Can African Cichlids have Seizures?

Can African Cichlids have Seizures?

African Cichlids are cute little fish, here are 14 real facts about the seizes in the fish. We have added a detailed description of how seizures occur in the fish.

Can African Cichlids have Seizures? Yes, African Cichlids can have seizures because of the high intensity of light, aggressive fish, poor condition of the tank, cold water, and loud noise.

Symptoms of seizes in fish include heavy breathing, loss of consciousness, shaking of the head, and hitting the tank.

Can African Cichlids have Seizures?

In this article, we have added causes, symptoms, and methods to prevent seizes in the pet fish. Just follow this step-by-step guide to keep the cichlids happy and healthy.

What Causes Seizures in African Cichlids?

There are various causes of seizures in cichlids; let me explain them in detail:

High Intensity of Light

Surviving with a high-intensity light for more than eight to nine hours a day is impossible for fish. They will panic or stress out. 

It also has severe effects on their growth. If there is no spot for them to hide from such excessive light, they will get mad. 

This condition disturbs the friendly environment of the aquarium. It will start to fight and attack each other. Too much light disturbs its mental state and can be harmful to them.

Rival Tank Mates

Balancing the environment of the tank very much depends on this factor. If tank mates are good and do not have any problem with each other, then the conditions remain calm. 

On the other hand, if the tankmates are rivals and you put them together without thinking, then there is no doubt that there will be a big fight between them, and only the fittest and the oldest will survive it.  

Older ones force the new ones out of their territory. Cichlids usually lay dozens of eggs at a time. If they see that some other species ate their eggs, they get nervous and can have anxiety attacks. Cory catfish can live together, but they can attack other species.

Worst Condition of The Tank

If you are not maintaining the aquarium and continuously throwing food without taking out the uneaten food, the water gets dirty, and then fish lay at the bottom of the tank.

The presence of various kinds of gases in the aquarium also affects the environment. A mixture of wastes and food residues worsens the condition. 

Without the use of filters in the aquarium, it merely becomes a dirt house. They do not like to swim in such poor conditions, and you should also treat the fish for internal parasites.

Loud noise

The use of high intensity of sound near them disturbs them mentally. Loud music affects their hearing capacity. They might lose their hearing. If they listen to such high-intensity music continuously, then there is a chance that they may die because of it. It also damages the cells and membranes and may cause internal bleeding.

High bass sound is far more dangerous than the high-intensity of music. The effects of such high bass sound may remain even after the music stops. It is one of the main reasons that aquarium shop owners do not allow high-intensity music in the aquarium market.

Adding Cold Water to the aquarium

You can find cichlids in tropical areas. They live in such conditions that have standard temperatures. You should never use cold water in the aquarium. It has adverse effects on its immune system. 

They may lose control of their body. It may paralyze its body parts. A weak immune system means that there will be no protection against diseases. Parasites can attack them indisputably. There are many cases in which cichlids living in cold water died after some time. They like to eat Zucchini, but you should not leave it in the tank.

Change of Environment

When you introduce the fish to a new aquarium, then there is a chance that the older ones will attack it. They are powerful and mature than cichlids. Old fish does not like new ones. They do not like to share their space with some other species. 

This whole situation frustrates them. It gets plenty of mental stress and may stop eating its food for a while. 

How to Identifying Seizures in Fish?

These symptoms are as follows.

Breathing Heavily

You can notice heavy breathing, when it is in shock or when it cannot get enough oxygen. It can be because of a shortage of oxygen. 

It will try to get enough oxygen to breathe. It will throw water over its gills. This state can also be because of a sudden change in the environment. Excess ammonia in water may also cause seizures.

Shaking of Head

Cichlids do not move their heads rapidly while swimming. Similarly, when the PH level of water is less acidic, they do not show any seizures symptoms, but the fish skin may start to burn if the PH level becomes 5.5 or less. 

They start to shake their heads rapidly. They lose control of their head. 

This condition remains for about seven to ten minutes. If your fish shakes its head for less than five minutes, then it is normal.

Randomly Flipping

It will start to flip randomly without any reason. It flips four to five times in a row and then stops rolling. After that, they move to the bottom of the aquarium and hide behind any rock or plant. 

They do this process more often than usual. In this condition, it swims very rapidly, and its motion is abrupt. If you see your fish doing this, immediately call for help before it’s too late.

There can be various causes for this problem. There may be a leak in the electrical equipment of any device installed alongside the aquarium. The sudden shocks of current can force your fish to move fast and flip rapidly.

Hitting the Tank

Fish do not hit the aquarium without any reason. They can be hungry and need food, or they may be having a seizure. In this state, they continuously hit the wall and then, in no time, move to the bottom. 

You can see their fins will start to vibrate. Sometimes they open their mouth wide open. These types of strokes are more common in males than in females.

Loss of Consciousness

When cichlids are having seizures, then they may lose control of their body. Sometimes they float to the top of the water and hit the lid. They start to attack other fish. 

Their body starts to vibrate abruptly, and this state continues for more than five to ten minutes. A typical fish does not attack their mates without reason, while a fish that is no more in control of its body will attack other species.

How to Prevent Seizures in African Cichlids?

Whenever you see these symptoms in your fish, you should rapidly take action. First of all, try not to change the environment of the tank.

You should never change the whole water of the aquarium at a time. You can change approximately 60 to 70 percent of it at a time. Similarly, never introduce new cichlids to a tank full of old fish. 

Avoid using cold water because they cannot survive in such conditions. They like to live in a crowded environment. Place the tank where no excessive sunlight can reach it. Avoid listening to loud bass music near them. 

Make it a habit to use a water conditioner in the tank. It removes an excessive amount of chlorine present. Fish may die because of a greater chlorine concentration, while a lesser chlorine concentration affects its gills. 

Use a proper filtration system that will remove wastes. Keep the electric appliances away from the tank. Use a separator if you put two rivals in the same tank.