sick cichla?! need help

[vnzlnboardguy]

I was looking at my fish today and I noticed their skin looked different on there heads. At first I did not think much of it, but now I am concerned. They are acting differently than usual. I have done different things to the tank in the last few days, maybe one of them cause a problem. I got them feeders last week straight from petsupermarked, which they have not gotten in over a month. I dropped their temperature from 86 to about 83 a couple days ago. Also I have been doing more water changed lately because they have been eating more and more. I also added a 4 inch cichla that I cough on Saturday, but that's the fish that looks the healthiest as far as skin issues. I think they are breathing a little hard that usual but much. They have been up close to the lights almost sticking there heads out of the water. They usually push each other around, but not today.

 

[vnzlnboardguy]

Getting worse by the hour. I have a bad feeling about this can anyone give me so help. One of them is starting to sit on the bottom

 

[jcardona1]

have you tested all of your water parameters?

 

[BAYOU boy 437]

well sounds like they are stressed just watch them might be a slight case of ick
oh yea is that one of the couple u caught the otha day

 

[BAYOU boy 437]

raise ur temp and add salt

 

[vnzlnboardguy]

I don't think it's ick

 

[HULON]

looks kind of cottony hey Im not an expert but you need to treat those guys!!Itmight be a parisite but it looks fungle Personaly i would treat wit a combo of pima fix and mela fix plus get the temp back upto 86 and a little more salt.Like i said im not an expert on pbass still learning .but they do look large enough to treat without killen them!!Maybe someone who knows more will chime in.those two medicines are natural so maybe not as hurt ful.

 

[Venom SS]

Temp to 87, make sure you are using aquarium salt. If you arent, you should be. Aquarium salt and high temps knock out just about any cichla illness very quickly. I used to feed alot of feeders and my fish only got ich one time and it only lasted about a week. Alot of that was due to maintaining 87 degrees and using salt.

 

[BAYOU boy 437]

yea ur peas look old enough to use meds but bump that temp and add aqaurium salt

 

[vnzlnboardguy]

Thanks for the help. I bumped the temp back up. Tomorrow I guess I'll start by adding salt. Is there anyway I can add it without doing water changes? I hope they make it through to tomorrow. They are getting worse quick. It looks like some sort of fungus. I will update pictures tomorrow.