Bloating in African Cichlids

Although commonly called Malawi Bloat, bloating can affect cichlid fish from all three of the African lakes: Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi. The disease presents rapidly, starting with a loss of appetite and progressing quickly to death -- bloat affects herbivorous cichlid species more than omnivorous and carnivorous fish. However, African cichlids can recover from bloat with the proper treatment and correction in their environment.

  1. Symptoms

    • African cichlids afflicted with bloat will decline quickly, once they start showing disinterest in food. After appetite disappears, the fish will begin showing signs of heavy breathing, white feces and possible redness around the vent. Examine the fish to ensure the redness does not progress to ulcerations or open sores. Bloating often causes the fish to bottom sit -- an immediate sign of incorrect environment or declining health.

    Diet

    • Avoid feeding herbivorous African cichlid fish a diet of protein-rich foods. This includes meat-based food, like beef heart, and blood worms, commonly sold as fish treats and color enhancers. Take measures to prevent bloat by increasing the amount of vegetation and roughage offered: Use quality flake food formulated for herbivorous cichlids, or create a diet at home using fresh vegetables, like zucchini and spinach.

    Stress

    • Exposing African cichlid fish to stress compromises their immune system. Assess the environment of the fish experiencing bloat, specifically observing tank mates and set up. Do not use salt in an attempt to alkalize the tank, instead choose the correct aquarium buffer. Remove overly dominant fish, and correct errors in the set-up, like inadequate aeration, insufficient filtration and not enough hiding places for all the fish. Check the water quality with a water test kit to ensure proper ammonia and nitrite levels -- conduct a water change to correct them, if needed.

    Treatment

    • Start treatment at the first sign of decreased appetite; waiting longer than 24 hours will increase the chance of fatality. Remove the afflicted cichlid from the main tank and place it in a temporary sick tank. Take the carbon out of the filter, and then dose the sick tank with Metronidazole or Clout -- both effectively treat bloat. The amount of medication used depends on the size of the sick tank and the duration of the symptoms. Elevate aeration levels during treatment, and conduct a 50 percent water change after the last dose of medication.