Sunken Belly On A Cupid Cichlid

[karin]

Hi all.

One of the 5 cupid cichlids I bought last week as a very sunken belly. See photo. The others have flat bellys like a male ram. I'm wondering if there is anything else I should be doing for him other than feeding a variety of foods and keeping the water clean. He/she seems to pick around a lot. He loves brine shrimp and will eat flake and small sinking pellets. But he is pretty lame in the hunt for food when it is falling from the sky. Seems to get overly excited. and then catch nothing. He does eat but I have seen no poo on him... not unusual since I'm not around that much. He seems to be active. He is sort of my favorite as he is so willing to come up to the glass and "seems" really interactive and inquisitive. So I would like to do the best I can for him.

And a nice photo, I have so few, of my male bolivian (just for fun)

P.S. No smart comments about the pathetic plants

 

[snowflake311]

Do you know if they are wild caught because I know wetspot has some wilds from time to time. If wild I would think he is haveing a hard time with the stress of it all. Also wild caught fish can be picky and not eat. Also it could be a parasite.. Let's hope not. Is his spine bent at all? If it was me I would move to a hospital tank or even the 10gal were he could have a better chance at getting food.

Let the guy you got them from know the fish is not healthy. I'm suprised they sent you a sickly fish. Remember when we did the group order and the fish I ordered did not come because it was too beat up they would not ship a sick fish. But some new person might have shipped it.

 

[hamfist]

I would be very surprised if this fish did not have some gut parasite/infection.
Good water and low stress might clear it, but it's unlikely.

However, as the fish is still eating, that is definately one good sign !

Personally, I would treat the fish. As you are in the states , I think ? Metronidazole, or even metro-impregnated food should be readily available. That would be my first line of attack.
Otherwise, I suspect the fish will just fade away, stop eating and die.

 

[karin]

Yikes. There are actually two with sunken bellies one is just worse than the other.

Okay I emailed and sent the picture to the supplier we will see. In the mean time I'll get the meds. Do the metronidazole meds affect bacteria in the filters? I

Hospital tanks.... not so easy but I'll work on that. I do have the 10 gallon but I went and stuck fish in that one!!!!

Thank you. Hate to lose this little one in particular.

Oh and yes they are wild caught.... I wasn't going to go that route... but... well you know how it goes.

I just fed frozen blood worms and the two with sunken bellys, including this one ate well, very well.

 

[ChilliPepper]

As others have said it is probably something wrong with his gut Not sure what meds you have available in States, but something to treat internal parasites/infection should clear it. It's a good sign he's still eating and swimming about.

One of my Geos was purchased with HITH, and this cleared up purely with good food and clean water, so fish can recover. Hopefully your ones will do the same!

 

[markandhisfish]

id be inclined to try internal bacteria meds , maybe internal parasite if that doesnt work. looks quite far gone from the pic tho

 

[karin]

Okay got the metronidazole. General Cure by API. Should I isolate the two and treat in a 10 gallon or should I dose the 60 gallon where they have been for a week?

Thanks guys!

 

[hamfist]

Okay got the metronidazole. General Cure by API. Should I isolate the two and treat in a 10 gallon or should I dose the 60 gallon where they have been for a week?

Thanks guys!

My tendency (which is oppposed to most advice you will hear) is actually to leave them in the main tank and dose the whole 60 gallon.
Moving fish into a hospital tank is very stressful in itself for them, and will reduce the chances of recovery.
As they are relatively settled in the 60G, leave them there. The chances of harming the others in the tank with treatment are minimal.
It obviously costs more to treat a larger volume, but that is what I would do.

Is there any chance of soaking any pellets in the food and getting the sick fish to eat them ? Ingested metronidazole is waaay more effective.

 

[markandhisfish]

i agree , the isolation can prove too stressful , plus if it is a parasite there is a chance it has been transmited to other fish. i always find it better to treat the whole tank in these situations .