What is wrong with my flowerhorn?

[CarpCharacin]

I have a titanium flowerhorn, I think he's a short body. I have him in a 40 gallon breeder tank, and he isn't that big. I got him last November. He used to scrape his head a lot his head, but he stopped doing that. Now I'm kind of worried, because he hasn't eaten in several days, and he comes up acting like he wants to be fed, but when I feed him, he acts like he is scared of the food. What should I do?

 

[Deadliestviper7]

Feed some peas and ghost shrimp, may want to switch the food as well

 

[CarpCharacin]

He ate some pellets the other day, but he only eats once every several days. I hope he doesn't have parasites. What do you think?

 

[fisheatfish]

From experience, some things come to mind:

Scraping of head or body may have been due to water due to initial water parameters...filtration not cycled or ich.

Scared may be due to cold temperature. Cold water have been known to make mine skittish, dark in color and suppress appetite.

Since it's eating, I wouldn't treat...yet. However, this may be the best time to treat for internal parasite. Keep an eye out for stringy white poop.

Small in size you say and you've had it for about 8 months? Could be a problem or could be female, which tend to not grow as big as males.

Pics?

 

[CarpCharacin]

Scraping of head or body may have been due to water due to initial water parameters...filtration not cycled or ich.

He hasn't scraped his head recently, but he's a really shy fish, so he used to try to hide under the sponge filters, and I think that's when he would scrape his head, so I added a terra cotta pot recently. The water quality is fine, I did a water change a few days ago, and he has an eheim canister filter, and two large sponge filters.

Scared may be due to cold temperature. Cold water have been known to make mine skittish, dark in color and suppress appetite.

The tank isn't cold, I keep it at about 80 degrees. He turned darker when I added the Black Diamond sand to the tank.

Since it's eating, I wouldn't treat...yet. However, this may be the best time to treat for internal parasite. Keep an eye out for stringy white poop.

I haven't seen any white stringy poop.

Small in size you say and you've had it for about 8 months? Could be a problem or could be female, which tend to not grow as big as males.

He's definitely grown since I got him, but he's still small, but when I got him, they said he was a short body flowerhorn. My avatar is a picture of him from before I added the sand, I'll try to get a new picture later today.

 

[Backfromthedead]

How big is he? What are your water parameters? Maintenance routine?

My FH will become skittish if im a couple days late on the water changes and nitrates creep over 40ppm. Ive had to amp up my maintenance schedule since he put on considerable mass these last couple months.

Whatever may be wrong with him, a few heavy water changes in the space of a week won't hurt and you'll be able to rule out water quality as an issue.

 

[CarpCharacin]

He's maybe 4 and a half inches long including his fins. I'm kind of lazy when it comes to water changes, I usually do them every few weeks, and I know that's bad, so I have been doing them more frequently, I did one a few days ago, and I'll do another today.

 

[Gill Blue]

When did you add the sand?

 

[CarpCharacin]

When did you add the sand?

I think I added it back in February.