You kinda have already answered the question yourself.
Always do large water changes regularly and keep nitrates as low as possible.
This in combination with good food is the most important thing to keep your fish healthy.
Especially while he is still young, cover from above helps make him happy because it reduces stress. In nature predation by birds is one of the biggest threats for cichlids of this size.
Thanks!! Waterchange has been done! I do them weekly usually, i have just been sick. Thanks for the input!! I actually put in 12 feeder fish for Dracul to eat and in three days he ate 11 of them!!!!