Friedrichstalli losing pigment/stressed?

[Conner]

Hey guys. My P. friedrichstalli has started to lose some pigmentation on its face, and now its starting to lose color on top of its shoulder as well.

It is normally a very dark, vibrant green with heavy black banding (its on black sand substrate). Its lost most of the vibrant green color, and is now more of a grey tinged green color. Also the green on its face has started changing to yellow. Just today I've noticed that its starting to show white on top of its shoulders, and is swimming around with clamped fins.

This has been going on for about a week.

I did a water change on this tank on Saturday, and all the other fish are acting completely normal. He is still active and has a hearty appetite, and is still defending his "spot" against the other fish in the tank, he's just started to lose pigmentation or get stressed out or something. I've loaded some pictures so hopefully you can see what I'm talking about.

Any idea's what might be going on?

 

[Conner]

Anybody? He looks worse this morning, and as much less active. I'm going to do a water change when I get home just to be safe, but I'm almost certain this isn't a water quality issue.

Any idea's on why this might be happening? Nothing has changed in this tank for at least 4-5 months.

 

[cichlid2006]

Test the water. That would at least eliminate one thing leaving you to concentrate on other things.
Any bullying going on at the moment?
Have you changed food at all?
Have you checked the use by date on the food if applicable?
New filter media that maybe wasn't rinsed properly?

 

[Conner]

Test the water. That would at least eliminate one thing leaving you to concentrate on other things.

Just tested, 0-0-20.

Any bullying going on at the moment?

No bullying, he's the biggest bully in the tank usually. Although there's a little flaring every now and then, noone actually gets bullied as far as I've ever seen.

Have you changed food at all?

Not in the last 4 months. Only addition then was Massivore, which he loves.

Have you checked the use by date on the food if applicable?

Food is all relatively new, as I go through it pretty fast.

New filter media that maybe wasn't rinsed properly?

No new filter media. All I do is change out my filter sock with each water change and wash with a little bleach in the washing machine.

Answers in red.

 

[cichlid2006]

I notice you wash out the filter socks in a little bleach, perhaps they needed an extra rinse cycle?
That seems to be the only thing that stands out from what you have so far mentioned.

Also, I notice that he seems a bit bloated in the 2nd and 3rd pic. It could just be me but he looks a little bloated, could be he is just a bit jolly from all that massivore.

 

[Conner]

I notice you wash out the filter socks in a little bleach, perhaps they needed an extra rinse cycle?
That seems to be the only thing that stands out from what you have so far mentioned.

Also, I notice that he seems a bit bloated in the 2nd and 3rd pic. It could just be me but he looks a little bloated, could be he is just a bit jolly from all that massivore.

I always do an extra rinse cycle with the bleach, and I've washed the socks this way since I set the tank up almost 2 years ago. But I smell after I pull it out, and if I smell any bleach, I run it again without bleach to make sure.

He has seemed a little bloated, but he's a greedy eater that always gobbles more than his fair share. Maybe I'll stop feeding the tank for a week or so and see if anything changes.

I did just do a 20% wc to see if that would help any. He was a little more active once the pumps started back up, but now he's back to just resting under some driftwood like he has been since yesterday.

I really don't want to lose this fish, I've had it since it was 2" long and he's the second oldest fish in the tank.

 

[cichlid2006]

Isn't there a salt you can add to aid with bloating? Might be worth trawling the illness section for that info.
That might do the trick but then again so will starving him for a few days to a week.

Sorry my suggestions weren't any help, it is normally the simplest of things we forget sometimes that's all.
Good luck.

 

[GolemGolem]

He might be a little big for it but what about daphnia? or epsom salts would prolly flush him out..

 

[Rara12]

If he's still eating, soak his food in prozipro and garlic. This will clean out his system. I also suggest doing 45 to 1 hour dips in 2 1/2 gallons of water, a full cap of bifuran, and 15 drops of quick cure.

 

[flowerpower]

Don't medicate! Send the fish to me ASAP before he infects the rest of your fish!