I had a Nimbochromis fuscotaeniatus, and he died a few days ago because of something I haven't quite understood yet. It started about a month ago. He started smacking his mouth and yawning a whole lot. I found him upside down the other day not quite dead yet. I examined him and found that in the back of his throwt, he had coughed up his stomach or some kind of his guts. That was when the sad and helpless feeling came over me. Knowing that there was nothing I could do for him, I put him out of his misery. I had him for about a year. He was almost fully grown. He was about 8-9" at the time of his demise. Now, my large Scianochromis friery has started the same mouth smacking and I am super worried. I checked him out yesterday, and there is no sign that he is coughing up his guts, but he's still obviously trying to tell me something with all the commotion. I was told that if the food I feed them has a high fat content, then that could have something to do with it, but I'm sure it doesn't (1.86%). Any help as to what is going on in my tank would be appreciated.
Big Fish Deaths, More to come, HELP!
- Thread starter Habaceeba
- Start date
I did a little research, and Malawi Bloat cannot be ruled out as the problem. I feed my Malawians frozen food almost every other day, which I should probably stop. At least for now, my Scianochromis friery is eating so I'm hoping it's not bloat. I seriously need to reconsider what I put in their diets. Any suggestions for food? Here's the rundown of my fish:
100g:
1 6" Scianochromis friery male
A pair of Aulonocara stuartgranti "Ngara Flametails"
A pair of OB Peacocks
1 Protomelas fenestratus/steveni "Taiwan Reef" female
1 Synodontis eupterus
and the spirit of a Nimbochromis fuscotaeniatus
Any other advice is still welcome.
100g:
1 6" Scianochromis friery male
A pair of Aulonocara stuartgranti "Ngara Flametails"
A pair of OB Peacocks
1 Protomelas fenestratus/steveni "Taiwan Reef" female
1 Synodontis eupterus
and the spirit of a Nimbochromis fuscotaeniatus
Any other advice is still welcome.
the malawi mbuna are mostly vegitarian and do not handle protein well. so make sure you have very little protein. maybe once a week for brine shrimp or somethign is acceptable. other than that- spirulina flake and discs are very good. and fresh vegetables (though I cant tell you exactly which ones)
The fusco is a hap so in theory it should handle a higher protein diet better.
My experience shows exactly the opposite. I have lost three fish to bloat over the last two years and two of them were haplochromis red empress. The other was a p. socolofi.
If I were you, I would feed bloodworms and that sort of stuff at MOST once a week. Keep them on something with less protein for their other meals.
Believe me, it's pretty easy to cause a case of bloat and it's VERY disappointing after watching a fish grow and develop color for years and then kill it like that.
My experience shows exactly the opposite. I have lost three fish to bloat over the last two years and two of them were haplochromis red empress. The other was a p. socolofi.
If I were you, I would feed bloodworms and that sort of stuff at MOST once a week. Keep them on something with less protein for their other meals.
Believe me, it's pretty easy to cause a case of bloat and it's VERY disappointing after watching a fish grow and develop color for years and then kill it like that.
I really don't know what's going on in your tank.
Sorry I can't help you out with this. (You're sure your water conditions are ok?)
Lots of Malawi cichlids are vegetarians or omnivores (like demon surfer says), but yours are not.
Nimbochromis is a piscivore just like the Sciaenochromis. Aulonocara and P.fenestratus are insectivores. (Feed on small invertebrates etc.) So I don’t think proteins are the problem here.
The cichlids which Riptide has lost were vegetarians. (Ps.socolofi and P.taeniolatus).
A wide variety of different foods like frozen food, flakes and pallets is highly recommended.
When you feed the frozen foods, make sure you defrost them first; these cichlids can be greedy and frozen foods in there tummy can do more harm than good.
Jimmy
Sorry I can't help you out with this. (You're sure your water conditions are ok?)
Lots of Malawi cichlids are vegetarians or omnivores (like demon surfer says), but yours are not.
Nimbochromis is a piscivore just like the Sciaenochromis. Aulonocara and P.fenestratus are insectivores. (Feed on small invertebrates etc.) So I don’t think proteins are the problem here.
The cichlids which Riptide has lost were vegetarians. (Ps.socolofi and P.taeniolatus).
A wide variety of different foods like frozen food, flakes and pallets is highly recommended.
When you feed the frozen foods, make sure you defrost them first; these cichlids can be greedy and frozen foods in there tummy can do more harm than good.
Jimmy
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Sure doesn't sound like Malawi bloat to me. I lost some fish to this, mostly early on in my mbuna-keeping days, and they never exhibited the behavior you mention, nor did they have any coughed-up internal organs.
I'd wonder about parasites -- either in the gills or stomach. Have the fish been doing any rubbing against rocks or the tank walls?
Jim
I'd wonder about parasites -- either in the gills or stomach. Have the fish been doing any rubbing against rocks or the tank walls?
Jim
Hi Riptide,
No, unlike the P.fenestratus the P.taeniolatus is a real herbivore.
The P.taeniolatus eats the algae (and that's exactly what I often see in my tank)
The P.fenestratus "blows" the algae away in front of him in search for crustacean and other little creatures. I haven't witnessed that unfortunately (I don't have one of those), but that's what Ad Konings says in his book "Malawi cichlids in their natural habitat".
And who am I to criticize that.
Jimmy
No, unlike the P.fenestratus the P.taeniolatus is a real herbivore.
The P.taeniolatus eats the algae (and that's exactly what I often see in my tank)
The P.fenestratus "blows" the algae away in front of him in search for crustacean and other little creatures. I haven't witnessed that unfortunately (I don't have one of those), but that's what Ad Konings says in his book "Malawi cichlids in their natural habitat".
And who am I to criticize that.
Jimmy
If Ad says it, I would believe it. He is one of the experts after all. I mean that. Paul Loiselle is also right up there with him as far as being a cichlid "guru". 