
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Hi all.
I have been away from the forum for quite a while due to lots of work and no time for computer.
I had to go on a business trip recently and came home to find a disaster in my cichlid tank.

We had lost power while I was gone, and with no filtration, I guess that’s how my entire stock of P Kenny’s developed septicemia.

They are hopeless and need to be removed and destroyed. I had a friend from the local mom and pop pet shop come over and he verified that these fish are goners.

I read the thread on euthanizing fish but I still have questions.

If I use oil of clove, I assume that after the fish are removed I need to do a complete 100% water exchange and start all over again with cycling before adding fish?
Am I right?

The reason why I need to treat the whole tank is due to the fact that I cannot catch these 5 inch monsters with a net, or else I would do it in a bucket and not have to poison the entire 75 gallons.

Suggestions????
 
If you mean treating your whole tank by putting the oil of clove right in the tank I would suggest against that. IMO it would be very difficult to clean afterwards. I would do the bucket thing and just go buy a big net,,they're only a few bucks. I also heard of freezing the fish in the freezer,,not too sure about that though,,maybe ask someone that knows.
 
Still need help

If you mean treating your whole tank by putting the oil of clove right in the tank I would suggest against that. IMO it would be very difficult to clean afterwards. I would do the bucket thing and just go buy a big net,,they're only a few bucks. I also heard of freezing the fish in the freezer,,not too sure about that though,,maybe ask someone that knows.


The problem is more than needing a larger net.
I have some serious rockscapes and a ton of hiding places in this tank and one wrong move with the net and I could have 75 gallons of water on my hardwood floors :-)
I thought by putting them to sleep with oil of clove would be the answer, but if I cannot clean the tank after that, well, I guess I am stuck.

Anybody have ideas?
 
The dosing for clove oil is based on the amount of water, so dosing the whole tank would be a waste. You need to get those fish out, so start dismantling your rock work to get them, if that's what's needed.
 
if it isnt much trouble, take all of the rock work out and work them to some side or corner of the tank and net them individually. you wouldnt have to go out and buy a new net either, just one more step towards restocking?
 
Thats what I thought.
Thanks for the input.
 
If you can't move the rocks in your tank then why did you bother putting them in there?
 
???????

If you can't move the rocks in your tank then why did you bother putting them in there?

I never said I couldn't move the rocks.
I have created one of the most beautiful and efficient cichlid tanks I have ever known in my 40 years of fish keeping.

Each rock is placed perfectly to give my fish all the caves and hidind spaces that Mbuna need.

It is extremely hard to move these rocks around while there are living fish in there. That is why I want to euthanize them first before I restart my aquarium.
 
if they are already heading towards the grave.... i understand you dont want to hurt or kill them while they are still in there, but would that be better than twiddling your thumbs wondering what to do while the disease creeps along until it hits a vial organ?
 
if they are already heading towards the grave.... i understand you dont want to hurt or kill them while they are still in there, but would that be better than twiddling your thumbs wondering what to do while the disease creeps along until it hits a vial organ?


Exactly...
I have been lowering the temp each day by a few degrees and they have been slowing down. They were extremely aggressive.

I have now managed to get the two largest out and working on the rest.
I am very sad at this point. I have had these fish for a few years and they have won photo contests here for me. Very sad

Thanks to all for your input
 
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