Is he sick?

[Kestryl]

My cichlid is acting funny, has been for the past couple days.
As of 2 days ago, water parameters were fine (the PH had gone up a little bit, as had the GH, I did a partial water change, just in case that was what was bugging him, but neither of them had shifted much.)

He seems a little lethargic, but hee isnt resting on the bottem or anything, just not as enthusiastic about things.
I fasted him yesterday (I have read its good to do that once in a while, and he's been eating like a pig scince I got him) but today he wouldnt touch the food I gave him. He just watched it, and would act like he was going to go after it, but then stop short and watch it fall.
He was working his moth a bit, but he realy didnt open it very wide (which is different from the other day when I though he was gasping)

He's also been acting jumpy, Ill look over, and every now and then, he will seem like he has been startled. Hes never done that befor, he is usualy very confident, even nipping my fingers if I put them in the water, now he doesnt act like he cares, or if he does, he hides

His colloring is off too.....He is a Powder Blue cichlid, but sometimes you can see some very fait barring on his sides....Today, Its a lot more obvious then normal.

I dont know what could be wrong with him. I havent got a clue. But I do know I don't want to lose him....Ive pretty much fallen in love with this guy.



(yes, tank is cycled. its small for a cichlid (5g), but hes a small cichlid as yet, and I plan to upgrade in less then a month)
I have 2 airstones in the tank, so he should have plenty of oxegyn

 

[Purple]

When you get a fish from a store, they are usualy under-fed, and pig out for the first few days. Another reason they grab for food to begin with is that they are kept in groups in the store, so feeding time is a competition for them. Once a fish is on its own and has made up for the hungry times at the store, the fish realises it doesn't have to eat everything in 2 mins flat or go without, so sometimes solitary fish "sulk" a bit at feeding time. Bearing in mind that a healthy fish can go for up to a week without food with no ill effects, there's no need to panic just yet, but keep an eye on it.

Nervous behaviour and colour changes are a bit different, this is usualy caused by stress. Those dark bars on his side are a natural colouration for this fish, but may show more strongly if the fish is stressed. Take the behaviour and the colour changes as an early warning sign that something is not quite right, and the reverse is also true - so when he goes back to normal you know he's ok again.

Some of the more common things that cause stress are - new surroundings or new fish in the tank, too much light, movement outside the tank, lack of hiding places, water conditions - including temperature, and the onset of illness. Too small a tank will also do it - but the set-up you have looks ok for a single small fish, and I know you have another tank in mind for him soon.

The first thing I'd check is the water - ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. Even though you think your tank is cycled, it's possible to upset that cycle, so keep checking until you're through this. The second thing I'd look at is where the tank is sited - is it close to a window, or does it have people walking past/near it every 5 mins. Fish like a bit of peace and quiet sometimes, and too much light or movement all the time can wind them up.

As for illness - a wide topic - the disease data base on this site is worth looking at, and you should look before you get a problem so you'll know what to look for in future. The most common problem is 'Ich' or white spot disease, espescialy with a fish that's just come from a store. Watch the fish for white spots like grains of salt, normally on the fins. Easy to treat, but if left untreated you'll loose the fish.

No need to panic about anything yet, a lot of the time it's just a short term "mood" the fish is going through, and he may well recover by himself in a day or so. But watch him closely, and post up any other changes/info you have.

 

[Kestryl]

I have had him bout a month now, so he should probably be over any behavoral changes, if they originated from being in too big a group.
I can't think of what would stress him, The tank is in my bedroom, so noone but me walks past it, and I dont do that over much, because its near my back wall...I walk away from it more then twords or past it. No new fish, no new decorations, Tank light is pretty steady, a window nearby with the blinds closed all the time, the tank light, and my room light....in all, the room is rather dark (its an old house)...none of this has changed scince he came to the house.

I just checked the water when he started acting funny, Amonia is zero, nitrites zero, ph 8.3. GH about 10, kh about 6

I did a partial water change because Ph and Kh were up slightly from what they were when I last tested, and I will test again tonight....

I havent noticed anything like ich, he looks clean. I just m worriied becuase he suddenly is acting stressy, and there have been no significant changes at all. (Unless he does'nt like country music....I just found a radio station that actualy works around here, so I have been playing that.....are fish sensitive to sounds? I don't play the radio loudly or anything....)

 

[Purple]

Fish are only sensitive to loud noise, so unless he's a rock fan it should be ok.

Keep watching, and check the Nitrate level from time to time, let the cycle take care of the Nitrites, but a high Nitrate level will produce this stress effect.

Your ph looks a bit high, but it's not in the danger zone for these fish - just don't let it get much higher.

(Fingers crossed)

 

[Lotus]

Have you checked the temperature of the tank? Sometimes heaters go a little haywire, and that could stress him.

 

[Kestryl]

Temp is steady at 79 or 80 (they like 73-82, so thats in the right range) Ph is back to 8 (they like 7.6-8.6)
I don't have a nitrate test, I will get one (I have PH, GH, KH, Nitrite and Amonia tests) I was given to uunderstand that he Nitrates kinda took care of themselves if everything else was good. Ill get the test when I go out this evening. He's still acting stressy and not eating...
I'll take a water sample with me....get them to test for me, just in case something's wrong with one of my kits (though, from what I have seen the one other time I got the store to test for me, they use the exact same stuff I do...)

 

[Purple]

Originally posted by Kestryl
I was given to uunderstand that he Nitrates kinda took care of themselves if everything else was good.

Whoa - major error

Nitrates build up and are normally kept under control by water changes. In a heavily planted tank the effect is lessened by the plants absorbing some of the Nitrate, but unless your tank looks like an underwater garden your Nitrates will build up and eventually kill the fish.

Nitrates are the one thing your filter can't do anything about.

Ammonia is converted to Nitrite - Nitrite is converted to Nitrate - Nitrate isn't converted at all, hence the build up effect.

Get the test kit - the kit will tell you on the packet whether it's at a dangerous level or not - if it is then change 30% of your water to dillute it (don't go over 30% per week or it may upset your cycle in a small tank like that).

A high Nitrate reading would explain everything

 

[Kestryl]

Alright, bought the kit, tasted the water, it was high, changed some of the water, waited a few hours and tested again, its still high (though Blue seems a little perkier) how often do I dare change the water?

 

[Purple]

30% a week only in a tank that small.

In a larger tank there will be more surface area for the good bacteria to live on, but as yours is small - you have to be a bit more careful.

Don't worry - the level will come down as you go from week to week, and the fish will be ok with a high level for a bit - as long as you now know the cause, everything will come right.

High Ammonia or high Nitrite is more urgent, but yours is high Nitrate, so it's less urgent.

Sounds like it's sorted - but let us know how you get on....

 

[Kestryl]

The other night, I did another little water change (i know, that makes it more then 30% a week) but about an hour after he perked up and started begging me for food....he hasn't stopped. His stripes went away again too.

This morning his stripes were back (not as dark, but deffinitly there) but there gone again, so im wondering if I didnt startle him by turning on the light too soon or somehting.


The thing is, I am unsure how the nitrates could have built up, as I have been doing small water changes every week.

 

[Purple]

My tap water is high in Nitrate, so my tanks are always a bit on the high side too, no matter how often I change the water - might be worth checking your tap water.

The other possible cause is the size of the tank compared to the ammount of waste your fish produces, as Nitrate is a bi-product of waste break down.

When you get your bigger tank you probably won't have so much of a problem with it, but whatever you do, don't add more fish to the tank you have now.

Just keep an eye on him - sounds like he's going to be fine.