African Butterfly Fish Ill

[Creature Seeker]

Hello,

I noted yesterday that one of my four ABF's was very skinny and looked a bit down in the dumps. I've come home from work tonight to find him lying on the bottom of the tank hardly breathing.

I can't give stats at the moment as I don't have a test kit handy but it's a mature tank been going for a bout 8 years and always has nitrate of around 40ppm. I've had all four ABF's for about 3 months and they were being picked on my an apollo shark until I bought some floating plants which they hid in and were fine after that.

Any thoughts? I don't think he has long left.

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[WILDER]

No he's not good and he's in a bad way can you issolate him.
Check the anus to see if its enlarged or red and inflamed.
Going thin can be internal parasites, fish tb, to flukes.
Just want to check that his spine not bent.

 

[Creature Seeker]

Thanks for replying wilder.

I checked my stats and ammonia has risen to 1.2 and my ph has risen from 7 to 8 since I last checked about two weeks ago. Very strange as I havn't done anything to the tank about from a 25% water change last weekend.

I do have a Rainbow Cichlid in the tank that has a swim bladder problem, but he's been like it for about 2 months now and seems happy enough (I have tried healing him on many occasions). He couldn't be spreading something could he?

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[WILDER]

You could have old tank sydrome.
Find you some info if its been set up 8 years.
Don't like the sound of him being thin, is he still eating well.

http/www.aquariumlife.net/articles/aquarium-care/16.asp