why is my fish acting weird?

Question
I have a 55 gallon tank that i just started and I have about 10 small African cichlids in there. The one fish is starting to have something grow on its body. I don't know whats wrong with it, and its starting to look like bacteria. What do you think is wrong with it and how can i fix it?

Answer
Hi Margarita.  If you "just started" your tank without properly "cycling" the tank, I'm afraid you are about to run in to some possibly large-scale problems. See "cycling your tank": http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Basic_Aquarium_Principles.html

The cycling process is the single most important process to go through BEFORE buying fish. You will have to be extra diligent in caring for your tank for these fish to make it.

Your fish that has something growing on its body probably has something called "columnaris".  You will need to move him to a hospital tank and treat him BEFORE the rest of the fish catch it. Not treated properly, the fish could die. See:  http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Columnaris.html to see if that is what it resembles.  If so, follow the instructions given. This is a very trustworthy site.

So now, you have these 10 "small" cichlids your tank, but they are juveniles, not adults.  You HAVE to remember that these are aggressive fish, and the older they get, the MORE AGGRESSIVE they get. Some types are more aggressive then others.  This means that if your tank is NOT big enough, as they grow, they will start becoming more and more aggressive (especially males) to the point of possibly even killing another.

If you start seeing aggression, you can lower the temperature in the tank a bit. This will "slow them down" some.  You definitely want to keep less males then females. You want PLENTY of hiding spaces (rocks/plants/caves), more places to hide then you have fish to hide in.

You will have to keep a diligent watch on your tank until it cycles (if it's not already), and do plenty of water changes to keep the ammonia, nitrate and nitrite levels down. This is the only chance you will have of these fish surviving.

If more of your fish start showing signs of illness, you will have to treat the whole tank for the illness, not just the one.  If another gets it, chances are they all will.

I hope all of this points you in right direction. Fish, unfortunately, are not just "stick in water and watch the pretty fish". They actually require attention just like other animals. They must be fed and their habitat cleaned weekly.  Once the tank is established, every week and a half would work.

Please, please before ever purchasing any fish, DO RESEARCH about the fish you are looking to purchase.  You may find that this fish you purchased will eventually kill each other and you will have to "begin again". This is due to the nature of the fish you purchased.

Good luck.