Af Cich Infect Dis F

FAQs on African Cichlid Infectious Disease
(Virus, Bacterial, Fungal)

FAQs on African Cichlid Disease:
African Cichlid Disease 1, African Cichlid Disease 2, African Cichlid Disease 3, African Cichlid Disease 4, African Cichlid Disease 5, African Cichlid Disease 6, African Cichlid Disease 7, African Cichlid Disease 8,
FAQs on African Cichlid Disease by Category: Diagnosis, Environmental, Nutritional, Social, Parasitic (Ich, Velvet...), Genetic, Treatments,

Related Articles: African Cichlids, Malawian Cichlids: The Mbuna and their Allies By Neale Monks, The Blue Followers: the Placidochromis of Lake Malawi by Daniella Rizzo, Cichlid Fishes,

Please help me help my bumble bee 1/14/16
I've purchased my bumble bee cichlid from my avid fish loving brother a couple of months ago. Along with a blood parrot and currently small green terror. Bumblebee had these growths before i brought him home for quite some time, although, nearly half this size.
<Apparently some sort of infection of the nares>
Not sure on age but he's around 5 inches long. I have been doing water changes accordingly. His health is declining and in his weakened state he's being easily chased into hiding from the blood parrot when in the beginning they all did well together
with ample hiding places he seemed completely healthy aside from the unsightly growths. I've noticed today he did not eat. Came out long enough for me to snap this picture. Im worried. Im hoping its not a tumor but with it only seeming to grow i am not sure what else this could possibly be.
<Likely some sort of infectious agent, proceeding from environmental stress.... "poor water quality" of some kind/s>
His color no longer seems to change mostly remains faint. I thought maybe the growths could fall off but nothing in all this time. in the last week a bump has formed in between the nostrils under the skin. Only looking worse. If there is ANYTHING i can do to save him please please let me know.
<Well; if it were mine.... I'd likely euthanize this specimen (see WWM Re)... but if you're willing to try.... I'd subject the entire system to a modicum of "Malawi Salts" (see Neale Monk's works re on WWM); and trying a "Furan" drug (Nitrofuranace my choice) here per SOP statements on WWM. Bob Fenner>

Intermedius cichlid... hlth. 8/9/15
Hello!
I'm writing to inquire about what appears to be a cluster of red lumps on my intermedius cichlid's fin.
<Looks like Lymphocystis or some other viral infection.>
The fish is a few years old and has been living in my 125 gallon tank with about 20 tankmates. No one else is exhibiting anything similar. He is fine in regards to eating and swimming normally. Aggression is minimal and water parameters tested fine as far as nitrates, nitrites, Ph, etc.
<Please don't tell us "fine" but instead give us the numbers. To be clear:
most of these viral infections are triggered by environmental shortcomings. Actually quite a body of research into this because wild fish with viral cysts are potential indicators of environmental pollution. So something's amiss. Either review yourself and act accordingly, or send us some numbers. To recap: Malawian cichlids like Tramitichromis intermedius must have hard, alkaline water (15+ degrees dH, pH 7.5-8.5). Ammonia and nitrite must be zero of course, but nitrate must also be as low as practical, ideally below 20 mg/l. Water temperature should be middling to warm (25-26 C/77-79 F is fine) but there must also be lots and lots of oxygen, so heavy duty filtration is critical, water turnover rates of not less than 8 times the
volume of the tank per hour (so for a 125-gallon tank, the filter should provide at least 1000 gallons/hour turnover). Tramitichromis intermedius is one of the open water, non-Mbuna cichlids. It must never, EVER be combined with Mbuna except perhaps the very mildest ones (Labidochromis and Iodotropheus). It's a peaceful species that works well with Aulonocara-type things, and will get stressed with Mbuna, and yes, that sort of stress can/will cause diseases such as Lymphocystis. Finally, since he's a sand-sifter, you'll want a sandy substrate but check you use a good quality kind that isn't sharp and is kept clean with periodic stirring and siphoning.>
I've attached a few pictures if you could please advise what you guys think it may be. Sorry for the quality, he wasn't listening when I said to sit still.
<They don't tend to, no.>
I really don't have a hospital tank big enough to suit him at the moment, he's quite a large boy. If need be I can purchase a 20 gallon.
<There's no real treatment to viral infections, and they tend to go away after a few months (or years!) of good care. Not contagious in any meaningful sense, but what has stressed this fish might stress others, so review and act accordingly.>
Thank you,
Lauren
<Welcome. Have cc'ed our cichlid experts in case they have other ideas. Neale.>

