fish dropping like flies

Question
Hows it going?  I have a question ill try to keep short...I have a 90 gal african cichlid tank which has just seemed to have cycled.  I have appr 25 fish and in the last month ive lost 5, I had 30, before they die it looks like thier feces turns clear and stringy and they stay at the top and go to the bottom to spend thier last moments before dying or just stay at the bottom w/o eating and then die...ive been treating with pimafix and melafix for a few days now because i have one that looks like it has tail and fin rot.  Do you know anything to do or look for to stop these fish from falling off? All levels are fine except for the nitrates but thier still in the safe range.  Thank you for your time!

Answer
Hi Jay,
  The white stringy feces tell you that the fish has an intestinal infection.  The problem is that if one fish has it, odds are all the fish have it.  I suspect you will loose a bunch more before this is over.  

  You need to do large water changes (about 25%) every day for the next few days to reduce the parasite load as much as possible and to maximize water conditions.  

  Keep feeding if they will eat, but don't let any uneaten food sit in the tank to grow more bacteria.  

  The tail and fin rot is likely one fish beating up another not tail rot.

  Sometimes it helps to feed something like frozen brine shrimp which can help clear out the gut.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
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