# Cichlid swimming upside down and not eating!!



## 1025667 (Dec 20, 2012)

One of my MALE blue moorii cichlid had stopped eating about 2-3 days ago, but for some reason I was not concerned. 
Last night I turned off the tank light as usual, but this morning I came in, turned on the light, and he was swimming upside down, occasionaly doing flips, but returning to the upside down position.

I moved him to a 10 gallon quarantine tank, did a 50 percent water change, and added 4 teaspoons of aquarium salt. Also I am keeping the temp at 86 degrees.

I have no idea what the problem is because he is the dominate male in the tank!

I also did a 60 percent water change on my 135 gallon main tank, just to make sure everything was alright.

Right now he is still swimming upside down and not eating... But this is the first day in quarantine.

Please give me any advice you have, and I will keep you guys posted day by day. Thanks in advance, Michael!


----------



## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

Loss of appetite always means something but it can be a symptom of so many things that it doesn't tell us much on its own. The fact that the fish is upside down may be just that it's weak from whatever illness/injury is going on or there's a problem with the swim bladder. 
He may have sustained an injury from one of your other fish--even though he is the dominant male and that injury may have been internal causing damage to the swim bladder.
What other symptoms did you notice when he first stopped eating? Was he hanging up at the top more? Hiding? Hovering near the bottom and not swimming much? Breathing harder than normal? Did you notice him spitting out food prior to not eating? Did you notice any difficulty he was having swimming--such as having to put a lot of effort into swimming away from the top or up from the bottom? And once that effort finished did he pop back up to the surface or drop to the bottom?

Anything more you can add to symptoms and conditions of the tank leading up to the beginning of the problem will help. For now you've done the right thing in putting him in a separate tank. Watch your main tank very closely for the next several weeks and make sure all fish are eating at every feeding and all fish are swimming normally.

Robin


----------



## 1025667 (Dec 20, 2012)

Yes he always used to spit out food
Sometimes he is at the top and sometimes he is at the bottom, but always upside down
Before this happened, he got a bit more shy, and most of the time he was just much less active
The tank just got over a minor case of ich
I can not tell if he is breathing harder than normal


----------



## Botsman (Jun 2, 2012)

How long he was wasting food????? Sounds like internal parasites.
Way 1:
Prazi-pro medications according to manufacturer's spec.

Way 2:
1. 50% more water change in quarantine tank - I hope you have bio filter there.

2. Double up on salt


----------



## Botsman (Jun 2, 2012)

How long he was wasting food????? Sounds like internal parasites.
Way 1:
Prazi-pro medications according to manufacturer's spec.

Way 2:
1. 50% more water change in quarantine tank - I hope you have bio filter there.
2. Big airstone
3. Double up on salt

I would go with the first, because it seems like you have not a lot of time left.


----------

