CA cichlids acting strange

[cichlidfish]

My larger ones( a. robertsoni, JD, and h. deppi) are acting really weird. They are rubbing thier noses in the sand, swimming funny and flappying their fins rappidly. When they aren't doing that they are just laying around, and not eating. The smaller ones in the tank are very active and eating well.
I checked my water params, temp and PH and everything seems to be ok.
Anyone have any ideas what this could be?

 

[Eläköön]

sounds like breeding behaviour. almost all cichlids I've kept even africans display these behaviours when breeding.
I've kept single cichlids that do the dorsal fin flapping though, it seems to be a way of attracting attention.
the noses in the gravel would most likely be them trying to dig a little pit which is another sign that the fish want to breed.

because your params are fine and you take good care of your fish I think we can rule out any deseases

 

[cacichlids]

does it look anything like this

[YT]TZnphJPc7Lc[/YT]

 

[Sarah88]

cacichlids that is one CHUNKY midas, great work with raising him! (if its your fish haha, if not then whoever did, did great lol) as to OP it does sound kind of like breeding behavior to me as well, have you ever had breeding cichlids before? also on the bad spectrum it could be an oxygen issue if they are being lazy, has there been in a change in your water circulation or anything that could affect the O2 in the tank?

 

[Andrewtfw]

For all of them to be doing this, it does not sound like breeding behavior. If you have ruled out water quality being the issue, I would suspect that it is a parasite that they are being irritated by.

 

[rajzynger]

I agree with if they are being lazy and not eating then its a good chance of being a parasite.

 

[Eläköön]

tbh I forgot about the not eating thing, yeah that sounds like some kind of a parasite

 

[cichlidfish]

For all of them to be doing this, it does not sound like breeding behavior. If you have ruled out water quality being the issue, I would suspect that it is a parasite that they are being irritated by.

Do you think it could be ich? I do have medications and aquarium salt already.

Thanks

 

[Sarah88]

Do you think it could be ich? I do have medications and aquarium salt already.

Thanks

are they like swimming their sides against the sand or deco as if to scratch? if so then yeah it might be ich before the encysting stage... but with the whole not eating thing it seems like some other type of parasite, ich doesnt usually affect their appetite like that in the beginning stages

 

[still]

Can you see white spots on his fins or body? Probably an internal parasite.