Please help with sick fish - can't take this anymore

[four_by_ken]

I think it's bloat... but I don't feed that much.  I feed Omega One Super Veggie and NLS.  Recently added NLS Thera A.

A while ago I lost some some peacocks.  Them recently a Mloto.  Now I have a bloated Demasonia.   Now this peacock looks like shit.

Oh and a handful of Victorians, I am done with them.

It starts by breathing hard and follows any times with a fat belly, but not always.
And they stop eating.

Waaaay back I treated for parasites and didn't seem to eloquence.  All water levels are good.

This has to stop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyosjYMkhP0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[djlamonica]

where are these fish coming from?  Do you quarantine?  What are your water parameters?  How long has the tank been running?   

[four_by_ken]

Fish are from all over the place. 

No quarantine.   Usually happens weeks after having the fish.

Water is hard, nitrates and nitrites are VERY low.  Weekly water changes.

Feeding once a day.

Add cichlid salt to harden water because of water softener.  House is on well water.

Also add Cichild buffer for KH.

[NorthernAquatic]

Fish are from all over the place. 

Add cichlid salt to harden water because of water softener.  House is on well water.

Also add Cichild buffer for KH.

Doesn't the water softner ADD salt to the water? plus you are adding salt. Wouldn't that start to make the water brackish?

[Helloitsme]

If it was me, I'd stop with the additives and slow down on the water changes. Try adding some live plants too.

[LoveTheFishies]

I would try to get your water source from a faucet or connection between the external water and the water softner.  Where I lived before, Iowa, the water was extremely hard and would tear up the hot water heater.  Some people would hook up the water softner so it would only feed the hot water.  This would make it so the cold water could still be used for cooking and drinking.  May be the fish don't like the softened water.  You could try this, or use bottled water for a few water changes.

Good luck

[Ron]

IMO....

Stop with the extra salt.

Stop with the cichlid buffer.

What size water changes are you doing weekly? Without knowing your stocking rate and tank size, I'll suggest that 40% is sufficient.

Fish should always be hungry. If they aren't, they are overfed and unhealthy. I feed 1-2 times per day depending on the day and occasionally skip a day. I feed enough that they've usually consumed everything within 30 seconds or so, sometimes less.

If the Omega One smells rank, I'd stop using it and see if things improve.

...

All that mentioned, this could be stress induced if you've got fish bullying the individuals that keep getting sick. If that's the case, either move the bully, overcrowd them more so one fish isn't getting the brunt of the harassment, or re-aquascape to break up the tank into additional territories.

[54zamboni]

check to see if there's a bypass valve for the water softener -- my current house has one immediately before the  softener -- its a push/pull valve, which can divert the water around the system.  when its out, water from the well flows thru softener, when its pushed in the  water from well bypasses softener and diverts directly into the "out" water line from the softener.    i think most systems have a bypass, if installed by a professional. 

[NorthernAquatic]

i think most systems have a bypass, if installed by a professional.

Or if the homeowner is an aquarist. 

[Ron]

If you're water softening system uses potassium, that could be another issue. (It's poisonous to fish. Growing up my parents used "K-Life" and I had to buy water from the store to keep an aquarium going.

[Regalblue]

If you're water softening system uses potassium, that could be another issue. (It's poisonous to fish. Growing up my parents used "K-Life" and I had to buy water from the store to keep an aquarium going.

I don't think He's a water softening system. 


 I agree with Ron.... stop using all the bullshit additives.

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

I just went thru this last week.  I determined that by adding in Proper PH 8.2, I spiked my PH thus causing a similar symptom in my fish. Heavy breathing, lurking in one spot on the bottom, stopped eating - THEN DIED. 

I would agree - STOP adding in the Buffer.  Test your PH frequently, leave the tank alone hold off on the water changes until you see your fish stablize.  I WILL NOT be adding anything other than some SALT after doing a WC.  My tank is doing fine and I am now starting to restock. The new fish are also doing fine...

It's a tough lesson to learn, but one that most everyone experiences.

Good Luck and I hope this issue clears up quickly.  Trust me, I know exactly how you are feeling right now. remember check your PH....

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

Ken - One more thing - How did you add in the buffer into the aquarium ?   Did you just add the powder into the aquarium or did you delute it first then add it ?  If the former, I believe the powder may have collected in the gills of the fish causing the gills of the fish to get burned. When this happens the fish cannot breath and will show these same symptoms.  I know this because this is what I did. The powder dispersed throughout the entire aquarium and the fish breathed it into thier gills.....Just a thought....

[four_by_ken]

When I set the tank up last fall… I was using non softened water in 5 gallon buckets and leaving it in the sunlight to warm up.  I had a couple fish die, but nothing drastic.

Then cold weather hit and I had to start using hot water for water changes.  Then it seems that more fish were dying.  So, I had my water tested and all levels were perfect, except for the hardness.  They knew the second they did the test that I used a water softener.  And as they said… it is doing a GREAT job.  There was literally NO hardness to the water.  This  is the only reason I am using the salt and buffer… to get the GH and KH up to bearable levels.  All other levels are perfect.

So, I don’t think that just not adding anything is a good idea.

Things got better, but I still have fish turn up doing this same damn thing.  Hard breathing, usually with a bloated stomach, but not always.  They also stop eating.

Way back I tossed all the foods I had, except for the Omega One Super Veggie and the NLS.  About a month ago I added the NLS Thera A to the diet.  I didn’t notice much of a difference.  I really do not believe that I over feed.

I have had many many fish tanks and never had any issues like this before.  Usually my fish thrive and I have no issues at all.

My tanks go….

140 gallon – mixed Africans, no peacocks
85 gallon – mostly all peacocks and some calvus
40 gallon – Albus and Ruby Peacocks (soon to split the two up into another 40 gallon tank)
20 gallon – Muzi Compressiceps, fry.  The Albus were in here for months.  No issues.
20 gallon – Ruby Green Hap fry.  Months.  No issues.


The 85 gallon is where I have had most of the trouble.  Now recently a couple in the 140 gallon got “it”




I really would like to set up some water storage tanks that I can fill with pre-softened water.  If I do that, I will not need to add much of anything to the water.  I just need to figure out how to heat the water.

[four_by_ken]

Just to add... water quality cant be toooo far off as I have had Mlotos breed in the 140 gallon and also a Rusty Zebra breed multiple times in the 140 gallon.

Then in the 85 gallon I have a Eureka that I thought was a male breed twice and now I have a Sunshine that I thought was a male breed.