# Help - my Frontosas keep dying!



## ted_cichlid (Aug 10, 2010)

I've had 6 small (2-3inch) Frontosas die on me in the past 2 weeks, and don't know how to solve this problem. Initially I had them in my 75g tank with about 20 Haps and Mbunas of about the same size. At first I thought they were being stressed to death by the Mbunas, so I removed all the aggressors, but the Frontosas kept dying. Then a couple of days ago I removed the Frontosas into their own tank (20g), then just today another one died on its own! 
I do weekly water changes (10-20%) and monthly filter cleanings. I just checked the pH and it's in the 7.5-7.7 range. Temp is 25C.
What am I doing wrong? 
I've only got 4 Fronts left, and they don't seem too happy (don't have much of an appetite). 
Any advice that would help me keep these remaining guys alive would be greatly appreciated!


----------



## PACMAN (Mar 4, 2010)

What about the other water parameters? maybe something other than PH is unfavorable.


----------



## ted_cichlid (Aug 10, 2010)

I only have a pH test kit and so haven't been able to test for ammonia and nitrites. However, with my weekly water changes, I'm assuming that the ammonia and nitrite levels are ok. 
What else can I do? Larger and more frequent water changes?
Increase the pH?


----------



## bae (May 11, 2007)

Your tank sounds overstocked for the amount of water changes you are doing. Lake Tanganyika fish are usually less tolerant of poor water quality than mbuna. Frontosas have a different social structure than mbuna so the technique of suppressing territoriality by heavy stocking doesn't work for them, and creates substantial stress. 

Get a test kit and try to maintain ammonia 0 nitrite 0 and nitrate < 20ppm for the mbuna and haps, and <5 for the frontosa. If you want to keep frontosa, you will need a much bigger tank for them alone -- they can get to 16" and heavy bodied with it.

In the meantime, do a 50% water change today, and another one tomorrow. Adding a handful of tough floating plants, like hornwort, will help the water quality, too. Provide the fish with hiding places and avoid noise and activity around the tank. Frontosa come from the depths of the lake, where it's quiet and thinly populated and dim. For them, a mbuna tank is like you trying to live in 3' x 6' cage on the edge of a busy subway platform during continuous rush hour.


----------