Re: Intermedius cichlid 8/10/15
As far as numbers go my Ph is 7.8,
<Any idea the hardness? Especially the carbonate hardness, which is involved with minimising pH changes between water changes. The addition of calcareous material to the aquarium (tufa rock for example) will raise carbonate hardness, as will the use of Rift Valley salt mix, which you can make thus:
Per 5 US gallons (20 litres) add the following amounts of each ingredient:
* 1 teaspoon baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
* 1 tablespoon Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate)
* 1 teaspoon marine salt mix (sodium chloride + trace elements)
Stir well, add to the tank, and you're done. As always, don't make dramatic changes to water chemistry all at once. Across a serious of water changes, perhaps 20% per day, would be a good approach.>
ammonia and nitrite 0, nitrate is currently between 10-20 (the color in the test tube is between those two), and almost always under 20 except in rare cases like being away on vacation and not being able to do a water change that week, which might be the issue since I was gone recently for 10 days?
<Possible, and such "oversights" do sometimes trigger problems with cichlids. But I'm not convinced that we can explain away the problem.>
I did a water change and test as soon as I got home and parameters were almost identical to what I listed above.
<Good.>
Temp is 78. I run two MarineLand canister c360 filters and two large air stones. I do have a Carib sea sandy substrate. Most of the tankmates are Aulonocara, I have three Labs, and one Iodotropheus. Almost all of the aggression is between the two dominant male peacocks in the tank.
<Predictable! But otherwise sounds fine.>
So I don't know if he was stressed out by water issues or aggression when I was gone, but the cyst didn't appear until after I was home for a week.
<Hard to say. I'd maybe treat as per Finrot in case there's a bacterial infection, but otherwise optimise environment and diet, and see what happens.>
Lauren
<Do have a read:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/lymphfaqs.htm
But also here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/virdisnonlymph.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/virdislymphf.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/virdiscures.htm
And also follow the relevant links. Cheers, Neale.>

White cyst - like bump on cichlids nostril 7/5/14
Dear WWM Crew,
We have been in the fish business for about 1.5 years. The question I have pertains to our 120 gallon cichlid tank. We have 22 cichlids from Lakes Victoria, Malawi, and Tanganyika. Some of our fish are 6 inches all the way down to 1 inch. We check our water every week or 2 and we do 10-20% water change every week. Currently, our water tests perfect in every category. It has been the same for the last 2 months (prior to that it was cycling). We just purchased a 6 inch bumblebee (Pseudotropheus crabro) 2
weeks ago. It has been acting fine and feeding well. All of our other fish appear themselves and very normal. Three days ago I noticed a white pimple/cyst on its right nostril. It has grown a bit since then. It is
about twice the size of an O. I am unsure of what to do. I don't like using medicines, but of course I will if that is what he needs. I have researched and could not find any descriptions or pictures that matched our
bumblebees situation. I would really appreciate your advice and I thank you so much for your time.
Sincerely,
Allison
<Looks like an infected nostril, with a prolapse or similar causing internal tissue to expand outwards. May clear up in time, but I would definitely treat with an antibacterial or antibiotic (don't forget to remove carbon, if used) as per Finrot. The use of Epsom salt at 3 teaspoons per 5 US gallons/20 litres would be beneficial. Have bcc'ed our resident cichlid expert, Chuck, to see if he can chime in here. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: White cyst - like bump on cichlids nostril 7/5/14
Neale,
Thank you so much for responding! We will get him into our hospital tank and begin treatments. What medication do you recommend?
<Whatever's sold in your area that's good for Finrot would be a good first choice. Seachem Kanaplex or the old favourite Maracyn 1 + 2 combination are two options. Basically, avoid the "natural" (read: unreliable) treatments such as Tea-Tree Oil. On the other hand, using Epsom salt often helps reducing swelling, and a modest addition of sea salt can be beneficial to cichlids if they're under the weather a bit, though don't go nuts, a teaspoon or two per gallon is ample.>
He's a lovely fish and we don't want to lose him. Thank you again.
<Most welcome, Neale.>
Sincerely,
Allison

