[danielle l.]

can any one help me this evening one of my fish was swimming around pooping. the poop was 5-6" long and he kept brushing his under belly against the sand and ornaments i guessed to dislodge the poop. he has been swimming & eating fine i was able 2 get a closer look & it didnt look like regular poop. it was like a poop caseing like "chitlins" can anyone tell me what it couldb. am i 2 b worried? & what type of testing equipment do i need on hand for the water?

 

[Robin]

Long stringy white or clear feces can be the first symptom of bloat. Not always, but its definitely a symptom.

Do a 30% water change using a good quality declorinator and siphon the gravel. Fast the entire tank for the next 12-24 hours, do another 30% partial water change and then feed sparingly after that.

You should test your water for: PH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Get the test kits with the test tubes and liquid rather than the paper strip kind.

Watch this fish and all the others for any other symptoms. All fish should be eating at every feeding--not spitting food out, and watch to see what kind of feces they are passing. Also take note as to whether any fish are gasping/breathing hard or hiding or just plain not swimming that much.

What size tank and how many and what species of fish?

Robin

Jungle Parasite Clear would be a good med to have on hand.

 

[danielle l.]

thank you robin!

i have a 55 gal. tank, with a fluval 305 & 2 HOB's, i have 5 fish whom i am still trying to identify:
Metriaclima estherae (Red) or Red Zebra who is a bright orange with 3 eggspots looks strong & healthy is maybe 2 yrs old & about 4", an Electric Blue Hongi or Metriaclima estherae (Blue) who is 5" has four eggspots is very territorial & aggressive he is about 4 yrs. old very active he is the one i saw the whitish stringy poop he recently got a little banged?/scrapped up on an ornament coral that was 2 close 2 his cave entrance recently i did 20 percent water changes, put some reef salt & turned up the temp. to 80 degrees & 2 days later he looked pretty healed up. i have a beutiful Labeotropheus fuelleborni (Katale OB) or (Zebra Chizumulu) who is 4 yrs. old 5" is a good healthy size shows a wonderful dress of colors(purplish, brownish, yellowish flourescent color, she swims good very active & she/he has 6 eggspots. theres also a male & female M. Auratus, very active seem fine no color changes, & lasly i have a cute little Pseudotropheus elongatus or Pseudotrophus likoma who's still the same beautiful color that he's always been. if you would like to see their pics here's the link:http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=170641

 

[Robin]

Hi danielle I,

I checked out your other post with the pictures of your fish and it looks like you now have a fairly good idea of the species. You've got a good size tank for these fish but I forsee a possible problem with the fish you are keeping.

First of all these fish are not pairing fish. Most need to be kept harem-style with one male for every 3-4 females. Otherwise the male will chase the lone female relentlessly and may actually kill her. You'll need to figure out exactly what sex each of your fish are, (may need to vent them), and then perhaps get a few more females for some of the males. If you find you have two males of any one species then it would be best to return one of the males. When there's only two males the more aggressive of the two will harass the other.

The Auratus are considered to be one of the most aggressive of the mbuna. You need to watch your auratus for signs of escalating aggression. Unfortunately these fish are known to turn extremely aggressive literally over night and they're much more likely to kill then just chase. There's always the exception but you should be ready to step in and make some quick changes if things suddenly erupt.

In the forum's library there's a section called 'Cookie Cutters'. Check it out. It will give you some ideas on stocking a 55 gallon. You might also post your tank size and species you're keeping in the Malawi Folder and see what sort of advise you get there. I don't believe your tank will work out long tern as it is.

Please post back with any additional questions or concerns.

Robin

 

[danielle l.]

thanx robin i appreciate your concern & advice. i new they were mean fish. i'v had the 2 biggest the longest together, a friend had them together as fry. how big is the m.aruatus supposed to get? i figured i woulndnt have to worry about them because they are small fish. but i have been noticing that he fights with the biggest fish with no problem. i have a 20 gal. tall not the best option but could i move them their if they get to aggresive?( m.aruatus )

 

[Robin]

You could move one of them to the 20 gallon but two of any species of cichlid in a 20 gallon is asking for trouble. If you haven't already I'd post a question in the Malawi folder and see what others suggest on the stocking of your tank. IMO the safest thing for you to do is return both auratus to the fish store, but see what others suggest.

Robin