dead and the dieing ={

Question
i have an african cichlid tank and the nitrite got a little out of hand (happens about once every three months goes away fairly easily) so i did a water change (50%) last night along with installing a bubbler for more oxygen which was not an easy task it involved much gravel moving and it was messy. After that i added some water clearing stuff because my water was cloudy (the 50% and the water clearing stuff is usually what i use). I woke up this morning and i have 3 dead 1 dieing and 1 with frayed fins did i stress them out to much or is it something else? i checked the ammonia none nitrite between 0 and .25 nitrate 10.  

Answer
Hi Nikki,
I'm wondering why the nitrite is even occurring. If the tank has been long-established then it shouldn't be having any trouble with nitrites. Either the tank isn't established well-enough yet or there is something going on that is interfering with the bacteria colonies at certains. Do you clean your filters too much perhaps?

The water clearing stuff never has worked for me. I would make sure your bacteria are not being disturbed too often. Maybe the tank is not cleaned often enough. It just be that your tank needs time to get established. This usually takes about 2 months or more.

For now, water changes are the best treatment you can do. Changing about 30-50% everyday and making sure to add plenty of water conditioner as always. Make sure to gravel vacuum well. There may be a buildup of organic matter in the gravel that is overwhelming the tank.

Best of luck and I hope this helps!
Karen