White cyst - like bump on cichlids nostril /Chuck's go 7/7/14
White Bumps On Cichlid's Nose
Dear WWM Crew,
We have been in the fish business for about 1.5 years. The question I have pertains to our 120 gallon cichlid tank. We have 22 cichlids from Lakes Victoria, Malawi, and Tanganyika. Some of our fish are 6 inches all the way down to 1 inch. We check our water every week or 2 and we do 10-20% water change every week. Currently, our water tests perfect in every category. It has been the same for the last 2 months (prior to that it was cycling). We just purchased a 6 inch bumblebee (Pseudotropheus crabro)
2 weeks ago. It has been acting fine and feeding well. All of our other fish appear themselves and very normal. Three days ago I noticed a white pimple/cyst on its right nostril. It has grown a bit since then. It is
about twice the size of an O. I am unsure of what to do. I don't like using medicines, but of course I will if that is what he needs. I have researched and could not find any descriptions or pictures that matched our bumblebees situation. I would really appreciate your advice and I thank you so much for your time. Sincerely, Allison Hicks
< You crabro has an infection in its sinus cavity. Sometimes cichlids dive into the sand and gravel sifting for food and a small particle of the substrate gets lodged in the sinus cavity. This particle can irritate the
lining causing and infection even after the particle becomes dislodged. The infection seals off the sinus cavity and no circulation comes through making it difficult to treat. This infection may work its way to the surface where it can be treated. At one inch it is going to be difficult to really clean the area. I would recommend placing the fish in a small hospital tank and treating with a Nitrofuranace (Furan-2) type of compound. It has any bacterial and anti-fungal properties.-Chuck>

African Cichlid Tumor? 10/8/12
Cichlid Tumor Treatment
Hi Crew! I’m hoping you guys can provide some advice or insight regarding a sick African cichlid- “Bumblebee” (Pseudotropheus crabro) that I have had for almost 4 years now. He is just over 5 inches in length.
Tank Info- 75-gallon freshwater tank; Marineland Emperor 400 HOB filter; 2 airstones powered by Whisper air pump; Tahitian moon gravel/sand which replaced pebble gravel over a year ago. Aquasafe water conditioner used during all water changes.
Tank mates- 1 acei cichlid (approx. 5.5 inches in length) ; 1 electric yellow (3.5 inches in length); all 3 cichlids bought within 2 weeks of each other and were at similar sizes at purchase; no other tank mates ever.
Bumblebee has generally been in the middle hierarchy of the tank as the acei is the most dominant tank inhabitant and the electric yellow as the least dominant with no major incidents- just the usual territorial/chasing behaviors exhibited by all 3 over the years. There are also a number of Anubias plants in this tank that have been in the tank for just over 2 years. The system has been quite stable with no major environmental concerns outside of a submersible heater that went bad early in 2011 and water temps dropped for a few days before I noticed.
Water quality is tested at least monthly with 15-25% water changes completed every 2-3 weeks or more frequently on some occasions. I feed daily Hikari Cichlid Gold medium floating pellets and Omega One Super Color small sinking pellets simultaneously to help with aggression during feeding- no changes over the last couple of years in terms of diet.
In July of 2012 I first noticed 1 then 2 small “pimples” developing on Bumblebee’s nose between the eyes (see first image). No other concerns noted at that time- no changes in activity; appetite still great, etc.. Water quality was tested and was in range of the tank norms (pH 7.6; 0 Ammonia; 0 Nitrites; 5-10ppm Nitrates; 81.5 degrees F). I have always added a low amount of aquarium salt during water changes (1 tbsp per 10 gallons or half the recommended dose due to the plants in the tank) but I increased the salt to the recommended 1 tbsp per 5 gallons at that time hoping that the pimples were just the result of scratching against décor or an aggressive tank mate. No changes observed whatsoever with tank mates to date.
