Cichlid Help

[karelian74]

I had 2 africian cichlids and a pleco living in a 29 gal tank. 20% water changes weekly, no changes in their food or environment at all. But the other day, the yellow cichlid wasn't able to control its balance. It was basically floating around nose up or down thru the tank. Sometimes hitting bottom and just laying on its side. The fish was like this for about 8 hrs, several times I thought I had lost him and he'd start moving around again. I stayed up watching the fish til around 2am, and he suddenly started swimming normally again. So I went to sleep and the next morning he was dead. About 3 hrs after I was awake the other cichlid started doing exactly the same thing, I went to get him out of the tank about 6 times thru out the evening thinking I had lost him also, but he'd move as soon as I put the net in the tank. This morning I woke up and he's swimming normally now. I have no idea what is wrong with this guy, but seems he seems fine again.

They weren't agressive to each other, the pleco is in his own little world attaching himself to whatever is closest, but when he does swim he is fine. I haven't seen any ick or parasites on the fish scales, they honestly looked healthy. They ate 3x a day even when they were unable to swim right, they still ate.

I have looked around on the net, and really haven't found anything close to what is happening with these guys. Called the fish store this morning, they said maybe an inner ear infection, but would that cause me to lose one so fast? And the other to recover over nite?

Any suggestions/help would be appreciated.

 

[WILDER]

DId they bloat up swim bladder but they can show same symtoms with constipation, what do you feed the fish.
Try some shelled peas on them.
R.I.P. to the one that died bless him.

 

[karelian74]

DId they bloat up swim bladder but they can show same symtoms with constipation, what do you feed the fish.
Try some shelled peas on them.
R.I.P. to the one that died bless him.

No signs of bloating, the one that is still with us looks beat up today. I think it was from all his bouncing around the tank not being able to control himself. He's still swimming around fine, but has some traces of blood (not bleeding currently) around his top and tail fins. Also some abrasions on his side and one near his lower lip.

I feed them cichlid flakes. Nothing live or frozen.

So my new question is, is there anything I can use in the tank to treat his abrasions? He seems fine, just beat up looking.

 

[WILDER]

He's in a bad way and is not going to make it, he has swim bladdder and red streaking in the fins is septiciemia,.
Water results would be good and you need to get them on a better diet as to many dried foods lead to swim bladder, need frozen foods and veg.
Sorry.