Sick Jack Dempsey (please help!)

[registered]

Hey guys... recently my big male jd (5.5 - 6 inches) has been acting really weird, he rarely comes out of hiding and whenever he does hes just really slow and it almost seems like he couldn't swim.

Before he used to chase and kill other fish and was basically in charge of the tank... now he just hides and he only eats when I drop food in front of him, I basically have to feed him otherwise he just misses the food.

I recently introduced 4 small jack dempseys (2 females, 2 males) and they're really active keep fighting and locking lips, I thought this would make him come out and fight them but he doesn't (they don't even get close to him either...)

Today I even lifted the log where he's hiding and touched him, and he didn't even bother to move... he just sat there in the sand lol, his gills are moving and he tries to swim but it looks like he's really sick

A few weeks ago he ate some small fish and I remember someone here telling me he was going to get sick if they weren't quarantined first, do you think this is the reason? His fins look perfect and he's not missing any scales or anything.

EDIT: he's normally way darker than this, but since he started hiding his colors have washed out a lot, he's almost same color as the sand

pics:

 

[Cichlaholics Anonymous]

could very well be internal parasites, if so, the fact that it still eats means you can try medicated foods (with metro or de-wormer) if you suspect internal parasites

 

[registered]

Water conditions:

Nitrates: ~80
Nitrites: 0
pH: 7.5
GH: ~120

 

[registered]

could very well be internal parasites, if so, the fact that it still eats means you can try medicated foods (with metro or de-wormer) if you suspect internal parasites

Should I put him in a tank by himself first before trying the medication?

 

[registered]

Maybe swim bladder disease?

 

[Jc1119]

Water conditions:

Nitrates: ~80
Nitrites: 0
pH: 7.5
GH: ~120

Is that 80 ppm nitrates? That's pretty high in my experience. I'd move him, try the medicated food as stated above and do a water change in the main tank to get your nitrates under 20ppm but do several smaller water changes to lower them slowly. If they are that high, a large sudden change could shock the rest of your fish

 

[Cichlaholics Anonymous]

Should I put him in a tank by himself first before trying the medication?

if none of the new fish in the tank were quarantined, I would just treat the whole tank, especially considering how a lot of cichlids coming into stores these days seem to have camallanus quite frequently

 

[Jc1119]

if none of the new fish in the tank were quarantined, I would just treat the whole tank, especially considering how a lot of cichlids coming into stores these days seem to have camallanus quite frequently

Ahhh.... I missed the addition of the new fish. I agree, everybody should be fed the meds in that case.

 

[registered]

Okay guys, thanks for the replies. I took a sample of my water to the fish store and they told me the water was perfect.. so I guess my nitrates reading was wrong.

Heres what I did:

- 30% water change (just in case)
- Removed activated carbon from the filter (I use a sump filter)

- 1 Dose of Parasite Guard containing Praziquantel, Diflubenzuron, Metronidazole and Acriflavine (treats flukes, internal worms, lice, anchor worms, flagellates such as Hexamita and Spironucleus and secondary infections).

- 1 Dose of API Melafix for Cichlids

- 1 Dose of API Pimafix (Antifungal fish Remedy)

I checked carefully that these medications could be mixed so I can treat for most common things altogether.

Hope it works, will post here again if I see any improvements.

 

[registered]

if none of the new fish in the tank were quarantined, I would just treat the whole tank, especially considering how a lot of cichlids coming into stores these days seem to have camallanus quite frequently

The sick Cichlid has been with me for long time, almost a year If I remember correctly. he's never been sick before and he used to be part of a mating pair, they bred a couple of times before the female jumped out of the aquarium and died.

The new cichlids I introduced weren't quarantined but they seem to be doing just fine... growing and fighting each other for space, they're still small (1 1/2 - 2 inches)

I think he might have gotten sick from a few tetras and small fish I introduced after the female died... he ate most of them and killed the rest... and he's been weird ever since.