Over the past month the 2 pimples have begun to grow quite rapidly with no other changes noticed in activity except that the bumblebee has been the least dominant tank mate since mid-August. Appetite has been great/no changes in activity levels.
Last Monday (10/1) Bumblebee began flashing against the tank decorations rubbing the large tumor-like growth and removing some of his skin showing the inner pink ulcer/tumor. I immediately removed him to a 20 gallon hospital tank with that change in his behavior. Water quality in the 75-gallon tank was fine upon testing (pH 8.0; Negative for ammonia and nitrites; 5-10 ppm nitrates; 82.2 degrees F)
I have treated him for the past week with API’s T.C. Tetracycline powder- 2 packets per day due to 20 gallon quarantine tank with 25% water changes every 2 days.. I used that treatment for 6 days with no results (see other 2 images attached).
Bumblebee continues to flash against the corners of the tank and has debrided some of the ulcer/tumor- there are no décor or substrate in the hospital tank only a heater, airstone, and AquaClear 50 HOB filter.. I removed the tetracycline and it’s brownish water discoloration by placing activated carbon in the tank and have done significant water changes to the hospital tank.
Many of the FAQ’s on WWM that seem similar to my cichlids issues have suggested the use of Nitrofuranace and Metronidazole. The products in my area containing those ingredients that I could find this weekend are the API products “General Cure” and “Super Ick Cure”. I added today to the clean hospital tank the “General Cure” for a 20 gallon treatment since the active ingredients are 250 mg Metronidazole and 75 mg Praziquantel per packet.
I am attaching a couple images to clarify what this looks like because this seems to perhaps be a tumor issue as opposed to a bacterial, fungal, or parasitic condition.
The ulcer/tumor is quite large now and looks like it might be spreading just below his right eye and my other concern is that it might be growing inside of Bumblebee’s mouth and I can see a slight pink growth near the top of the mouth (but this is difficult as you can imagine to see definitively). There do not appear to be any changes in his breathing at this time.
Appetite during and since the completed Tetracycline treatment has been very minimal but that seems to be the norm with antibiotic use as I understand.
I appreciate your input and perhaps someone has had some experience in this type of concern- if not I will continue to run the current course of treatment and if unsuccessful I will enjoy the time remaining with Bumblebee unless it causes him distress as I’m really concerned about what could be growing inside of his mouth and how that might impact his quality of life.
Sorry for the length here but I wanted to describe everything I could to aid in your input- to clarify my questions now are as follows..
1. Any thoughts as to the epidemiology of this growth?
< I have had this same situation before and was lucky enough to have a fish vet friend of mine do a biopsy and take a look under a microscope. It turned out to be cancerous tumor.>
2. Should I continue the “General Cure” treatment over the next 4-6 days?
< Probably not effective.>
3. Should I simultaneously use the “Super Ick” powder with the “General Cure” to combine 3.6mg malachite green and 60 mg Nitrofurazone per packet along with the Metronidazole?
< I would recommend that you surgically remove it. I have done this before with mixed results. I would place the fish in a wet towel and hold him still. Take a single edged razor blade and trim the tumor flush with the contour of the head. be careful to only cut into the tumor and not into the head tissue. Treat the wound in a hospital tank with a Nitrofuranace type of antibiotic. It may grow back. Watch for secondary infections.-Chuck>
Thank you so much for your time in this regard!
Mark King

