Sick Ahl's Haplochromis (Iceberg Blue)

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macman7010

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I have had a 4 inch Iceberg Blue - Ahl's Haplochromis for about a month now but recently it has not been eating and its activity level has dropped. It used to be very active and really alert and now it seems more tired and subdued. This happened once before when I first got the fish so I treated it with MelaFix for several days and it seemed to be fine. I tried switching foods but that seemed to have no effect and it continues not to eat.

I have isolated this fish in a ten gallon hospital tank and am currently treating him with MelaFix, and Clout with high water tempature and plenty of salt. The only physical thing I can visibilly see on the fish is his belly seems somewhat swollen or enlarged.

My tank specs are as follows...

40 gallon All Glass Aquarium

1 Iceberg Blue - the sick guy
6 Electric Yellow Cichlids
2 Helena Chromis Cichlids
2 Blue Rams
1 Pleco and 1 Catfish

Emperor 400 Filter
Tank Temp = 76
Ph= 7.0
Ammonia = None
Nitrate = Medium range
Nitrite = None

any opions are appreciated
 
I agree with scholar.
Your pH should be between 7.8 and 8.4 and that goes for all cichlids from Lake Malawi. But I don’t think the swollen belly could be due to the low pH though.
There could be something wrong with his dietary. What do you usually feed the Ahli?

Jimmy
 
I am not really familiar with these kinds of foods.
Perhaps someone else can give you some advice on that part.
What I basically mean is: Ahli’s are pictivores (or carnivores), which in nature feed on small fish. What they need is food, which contains lots of proteins.
But I don’t think the other inhabitants in your tank would appreciate that much protein.
That is why this specie should be kept in an African species tank with Malawi cichlids only. Preferably with just Malawi haps and Peacocks (but that’s my opinion)
I think you have to make a choice between either South American or African cichlids, both in one tank (specially the rams) does not work.

Jimmy
 
I think I will get rid of the rams and stick to africans. what i did is isolate the one iceberg in a hospital tank and right now I have the PH at 7.6-7.8 and Im not seeing any major results yet.
 
Ph 7.6/7.8 should be ok. I wouldn’t throw in to many different medicines in your tank.
I know it’s difficult not knowing what kind of disease it could be, but you have to be careful, don’t let your hospital-tank turn into a chemical pool. And also, make sure to remove (if there is any) all carbon from your filter system, carbon in your filter will remove all kinds of medicines. Another thing is to go easy on the salt; using salt is to a certain extent, to prevent a disease caused by bacteria or parasites, not to cure it. In fact, in some cases it is even better not to use salt at all in combination with medicines. In the meantime, be patient, they don’t cure overnight.

Jimmy
 
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Ok here's the sit wrap...

My main tank water was being kept at a ph of 7.0-7.2 when the ineberg became sick. Not thinking that this would be anything to do with PH I put him in the hospital tank and began treating him for a possible internal parasite. Although I was reading about and learned on this forum that african cichlids like ph ranges of 7.7 and up - so I upped the ph in the hospital tank slowly with a ph raising liquid made by Jungle. Since then I have upped the PH in my main tank to 7.5.

As far as the sick fish goes I cleaned 40% of the hospital tank water and ran carbon for 8 hours to remove all the excess meds. I am keeping the ph at 7.6-7.7 and a slightly higher temp in case of a parasite. I am treating him with MelaFix only. He seems more active but still not eating.
 
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