sick cichlid

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S

seraph

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 21, 2009
74
0
0
Glen Ellyn, IL
Hey guys,

first off, I'm horrible at identifying cichlids, but I've got a blue one with some faint vertical stripes. After the other fish started beating up on him in the 125 gallon, i moved him into my 75 gallon "fry" tank. i've noticed he doesn't eat and swims under the filter output near the heater and his face is getting more and more sunken in. any thoughts?

I'll try to get a picture of him...
 
I moved him in with the little fish about 2 months ago. He doesn't bother them and they leave him alone, but he's not been eating looks like he is wasting away. there are no bodily injury or sores...
 
Update:

I started feeding the tank with frozen blood worms...everyone goes CRAZY for them...that being said, he has started eating...but still just swims by the heater and the filter output...

IMAG0683.jpg


IMAG0685.jpg
 
He looks pretty beat up. Is he being bullied by the other fish? His fins looks torn, have you checked the water quality? It could be some thing like fin rot.

The fish you have looks like an male ice blue zebra(metriaclima greshakei) with some stress bars. Since he's a mbuna I would avoid the blood worms altogether. Mbuna can't handle a lot of meaty foods since most are herbivores. If they eat too many meaty foods they can get bloat and die.
 
He was being beat up by the others in the 125g and got his rear fin chewed off which is why we moved him into the 75g "fry grow out" tank so everyone is half his size and are leaving him alone. I have another ice blue zebra in there too who was also being bullied in the big tank and he is doing great with the babies and is eating without a problem, but the sick one just chilling by the heater and only goes for the worms...

this is the 75g...
IMAG0595.jpg


this is the 125g which he came frome...
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ps...don't worry about oscar...he's a gentle soul and only eats pellets and never other fish (live or dead)
 
He looks pretty beat up. Is he being bullied by the other fish? His fins looks torn, have you checked the water quality? It could be some thing like fin rot.

X2. If he doesnt have fin rot yet, he most likely will. If you can get him to eat an antibacterial food it would be a good idea to try. I've had plenty of failed combinations of fish and have always had success with isolation( which you've already done) clean water, medicated food( I find it always best to treat from the inside out) and once they start eating and recovering melafix can help the process along.

As stated above, lose the worms for mbunas. Herbivores can't handle the high protein and he could get bloat. Good luck
 
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