Sick Malawi cichlid 7/29/10
I would appreciate your help with this one. One of my cichlids has developed a series of cysts on both sides at the base of her top fin.
<I see this in your images>
The tissue on both sides is being destroyed and looks like it will eventually create a hole at this site as it progresses. This is one of my most colorful fish, so I would like to save it, if possible. He is eating well and appears to be suffering not at all from whatever this is. He lives in a 125 gallon tank with about 40 other cichlids.
<Mmm, of what species mix?>
The water tests fine and there are breeders in the tank, so I don't think it's the water. I have enclosed pictures of the fish and close-ups of the growth[s] as clear as possible. Many thanks for your help. JBH
<I would move this fish to a separate treatment system (use two nets to catch it), and treat it w/ Nitrofuranace... Can't tell "what" the specific cause/s might be from photos, your lack of information on water quality, but this should stop this from progressing. Bob Fenner>

Re: sick Malawi cichlid 7/29/10
Thank you. Unfortunately, it died.
<Ahh, sorry to read/realize. Sometimes these sorts of (apparent) injuries become systemic, bacterial et al. involvements, that can bring about death quite quickly. This and your other fish appear healthy otherwise. BobF>

Hello (Cichlidae; red tube from the anus) 11/13/09
I recently wrote to you about my tank and want to say you have great advice. I have another question for you..one of my female peacocks has some type of clear reddish tube coming out one of her reproductive holes...does this mean she is pregnant or sick??
<Difficult to say without a photo. The spawning tube (or genital papilla) on female cichlids looks like short, blunt tube with a rounded tip. It almost looks like a little wart. It's very different from the equivalent structure on the males, which are longer, usually angled, and have a pointed tip. Anyway, female cichlids normally show their genital papillae for very short periods, at most a day either side of spawning. Males will show there for longer periods, often several days. If your female is showing her spawning tube, she will either be spawning or just about to, and she should be obviously engaged in spawning behaviours of some kind.
Now, a prolapse is very different. This is where a bacterial infection of the colon causes it to expand and protrude from the anus. This is very serious, and is a good sign that environmental conditions and/or diet are very wrong. Treatment with antibiotics, fixing the environment, and feeding exclusively high fibre foods (e.g., cooked peas, live daphnia, but nothing dried) can help. The use of Epsom salt in the water may also help speed up recovery. Chuck outlines the basic therapy on this page, about half-way down:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/texascichfaqs.htm
Finally, there are Camallanus worms. These are red, clearly wriggling worms protruding from the anus like little red threads. You will need an anti-helminthic medication to treat them.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/nematodesfwf.htm
Cheers, Neale.>

Cyrtocara moorii; damaged lips, infections 7/30/09
Hi,
<Hello,>
I really need help. I purchased some Cichlids from a gentleman that lives close to me. I bought them because they needed a good home and this man had just lost his job and such so he obviously needed the money.
<I see.>
I am really worried however. About two days ago I noticed one of the blue dolphins had what seemed like a busted lip, but I just figured it was from a fight.
<Can well be; when fish are moved from one tank to another, there's often a struggle to reassert dominance. It also depends on the size of the tank, and a fish used to a bigger tank moved to a smaller tank may take time readjusting to new boundaries. Yet again, water chemistry and water quality can be issues; with Malawian cichlids, clean, hard, basic water is essential, and if moved into a tank with soft and acidic water, or detectable levels of ammonia and/or nitrite, opportunistic infections such as Finrot can follow.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_5/volume_5_2/malawian_cichlids.htm
So there's a bunch of factors. That said, damage to the mouth is typically from fighting.>
Well it got worse today and now it seems like her bottom lip is rotting off and her fins are too. They look inflamed and dark red. It looks like a horrible infection, I hadn't noticed it, and maybe because it just happened, but another cichlid, that the gentleman called a Big Spot, has ruined fins also.
<Well, without some details on the tank it's difficult to say what's going on. At minimum, we need the pH and the nitrite levels so we can factor out environmental issues. You're aiming for 0 nitrite (as well as 0 ammonia, and nitrate levels no higher than 20 mg/l if possible). Water chemistry should be hard (10+ degrees dH) and basic (pH 7.5-8). Since Blue Dolphin cichlids (Cyrtocara moorii) are pretty big, your tank will need to be a generous size, and even a 55 gallon tank is at the low end of what these fish require. They're also fairly peaceful fish, and more aggressive species, particularly Mbuna, can cause them serious harm.>
One of my other dolphins has what looks like a "busted lip" now too!!! I don't know what is going on, but I need to fix it. I tried researching it on the internet and couldn't find anything that looked like it. Please help, what do I do? Or are my fish doomed?
<Doubt they're doomed, but do treat for Finrot (e.g., with Maracyn, eSHa 2000, etc.) and test, at minimum, the pH and nitrite. Review tankmates, aquarium space.>
--Thanks
---Anna
<Cheers, Neale.>

Can you identify this? 4/24/08 Lake Victorian Cichlid With Growth On Forehead Hi everyone, I really need help with trying to identify what ailment my fish has and how to treat it. The fish is a SP44 Lake Victoria Hap. He had developed what appeared to be some sort of fungus on his lower lip and on his head. I set up a 10G hospital tank and after making sure he was acclimated properly and was comfortable in the 10G,I began treatment with Jungle Fungus Eliminator. His lip cleared somewhat but the patch on his head would not get better. After a month I did some research and decided that maybe the problem wasn't fungal in nature. So after doing a water change, running carbon, and waiting a couple weeks I began to retreat using Seachem ParaGuard. The fish has been in the QT tank now for 3 months and although his lip has completely healed the patch on his head will not go away. I have stopped treating him last week, and I am not sure what to do now. He has been active, with good color and has been eating very well al this time. I noticed tonight the patch seems to be getting worse, and he is now flashing, rubbing the infected area on rocks and gravel in the tank so its beginning to really bother him. I began the ParaGuard treatment again, but I hope you can help me with diagnosis and a proper course of treatment. Attached are a few pics. I do not want to lose him. Thanks for your time Eric < After reviewing your photos I think that you male hap has scar tissue from either fights or from foraging in very coarse substrate. As he forages through the sand the abrasive edges scrape up his mouth and face. This trauma to the face opens up wounds that can get infected. These start out as a bacterial infections. Things like fungus feed of the dead and sloughing tissues. These diseases can be treated using antibiotics like Furanace but they will comeback as long as the abrasive materials are still in the tank. I would consider changing the substrate in the main tank. Another possibility is fights with other cichlids. Cichlids are very aggressive and if your Victorian hap is sharing an aquarium with a lake Malawi Mbuna, then the teeth on the Mbuna can cause lots of damage on the opposing fish. Try the Furanace while he is in the QT tank and keep up on the water quality.-Chuck>

Great pix! RMF.

