Whats Wrong With My Fish?

[Milo]

I came home today and noticed my fish like this. Is she getting beaten up? That would explain the markings on her face that are typical for cichlids, but what is that on her stomach? I am gonna say that i feed my fish very well, look at any of my other fish and they are lets say big boned but why all of a sudden does this one look annorexic? Has she been pinned as the "weak" one in the tank and they are gonna pick on her because if that is the case why all of a sudden? She has been one of the first fish in the tank, and I haven't added any new fish in a few months.

 

[Orion]

My first guess would be Internal Parasites. And if that's the case then you are going to need to treat the entire tank, not just this one fish. You can treat with Meto mixed into their regular food and see if she starts showing signs of improving.

 

[FreddyJ]

Quick question:

Do internal parasites have to be introduced to a healthy tank, or can they develop in a tank due to bad water quality, etc? Just wondering.

Thanks.

 

[Milo]

What's Meto? Is it available at the lfs and how do i use it?