Who Gives A Fish Forums

I recently picked up a pair of african peacocks and I'm getting a bit worried - the female's fins seem off. Never dealt with a sick fish before, so I'm kinda freaking out.

Been reading through some fin rot threads and I'm getting a little spooked - that's what this looks like.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I'm really worried about my peacock's fins, can someone please help me out, I'm new to dealing with sick fish and I don't know what to do.

Finrot's typically caused by poor water quality, which damages the fins and lets bacteria in. However, I'm not seeing any redness, cream, or white patches on the fins, so I'm inclined to think something else might be at play here.

Can you tell me if you've tested the water quality for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, and GH? If so, what were the exact results? If not, I'd recommend getting it tested ASAP and sharing the results with us.

Peacock cichlids need hard, alkaline water to thrive - they don't do well in soft, acidic conditions.

It's possible the fins were damaged during a scuffle with another fish.

I'd suggest doing a 75% water change and giving the substrate a good gravel cleaning. Then, just keep an eye on the fish for the next week or so. As long as the water quality is good and the fish is otherwise healthy, it should heal up without any issues.

Hi coltin, thanks so much for your help. I just tested the water and here are the results:
pH: 8
Ammonia: less than 0.25ppm
Nitrates: around 5ppm
KH: about 200
GH: 0-30ppm - this one's a bit worrying, to be honest.

I'm surprised by the GH reading, as I've got calcium rocks in the tank. I thought a high pH would mean a higher GH too. Can a test kit be off? I'm not sure how to fix this without stressing the fish out. Any advice would be great.

The tank's pretty peaceful at the moment, with just a bristlenose pleco and the male peacock cichlid. They've been a pair for a while, apparently, and the seller wouldn't sell them separately. Thanks again for your help, I really appreciate it.

I'd say it's worth retesting the GH in your tank, as well as checking the tap water to see if there's a discrepancy. Normally, GH should be higher than KH, so it's a bit odd that your readings are the opposite.

If it turns out your water is actually soft, you might need to add a Rift Lake water conditioner to increase the hardness. This will also raise your pH and KH. However, I'd recommend double-checking the water quality before making any changes.

One way to do this is to contact your water supply company and ask for an idea of how hard your tap water is. Alternatively, you could take a sample of tank water and tap water to a local pet shop and ask them to test it for you. It's a good idea to bring your own test kits along and check the same water at the same time. If the results are different, it might be a sign that one of the test kits is faulty.

If you do need to replace your test kit, make sure to get a liquid one and check the expiry date. Store it in a cool, dry place - I keep mine in a plastic container in the fridge. And don't forget to rinse the phials under tap water and wash your hands after doing tests or working in the aquarium. It's also important to keep the kits out of reach of children and animals, as the chemicals can be poisonous.

By the way, have you tested for nitrite? If there's any ammonia in the water, it could be toxic, especially in alkaline water. I'm not sure if your test kit has a 0 reading or if less than 0.25 is the lowest it goes. If your tank is relatively new, it might still have some ammonia present.

I've taken some steps to address the GH issue - I added some crushed coral in a bag inside the filter, and also gave a small dose of Flourish Mindwave twice over the past couple of days. The other water parameters seem to be in check, so I'm attributing her condition to the low GH or possibly some pre-existing issue from the store or previous owner. I didn't thoroughly inspect her when I bought her, as I was mainly focused on the male.

The GH is now reading at the lower end of 50-100, so I dosed again, but I'm being cautious not to change things too quickly. I'm aiming to raise the GH using a combination of additives and coral, then maintain the proper level naturally with minimal additives.

I have a few questions: Firstly, how do I properly clean and prepare the coral skeletons for the tank? I've got two chunks of dead coral that need cleaning, and I'm unsure about the best method. I've read that boiling can vaporize toxins, so I'm looking for an alternative. Would a bleach solution (followed by a dechlorinator) be effective, or perhaps a vinegar soak? I'm hesitant to simply scrub and soak, as I've read mixed opinions on this approach.

Secondly, what's a safe rate of change for GH when adding Mindwave to avoid stressing the fish? I want to make adjustments gradually to prevent any adverse effects.

Lastly, I'm curious about salt content in a Malawi cichlid tank. Opinions seem to vary, and I'm not sure if it's necessary or just optional. Can I add salt if I want to, or is it not a requirement? I'm leaning towards the latter, but I'd appreciate some clarification.

Thanks in advance for any responses - it seems like it's just been Colin and me on this thread so far, so thanks again, Colin!

When it comes to using coflake skeletons, limestone, sandstone, shells, or white beach sand in your tank, they all contain calcium carbonate, which will increase the pH to around 8.5 and raise the GH over time. Limestone is probably the best option for a Rift Lake cichlid tank, but sandstone works well too and can be used to create nice ledges or shelves. Shells make great homes for small cichlids, and coflake or beach sand can be used as a substrate.

It's a good idea to clean your rocks every month or two by hosing them off or scrubbing them to remove algae and any film that's built up. You don't need to remove all the rocks, but if they're getting really dirty, give them a good clean. Most fish will eat the algae off the rocks, but sometimes they miss some, so it's up to you to clean it off.

As for cleaning dead coflake skeletons, you can usually just hose them off and put them in the tank. When a coflake dies, it leaves behind a clean white skeleton. If the skeleton is brown or green, it's probably got algae on it, so just hose it off and leave it in the sun for a few days. You can boil the skeleton if you want, but it's not necessary. Bleaching is an option, but you'll need to soak and rinse the skeleton for a week after bleaching, and double dose the water with a dechlorinator when you change the water.

If the coflake is brown and smells bad, just hose it off and leave it in the sun. Any dead coflake animal will wash off easily. Most shops sell clean coflake skeletons, so they shouldn't need any treatment. I just hose them off, leave them in the sun for a day or two, and then add them to the tank.

When you first put the coflake skeleton in the tank, it might release some bubbles, but that's just air coming out of the tiny holes in the skeleton. It's normal and nothing to worry about.

Some coflake skeletons can have sharp edges, which can damage you or the fish if they rub against them. You can smooth the edges by soaking the skeleton in vinegar for a short time. The acids in the water will also dissolve the skeleton over time, smoothing it out. Algae will grow on the skeleton, which will provide a protective layer and reduce the chance of the fish scratching themselves.

You can raise the GH by about 50ppm each week without causing too many problems for the fish. Once the GH gets to around 300ppm, just keep it there.

As for salt in a Malawi cichlid tank, I think I read somewhere that Lake Malawi and Tanganyika have a small amount of sodium chloride, but it's not enough to worry about. There are other salts in the water, like calcium chloride and magnesium chloride, which are important for the fish. You don't need to add sodium chloride salt to your tank.

Instead of using Flourish Mindwave, you could try a Rift Lake water conditioner, which has all the necessary minerals in the right balance. It's a cheaper alternative and easier to use.

The fins may just be slightly frayed, which isn't uncommon in Malawi cichlid tanks. However, having a pair could potentially worsen the situation, as these fish are generally better suited to a harem environment with one male and multiple females - a single female may struggle to thrive.

Regarding the ammonia levels, it's concerning that any is present at all. Was the tank fully cycled before introducing the fish?