Treating Electric Blue Cichlid for Bloat - 05/10/2006 Thank you for the response. Now I would like to know if what I am feeding them is sufficient based on your response that it may be related to diet. I feed Spectrum large fish formula and AquaDine.  I feed lightly twice daily and alternate.  Once in a while I give them bloodworms only as a treat (once every 2 weeks).  I have a 54 corner with Juruparis (2) and was told to feed them the bloodworms once in a while, that's why I have them. <The Spectrum is fine for all fish and I have never had a problem with it. The AquaDine I believe is sold in bulk at fish stores and in general I feel that the food loses its vitamins when exposed to the air. Bloodworms are very meaty and usually cause problems for Lake Malawi rock cichlids referred to as Mbuna and Tropheus from Lake Tanganyika. They are probably fine for South American cichlids like Eartheaters. I would not recommend the bloodworms for the rift lake cichlids.> I am picking up the Metronidazole tonight, should I remove the carbon? < Yes.> Also should I put the meds with some blood worms and feed them to the fish right away? I have read on your sight to do that in some cases. Thanks again for your assistance and education in this matter. < If the fish are still eating I would mix the Metronidazole in a few teaspoons of water until it is all dissolved. Then pour it over some Spectrum pellets. Give it a few minutes to absorb the liquid then feed the fish.-Chuck>
Treating Electric Blue Cichlid for Bloat - II - Electric Blue Did Not Make It   5/25/06 Hi Chuck, Thanks for working with me on this matter.  After much treatment and care the Hap has passed away. Its odd how attached one can become to a fish. I just wanted to say thanks and it sure is great to have a resource like yours available to help this hobby thrive. Thank you again! Michael Bukosky <Thanks for your kind words.-Chuck>
Re: Bloated Malawi Cichlids 5/14/06 Thanks again for the response.  I am now back from my trip and the Hap is still gasping for air.  It has been 4 days and no luck getting him to eat. Before I left on Tuesday I picked up some PraziPro and a tiny amount of Metronidazole.  I went to 3 different fish store and called 2 and no one sells it here.  The LFS I primarily use said that they are no longer able to sell the powder form of it and only sell some gel tabs that have PraziPro and Metronidazole in it.  They said it has something to do with a Wisconsin prescription law and human use of it. They gave me a small amount of their Metro to soak some food in and said to try PraziPro to treat the whole tank.  I used 1 teaspoon per 20 gallons before I left and retreated last night.  On Tuesday and today I soaked some pellets and feed the fish without him eating and even tried a small amount of Blackworms to see if that would spark some interest in him eating and it did not. The Hap Ali looks just fine and is swimming around but he is gasping for air and when fed he swims to the corner away from the food but then comes towards it as if he wants to eat but does not. Any advice as to what else to do? Is this PraziPro a good alternative to Metro? Thank you in advance for your help with this! < Im afraid no medication will help at this point. The store was correct in trying to get you fish to eat the food with the Metronidazole, but I knew it was not going to eat. The PraziPro is for internal worms and fluke and these are actually pretty rare in Malawi fish. You could try Clout in a hospital take or a double dose of Nitrofurazone too. All the medications I recommend are available online at DrsFosterSmith.com.-Chuck>

