Follw up on cichlid deaths

Question
Hi Lynda,

I have got the airstone along with the airpump.Its generating lot of bubbles which should help in getting more oxygen through aeration.Also one of my cichlids got scared and has hidden in one of the rock formations,but I think he will come out soon.
Also I have the following cichlids with me now:
A pair of Melanochromis auratus-males
A pair of white morphs(Pseudotropheus zebra
)
Orange zebra pair
zebra convict pair
dark gray cichlid pair(I couldnt get him on internet,it has shiny blue marks around its gills,hope u know it)
and one jewel

All of them are about 1to 1.5 inches in size.
So from now on,I will continue with 10% water change for  acouple of days and then stick to 25% water changes per week.So u suggets adding no dechrloinator/anti worm/medicine while making 25% changes-right?

Ashwin.

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Hi Lynda,

I had written to you a week back on my cichlid death.But I did not get an option to follow up,rather I was asked to ask a new question.So I am pasting our earlier refrences here.

I wanted to add a note that I have made daily 10% water changes for 5 days without adding any medicine and the fishes look fine now.So should I go back to 25% weekly water changes from now on or should I still continue doing 10% changes for few more days.I am also getting an air pump with airstone today -I hope I could use both filter and air pump together.Please let me know.
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QUESTION: Hi Lynda,

I hope you are doing fine.I have a tank of about 30 Gallons and it houses about 5 pairs of African Malawi cichlids.Recently One of the electric yellows died yesterday and it has red scaled around its posterior towards the tail.I put it in a quarantine tank(bucket filled with a  pinch of salt),but it did not survive.It was showing signs of aloofness earlier but I did not bother much.
Few months back,I had few cichlids dying because of this red scale disease(thats when I upgraded my tank and got a big one).I do water changes in my small tank  (75% once in a month) and weekly,I clean the filter.
Also this time when I made 75% change,I have this feeling that I might have added more amount on first aid medicine.Could that be a  cause of death.Please advice.

The remaining fishes look allright as of now.But from my experience,I think this disease will migrate onto other fishes as well.

ANSWER: Hi Ashwin,
I would suspect that your water chemistry is not right.  Please check it to make sure.  Ammonia level must be zero, or safe, Nitrite level must be zero or safe, Nitrates should be low.  When the water chemistry is off, fish will get sick, and die.
Removing 75% of your water is a NO NO.  You must remove 25% of your water every week to make sure you water chemistry stays perfect.  Removing 75% of your water is not good because you are removing good bacteria which must stay in your water.  Once you have a cycled tank, you remove 25% of your water once a week.  Check your water frequently to always be sure your ammonia, nitrites, and nitrate levels are right.  If they are not, then disease sets in very quickly.  
I would also like to mention, when cleaning your filter, never rinse your sponge in hot or tap water.  Rinse it in water that you have removed from your tank.  A sponge is full of good bacteria that your fish need in order to survive.  If you rinse it in hot, or tap water, you will kill the good bacteria that is in your sponge.  A sponge is good for a very very long time, until it is old, ragged, and falling apart.
Adding medication to a tank that does not have good water chemistry will kill fish.  When you changed 75% of your water, your water chemistry changed, and adding medication surely killed your fish.
I also would like to mention that african cichlids need alkaline water.  Please check your PH also.
Write back to me once you have checked all four of these:  Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, and PH.
You can buy these small kits at your pet store or walmart, and they should be number one in your fish cabinet.  They are always handy to have.
Lynda

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks So much Lynda.I will definitely follow your advice of changing 25% water weekly.Also I used to clean the filter with salt water which my friend had advised,and clean it with the used tank water.By the way I am located in India(Bangalore),so no Walmart here and the fish stores generally don't keep the nitrate/ammonia checkers although I will try & surely find it out where I could obtain them.I dont want my remaining to die so will do anything to make them survive.
Today just before reading your message,I have made about 20% water change.I also put 2 drops of the medicine in it just to make sure it s free of worms/parasites to the water that I added.I hope it is fine.
So do u recommend adding medicine to the weekly water changes which I would make?

Once again,I really appreciate your reply.Looking forward to hear back from you.

ANSWER: Hello,
Having nothing to see if your water chemistry is good will be very difficult for you.  I hope you will somehow find these test kits.  They are so important.  Never add medication when medication is not needed, and especially not when you don't know if your water chemistry is right.  Adding medication, if your water has ammonia, or nitrites could kill off all your fish.
Your water should also be alkaline seeing as you are keeping African Cichlids.  To be on the safe side, buy crushed coral, or seashells, and wash them very well.  Put this in your tank.  It will make your water alkaline.  It is very hard for me to say how much crushed coral, or seashells you will need, but I would put in a big handful of crushed coral, and a few seashells. Keep doing little water changes of 10% everyday, this should help.   It would be very sad for you to lose all your fish, but if you do...start over, and let your tank run with nothing in it for one month.  Do not clean your filter, and leave the used sponge in it.  Seeing as you have a friend with an established tank, ask him to give you some of his gravel.  The gravel in an established tank is full of good bacteria, and this will help you cycle your tank.
For now, do not clean your filter, let it run for at least 3 weeks without cleaning it.  Good bacteria will build up, cycling your tank.
I hope all goes well for you, and that you don't lose anymore fish.  This is so heartbreaking, I know just how you feel.  Continue doing little water changes, add 6 teaspoons of diluted aquarium salt to your water.  This helps fish with stress, and parasites, but do not use any medication in the future.  You cannot cure fish if you have ammonia, or nitrites, and if your nitrates are high.  It is the ammonia, or nitrites that is causing them to be sick, and die.  Ammonia, and nitrites are the number one killer of fish, and the only way to help your fish is to get rid of these by cycling your water.
I hope all goes well for you.
Lynda

