Thin cichlid

[Zagz]

After spending quite some time researching, haven't come up with a suitable diagnosis for this cichlid. She is thin, she eats, she swims around, if she wasn't thin you would never know there is something wrong with her. Her head and upper body is normal size, lower body thin as can be. I am moving her to QT but don't want to treat until I have some idea of what it is. Like I said she acts completely normal. No spots on skin, no lesions, no fungus, no worms. Baffling to me. I'm guessing an internal parasite of some form. Parameters, NH3 0ppm. NO2 0ppm, NO3 20 ppm, ph 8.0, temp 80F.

 

[DeFeKt]

erm, is it a mouth brooder?
does she appear to eat, then spits it out again?

Matt.

 

[Zagz]

She is a mouth brooder, she eats but doesn't spit it out that I see. Unless she holds the food and then spits it out behind a rock, which I doubt. I'm trying to get a pic that shows how thin she is at the bottom half. She isn't accomodating, LOL.

 

[Zagz]

When they hold they can get that thin? I really don't think she is holding but will keep an extra eye out for that just in case. Thanks for the response.

 

[DeFeKt]

was just a thought, have seen a dimi comp that had to be stripped because she nearly killed herself with exhaustion and malnutrition from just not looking after herself..
Come to think of it I had a maingano that spat recently, same thing, she went extremely thin I had to seperate her to give her time out to recover during and after the final stages of her term. Although she wasn't excessivly thin.
Other then that one of the only other options would be the internal parasite like you said..I can understand your dilemma..

Matt.

 

[Zagz]

I will keep an extra close eye on whether she spits the food out or not, thanks for the suggestion.