Sick cichlid I have 5 African cichlids and 1 of them is an electric yellow. The electric yellow has had some sores appear on him over the course of two months. These sores start with a red spot that turns into a red ring. Then the flesh starts to be eaten away within the red ring. After, it clears it leaves an indention on his body. I went to the fish store and explained what was wrong and they said it was a bacteria that will only affect electric yellows. <All the looking that I've done has yielded no fruit as to any illness that is specific to electric yellows. It sounds to me like septicemia; I would isolate the fish in a quarantine tank and treat with Kanamycin sulfate (can be found as "Kanacyn" by Aquatronics); I have used this before with exceptional results on goldfish with septicemia.> They gave me neomycin that seemed to work at first but the sores keep coming back. <Possibly recurring from water quality issues - neomycin will wipe out your biological filtration, causing the tank to cycle again. Do please be testing your water for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate daily with such meds, and do water changes to fix problems.> Can you please help me, he seems to be getting worse! <As above - I think this is septicemia from the description, but it is altogether possible that there is some sort of 'electric yellow' disease out there that I don't know about and can't find info on. Even still, if the neomycin is supposed to work for it, I would tend to believe that Kanamycin would, too; I prefer the Kanamycin as it does not mess with the biological filtration much, and yet seems to be highly effective against bacterial fish illnesses. Wishing your fish a smooth recovery, -Sabrina.> Thank you, Karalea

Furunculosis on Maylandia estherae? Hello once again wet friends, No good news this time. One of my red zebras got sick and could only last one week. Attached are some photos showing her wound. < This is actually not a wound but a Pseudomonas bacterial infection. This is usually caused by the poor water quality and the fish becoming stressed. The first thing I would do is clean the filters and do a water change of 30% with treated tap water. Use a gravel vacuum on the gravel to remove any detritus build up in the gravel. Check you ammonia and nitrate levels in your water. The bacteria actually feed off these while they are eating away at your fish. Your medication may have killed off the good bacteria in your filter system so watch out for ammonia , nitrite and nitrate spikes. Don't feed the tank for a week and let the fish clean out their guts. If they are hungry they can graze on the algae off the rocks like they do in nature.> First I noticed that she wasn't eating, next day she had a small nasty wound on her side. I thought it could have been caused by some fighting (four more females and a male in the same tank plus a little acei which is doing very well for now). I separated her into a fry net to prevent any bites on her wound and treated the whole tank with Sera's Baktapur and Mycopur hoping to stop any bacterial or fungus infections. In about four days the wound got incredibly big. On her last day she was at the bottom of the net, trying to breath. She looked hopeless and in pain. I had to put her in the cold, dark freezer. A very lonely death for any creature I believe, and I don't feel very good about all that had happened. How could all that happen in just a week? What did I overlook? Anyway if you can have any idea by looking at the photos please let me know. It isn't very noticeable on the photos, the wound is open all the way to her spine, and one of her ribs were on the open. Looked incredible. As if she was eaten alive, or thorn apart. Another bad news is that after about 10 days of her death I see another one not eating. < You may also have a case of Malawi Bloat> She actually looked like she was having difficulty emptying her bowels. She produced one piece of bubble like faeces. I have no idea what's going on and this makes me mad. What is it? What should I do? < Do all of the above. At the end of the week your fish should be very hungry and have their faces pressed against the front of the glass. If not they are probably infected and should be removed to another tank to be treated with Metronidazole( Hard to get with poor results). Tropheus from lake Tanganyika also come down with this problem I would recommend you go to JDTropheus.com and read his solutions to this problem. I would not recommend treating the entire tank.> Can I prevent it? < In the wild your Mbuna come from Lake Malawi. The lake has a pH close to 8 and is very hard with lots of minerals. The water temperature is around 77 degrees. These fish usually eat algae off the rocks and require large amounts of vegetable matter in their diet. Worms tend to rot in their gut and give them problems. I would recommend a high quality vegetable flake and feed them small amounts a couple times a day. Keep up on your tank maintenance and your fish should bounce back. Bloat is very difficult to cure but very easy to prevent.> I also realized I have some tiny little bugs in the tank. With the naked eye, they are oval shaped and move around on the surface. I just happened to notice their existence while I was examining the dead little one. I don't believe they are connected with her death. < These are springtails and feed off the bits of fish food in the water. They are harmless and pose no threat to your tank or fish. -Chuck> Any help is highly appreciated. It always feels very good to know that you people exist, especially on the dark days. Thanks a lot, Husnu



