Hi, I have a Peacock African Cichlid who is around four years old. He has only one eye, I think he lost an eye in a fight years ago but his current eye is protruding more than usual. His eye was cloudy two weeks ago and I treated with API Melafix. Currently, the cloudiness is gone but his eye looks shiny/bright/very clear. Looking closely at his eye, there are air pockets or water accumulation. Also, he had trouble keeping his buoyancy, he was tipping backwards so his head was pointing near the top of the tank while his tail was pointing near the bottom of the tank. He has been getting picked on by another cichlid for sometime and I have been working on that issue for a long time. There are days he eats more than others but has not been eating for two days. Looking at the disease guide I am thinking dropsy or Malwaii bloat but I do not think he is bloated.
He was in a 75g, 0 ammonia (.25 at worst since the solution was more yellow but I had a hard time deciding if ammonia was 0 or .25, I use API freshwater master test kit), 0 nitrite, 5-10 nitrate, 7.8ph. I keep the salinity around 3ppm with acquarium salt. The tank has three fish including him. I moved him into a 20g quarantine tank today because he is getting worse. I put ceramic rings from my 75g into the 20g's new filter to get the biological filtration going. After watching him in the quarantine tank today, he is maintaining his buoyancy better and there is no salt or medications in the tank yet.
I bought API tetracycline today seeing as the package mentions fluid accumulation in the eyes, I have API melafix and stress coat on hand as well which I will be using for his damaged fins by the bully. He has only eaten Hikari floating sticks and sinking carnivore pellets his whole life. Before two days ago, he had no swimming issues, although I believe he has trouble seeing and am not sure if he is blind now.
Am I correct with the dropsy or Malwaii bloat diagnosis? Correct medication to use? Procedures you know that work? Thoughts or advice? Thank you.
He was in a 75g, 0 ammonia (.25 at worst since the solution was more yellow but I had a hard time deciding if ammonia was 0 or .25, I use API freshwater master test kit), 0 nitrite, 5-10 nitrate, 7.8ph. I keep the salinity around 3ppm with acquarium salt. The tank has three fish including him. I moved him into a 20g quarantine tank today because he is getting worse. I put ceramic rings from my 75g into the 20g's new filter to get the biological filtration going. After watching him in the quarantine tank today, he is maintaining his buoyancy better and there is no salt or medications in the tank yet.
I bought API tetracycline today seeing as the package mentions fluid accumulation in the eyes, I have API melafix and stress coat on hand as well which I will be using for his damaged fins by the bully. He has only eaten Hikari floating sticks and sinking carnivore pellets his whole life. Before two days ago, he had no swimming issues, although I believe he has trouble seeing and am not sure if he is blind now.
Am I correct with the dropsy or Malwaii bloat diagnosis? Correct medication to use? Procedures you know that work? Thoughts or advice? Thank you.
