Sick Dwarf Pike! :(

[jpjn]

What are some common diseases with Dwarf Pike Cichlids? What medications are safe and NOT safe to treat them with? And what about using salt? Is that ok?

She can't swim. She stopped eating, and is just laying half out of one of her caves on her side. I can't see any obvious symtoms of anything on her body, just that she can't seem to swim or even balance.

PLEASE ADVICE! I'm devastated! I love her.

 

[ShadowStryder]

What and how much are you feeding. Were you giving at least one fasting day a week. Can you tell if her abdomen looks swollen. Young pikes or smaller pikes can get bloated if not given a fasting day.
Also what are your water perams. PH and Hardness aren't really important with pikes unless breeding. But nitrites and nitrates could play a part.

 

[jpjn]

The water is fine. However I didn't know about a fast day. She was given to me and the person who had her didn't feed a varied diet, mostly those big red sticks with krill, snapped in half. I just recently read up on their diet and saw they need live foods, worms for one.

I've been giving her the same food as he did (the krill sticks) as well as frozen bloodworms and frozen brine shrimp. Also freeze dried krill (which she was pigging out on!).

It's hard to tell if her abdomen is swollen because it always looks swollen to me from her eating so much.

I don't know what to do. I've got to try something, but what? If I'm not sure what's even wrong.

 

[ShadowStryder]

If she hasn't eaten for several days her abdomen should be down and back to normal. She should not be swollen or bloated looking. Live foods aren't a necessity. Pellets, frozen Krill, black worms, cut up market shrimp, food sticks and other types would suffice.