Firemouth cichlid

[mack606]

Hi, ever since I bought my firemouth cichlid 2 days ago he has been breathing heavy with his mouth and gills always flapping. Is this firemouth shocked and not adjusted or is this regular for them?

 

[PurpleSmurf]

What are your water params? and how did you introduce him to the tank?

 

[mack606]

My water perams are suited to the fish and I introduced him just by floating the bag for a while then putting him in with my net. Since the fish looks normal and is acting normal I was wondering if theres a chance they breathe heavy normally (mouth opens and closes about 70 times a minute and hes 2" long) or maybe hes doing something else. Is there any firemouth owners that could verify if this is normal?

THANKS

 

[TONO]

It's normal

 

[ashdavid]

My water perams are suited to the fish
THANKS

This maybe so, but if there is excessive ammonia or nitrite in the water your fish will find it hard to breath. Only small amounts of ammonia will dirrectly affect your fish gills and more than likely quickly die. Too much nitrite will cause a condition called methemoglobin , this condition makes the blood unable to carry oxygen, and the fish can literally suffocate even though there is ample oxygen present in the water. So I would test your water for these and more if you can.

 

[NatakuTseng]

By saying your water params were suited to the fish makes it sound like you have been screwing around with changing your water. If your adding things to change the water chemistry DON'T DO IT. Its best to leave your water alone as it is, the only time you add things is when you need to remove cholorine. Your acclimation method may also be causing the prob by putting the fish through pH shock. You should always slowly add your own water to the water the fish came in to let them adjust to it and not just the temp, the only time you wouldn't do this is when the fish have been shipped to you. Telling us your water params are fine doesn't tell us squat, for all we know your just looking at the tank and seeing is clear and not cloudy so that constitutes it being fine to you. Test the water, pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and give us numbers. If you don't have the test kits for those its time to buy them. Those 4 test kits are an absolute nessecity when dealing with fish, and your first line of defense.

Tono, after two days of being in the tank, this is NOT normal behavior.

 

[mack606]

What!?!?

By saying your water params were suited to the fish makes it sound like you have been screwing around with changing your water.

haha... If I was "screwing around" with my water I would have said so. The question was clear and simple, directed at firemouth owners. I didn't supply perams because I understand how chemicals affect fish and I'm not asking for a diagnosis. I am getting my bio degree but we actually learn quite a bit of chem. Don't assume that other people are "screwing around" just because they have better things to do than type up 600 posts

 

[ashdavid]

Mack all I can say is that I have firemouths and they don't do what you are saying. How long have you had the tank running for? I will try not to assume anything ,but if you dont share the ammonia and nitrite levels there is nothing else I can say but ,with good clean filtered water firemouths do not normaly do this. How long have they been doing this for now?

 

[mack606]

The tank has been set up for a very long time. Its been a couple days now and the breathing has slowed greatly and he looks more relaxed. He rarely hides now and is getting much more exercise then the first 2 days. You had good points ashdavid, it was NatakuTseng who takes the forums a bit too seriously.

Thanks

 

[Seaman]

He wasnt trying to be mean, this is just like diagnosing a problem with a car. We need EVERY detail. If all you wanted to know was if this is normal, then no its not. But were trying to figure out WHY its breathing heavily and how to fix it. Thats why we ask for parameters not just "its suited to the fish".

Try and list:

amonia
nitrIte
nitrAte
ph

the more info the eaiser it is to help.