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks again Linda.I will bear in mind not to add medicine unless really required.Now I see 3-4 fishes coming to the top and trying to breathe,not sure if they do it on routine.But they look active and few of them go down and again come back.I wanna know if these are signs for things to come.Any quick measures u suggest?
Today before reading your review,I made 25% water change and added 2 drops of medicine.Do you think I should replace 25% of water now and replace it with water with no medicine.
Also while making these water changes as suggested,do you think I should use a siphon to clean the gravel or just pure water change?
Answer Hello,
Make sure there is enough oxygen in your tank.  The water from your filter should splash down to the water of your tank causing water movement for the fish to breathe.  Adding an air stone would also help.  The way you are describing them to me, makes me think they are lacking oxygen, so check this to be sure.  Too many big water changes is also not very good.  Two drops of medication should not be enough to actually hurt them, but do not add anymore.  The carbon in your filter should remove the medication.  When you make your 10% water changes, siphon from the bottom.  You do not want decaying food in your tank.  Do these water changes for one week, and hopefully things will get better.
Keep me posted on how they are doing.
Lynda
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Answer Hi Ashwin,
I am so pleased to know that your fish are doing well.  I would not take a chance, and continue to do these little water changes for another 3-4 days.  The fact that they are on their way to recovery is a good sign.  Your water must be much better, but it is difficult to know for sure.  I was wondering if you could order these test kits online.  They are so important to have.  If you brought some of your water to the pet store, could they test it for you?  They should be able to test it seeing as they are keeping, and selling fish.  
You must put an air stone in, with your filter.  An air stone just helps to circulate the water, and helps with oxygen, you must keep your filter going at all times.
I also would like to add to be careful not to overstock your tank.  Overstocking a tank is also cause for disease.  African Cichlids, need bigger tanks, unless they are small African Cichlids.  Some African Cichlids grow very big.  They must have rocky formation in a tank, and the decor must be changed at least once a month because they are very territorial, and aggressive.  Your water must be alkaline, so add some crushed coral, like I mentioned to you.  Overstocking a tank brings disease.  I do not know what kind of African Cichlids you have in your tank.  Are they all electric yellows?  More information on which African Cichlids you are keeping would help me know a little more, and be able to give you more information.
I hope this helps.
Lynda  

Answer
Hi Ashwin,
This is too many fish for a 30 gallon tank.  They are small now, but will be getting bigger.  You will have problems.  African Cichlids need rocky formation, overturned pots, which take up lots of room in a tank.  Afican Cichlids are very territorial, and aggressive.  As they get older, they will need more room, and will fight to death for it.  The little fish that is hiding is probably afraid on one of your fish in the tank.  Try to see which one.  
They will eventually spawn, and this is where the problem will begin.  You must be prepared, be very prepared.  You must have a cycled tank to keep the females.  The Orange Zebra is a mouth brooder.  As soon as you see she is pregnant, you must put her in another tank.  She will hold the fry in her mouth from anywhere to 20-26 days, sometimes sooner.  She looks after her fry, but the male does not.  In signs of danger, they all return to her mouth.  She must be kept with her fry, and be given good food to recover.  Never put her back in with the male, as he would harass her again, and being pregnant again, she would starve to death.  The same goes for the auratus, and most African Cichlids.  Males should have at least 3 females each.  
The jewel, and the convict are egg layers, and make good parents who fiercely defend their eggs, and fry.  They are South American Cichlids, and should not be mixed with African Cichlids.  They can, and will kill or injure any fish that goes near them when looking after their eggs, and fry.  They should have a tank of their own, once they spawn.  Your other pair, I have no idea what it could be, as too many fish have this colour.
You see, this is going to be one heck of a bad experience if you are not ready to house these fish.  I have seen tanks where people have kept these fish in an environment too small for them, and where terrible fights break out causing death, blood, and extreme water conditions gone very bad.  In a 30 gallon tank, you could keep only one pair of jewels.  The same goes for all the fish you have in your tank.  They should all have their own 30 gallon tank, or you must buy a 100 gallon tank to house them all.  You would still need to have tanks ready for your pregnant African fish.
I'm sorry to bring you such bad news, but these are the facts.  Please consider changing them for fish that are less territorial, less aggressive who would appreciate a 30 gallon tank, and bring you less frustration.  There is no way you can keep these fish under these conditions.  
Lynda