Red Zebra doesn't feel well

[russrimm]

I've got a tank full of african cichlids and a pleco and spotted catfish. All the fish are very active except my Red Zebra. He was doing great until about a week or two ago when he stopped eating. Now he's just kind of hiding in a cave and laying on the bottom. His mouth is opening and closing, but it doesn't seem like he's gasping for air. Anything I can do? I was thinking of putting him in a QT but my cichlid store told me it would be better to leave him be and when he's hungry he'll eat. Any suggestions? He's acting like other fish i've had in the past that died a few days later. I changed filters and did a 30% water change and sucked gravel, but he doesn't seem to have changed for the better.

It's a 65 gal tank with 5 small (2-3") african cichlids, 1 pleco, and 1 spotted catfish.

pH is about 7.8, Nitrates are 2.5, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites

 

[russrimm]

Update -- This morning it's trying to swim around but keeps sinking to the bottom. It almost looks like it's belly is a little bloated..?? I don't think it's pregnant though, I'm not even sure what sex it is. But he's swimming very little and literally swimming along the bottom of the gravel. The other fish are kinda messin with him a little because of it. Maybe he cannot go #2?

 

[Umberle]

I'm not an expert by any means so take it with a grain of salt but bloating could be internal parasites. Are the scales looked odd at all?

 

[russrimm]

Don't seem to look odd, no. Is he doomed? What can I do? QT? Salt?

 

[Umberle]

Well if the scales aren't weird it's probably not Dropsy, that means TB, internal parasites, or pregnant. TB you can't do anything for, internal parasites there is medication for...prenancy well...eh...if you've had other fish do this I kinda doubt he/she's pregnant.

I think I'd QT in any case, things being sufficiently weird and if he's being picked on it'll save him some stress. If you are sure he's not pregnant I'd treat for internal parasites because if he has TB it won't do any more harm.

Of course like I said, I have limited experience in general, and no experience with cichlids at all. You might want to wait for a second opinion but here's a site that lists cures for both constipation and internal parasites

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/information/Diseases.htm

 

[TankGirl]

Definitely transfer this fish into quarrantine. I don't agree at all that the "fish will eat when he's hungry" type philosophy. Healthy fish will always want to eat, for the most part.

If a fish is acting unusually it is always wise to get them into quarrantine for closer observation - if they are fine, then they'll "get over it" in quarrantine, start eating again and then get put back in, no harm no foul. If they are beginning to get ill it can save the rest of the tank from contracting whatever it is.

 

[russrimm]

Well we came home today and he passed. He was laying at the bottom on his side with a hole in the side of his belly. I guess the other fish ate a piece . I hope it wasn't anything that's contageous to the other fish. After looking at that site, I would say he might've been constipated. We only feed them cichlid flakes and brine shrimp. We alternate, but feed brine shrimp 2-3 times a week and flakes the rest of the time. Is that an OK feeding plan?

 

[Umberle]

I can't think of why it wouldn't be. are Red Zebras one of the flat-ish types?

 

[russrimm]

No not at all... They're kinda roundish.

 

[Umberle]

my understanding is that constipation was more of the flat type variety thing. Is just weird is all. Sorry for the loss though

 

[TankGirl]

Mbuna are vegetarians and require a high quality spirulina based flake. It may be that your zebra succumbed to "malawi bloat" from a high protein diet.

Brine shrimp are a wonderful treat but are not terribly nutritious, and that is true for most any fish. Mbuna eat algae in the wild, so you would be surprised what they will do with an algae wafer, as well as blanched or raw veggies clipped to a suction cup feeder.

I don't know what kind your other Africans are, but if they are all mbuna, you might consider switching to a veggie flake (Omega One makes a superior one) to prevent this kind of thing, if indeed it is the source of the problem. If you have a mix of mbuna and hap types, then you'll need to mix up your feed to include the green stuff for the mbuna. Fingers crossed that this was an isolated incident.

 

[russrimm]

There's a blue cobalt, one that's yellow with brown spots, and a yellow lab.

 

[asamaro]

Malawi Bloat

Sounds like your fish had Malawi Bloat. For an exceptional article on this disease see: http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/malawi_bloat.php