Re: Furunculosis on Maylandia estherae? Hello once again wet friends, No good news this time. One of my red zebras got sick and could only last one week. Attached are some photos showing her wound. First I noticed that she wasn't eating, next day she had a small nasty wound on her side. I thought it could have been caused by some fighting (four more females and a male in the same tank plus a little acei which is doing very well for now). I separated her into a fry net to prevent any bites on her wound and treated the whole tank with Sera's Baktapur and Mycopur hoping to stop any bacterial or fungus infections. In about four days the wound got incredibly big. On her last day she was at the bottom of the net, trying to breath. She looked hopeless and in pain. I had to put her in the cold, dark freezer. A very lonely death for any creature I believe, and I don't feel very good about all that had happened. How could all that happen in just a week? What did I overlook? Anyway if you can have any idea by looking at the photos please let me know. It isn't very noticeable on the photos, the wound is open all the way to her spine, and one of her ribs were on the open. Looked incredible. As if she was eaten alive, or thorn apart. <The bacteria that were eating at your fish were being fed by an excessive nitrate load in your aquarium. Get a nitrate test kit and check the nitrates. I have a hunch they will be off the scale. Reduce the nitrate levels by doing water changes and servicing the filter. The nitrate levels should be under 25 ppm. When you have the levels down I would suggest you add some cichlid salt too increase the slime on the fish. Vacuum the gravel too. This will remove much of the waste that is adding to your nitrate problem. If your fish don't improve it may be too late to help them. Sick fish should be moved to a special tank and treated. Many medications kill the beneficial bacteria in the filters and the gravel that keep the nitrogen chain moving along.> Another bad news is that after about 10 days of her death I see another one not eating. She actually looked like she was having difficulty emptying her bowels. She produced one piece of bubble like faeces. I have no idea what's going on and this makes me mad. What is it? < Malawi Bloat> What should I do? < Remove the fish to a special isolated tank and try to treat it with a medicated food with Metronidazole in it. If is not eating you could try a furnace type medication and slat but the chances of recovery are slime> Can I prevent it? <Absolutely! Check the nitrates in your tank often and try to keep them under 25 ppm. A test kit will help you determine when to do your water changes and how much water you need to change. Mbuna (Malawian Rock Cichlids) eat algae off the rocks in the wild. I would start feeding a high quality Spirulina flake food. Their health and color will greatly improve. Stay away from foods like worms. They are not required by these fish. Some people will tell you that they feed their fish all kinds of worms and have had no problems. They may just be lucky. In the long run you are better off with the flakes.> I also realized I have some tiny little bugs in the tank. With the naked eye, they are oval shaped and move around on the surface. I just happened to notice their existence while I was examining the dead little one. I don't believe they are connected with her death. < These are little springtails and are totally harmless to the fish. I think they come in as contaminants from the fish foods. -Chuck> Any help is highly appreciated. It always feels very good to know that you people exist, especially on the dark days. Thanks a lot, Husnu

Sick Cichlid? Hello, I am writing with hopes of a solution. <And I hope this reaches you well, please forgive the delay.> I have a Copadichromis trewavasae which is wild caught. It has developed two wart like growths. One is just below its mouth and one is right by its eye. They are growing fairly quickly. I am a long time hobbyist and work in the field but I do not know what this is or how to treat it. <Although this could describe very many diseases, the first things that pop into mind are Lymphocystis, Columnaris, perhaps a fluke or helminth under the skin, or possibly even an indicator of mycobacteriosis. It might be a help to know how long the fish has been in captivity, and how long in your care.> I tried Rid Ich thinking a parasite but it was ineffective. <Were there any improvements/changes at all during that treatment? Did it get worse during that time?> I say wart like because of the shape, the way it protrudes and it is the same color as the fish tissue. <If the fish is pale/scared, do the lumps still remain the same color as the fish, or do they seem a bit dark or grayish? Have they developed any "cottony" looking tufts? The location of them (eye, mouth) seems consistent with the very beginnings of Columnaris, which can look like a slightly off-color lump in its early stages, but again, there are so many things this might be.... At this point, if there's no hint of the cottony tufts of Columnaris, I'm pretty sure you can rule that out. Lymphocystis would develop into whitish cauliflower-looking lumps, so if that hasn't happened yet, I think you could rule that out, too. If the lumps have developed into raised lesions, I think it would be an indicator of mycobacteriosis. There is always the possibility that these are small tumors, as well, in which case there really is nothing you can do. If the fish is only recently in captivity, I think there is a very strong possibility of this being a fluke or helminth encysted under the skin; if the fish is not badly infested, you might just wait it out, or try treating with food containing Levamisole or Piperazine - really, I think it is likeliest that this is what you're dealing with. Again, some history on the fish might help a bit.> Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks for your time. <Sure thing - and again, sorry for the delay. I hope all goes well for you and your fish, -Sabrina> John

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