# Sick Chilanga Tropheus please help! Bloat? New Tropheus guy!



## Chris Derrick (Aug 31, 2008)

OK guys bad news would like your opinions or comments please. I have 17 wild chilanga in a 125 gallon tank and one tropheus (not sure if male or female but the largest of the group) was acting funny aug.30th and the next day he stopped eating but would still flair up and pop another fish now and then but mainly stayed in same spot away from the others against the back wall in the middle. Well by saterday night 10pm I got worried and pulled the trigger took out all my carbon, put couple of air stones in and added 11metronidazole tablets (Fish Zole) to the tank and cut the lights out. Yesterday no change in behavior on the fish's part he did same things no eating etc... All other fish are or seem to be doing fine eating fighting shaking or matting etc....Last night I did about 25% water change and added 11 more tablets per instructions. This AM the fish is looking worse hanging out in the corner now and his upper lip is white for some reason? he has no tear marks or damaged fins and is breathing normal and as of now is not boated. I have not noticed him pooping so can't tell if its stringy or what not? I dropped a waffer right in front of him while the others were eating and he wanted nothing to do with it! Can this fish make it? Recomendations please. I have aquarium salt in tank from pets-mart at one tablespoon per 5 gallons. Should I add epsom salt on next water change? I have never used epsom salt before and don't know if it should be added in conjunction with regular aquarium salt or just by itself? I have had these fish for 11 days now and they are all large 1 year or more years old. Please help. Thanks in advance. Chris Derrick

P.S. I have been feeding pure spiralina flakes, spiralina disc's, and NLS 1mm pellets only if this helps. CD


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## Jorsay (Jul 14, 2008)

I am, by no means, an expert on tropheus, but I have had a few over the years and I do know that they get the white lips from fighting and grazing on rock. The white lip should be of no concern.

As far as bloat, I would keep watching for the striny white poop. In my experience, if you think a fish might be sick, it is best NOT to medicate, unless you are absolutely certain that the medicine will help. I think bloat equals death in a troph and medicating the tank won't help. I wonder if anyone here has experience to the contrary. Also, I wouldn't make any changes at all to the tank because changes stress out all the fish, especially the sick fish. If a sick fish has a chance, it will be his own immune system that saves him, and that is the strongest if he is left alone.

My advice would be to wait it out and make as few changes to the tank as possible.

Again, I am definitely not an expert on trophs or curing sick fish and would be interested in hearing the advice of others as well.


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## rogersb (May 21, 2007)

I would have to go with the complete opposite of the first reply. I've had my trophs about a year and had bloat twice. I only lost one fish, a goby. The first time I noticed bloat, the fish acted the same way as yours, only I saw the stringy poo. I medicated with clout. Never used metro, only because it's not available to me in the area. Anyway, I medicated as per instructions on the bottle also, did daily water changes of about 25%, and after 3-4 days the tropheus were back to normal, no bloat symptoms. I dosed for two or three more days to be sure, changing water everyday. IMO, not medicating is a bad idea. bloat is thought to be passed on by them mouthing each others poo, so while one fish is sick, he will get all the others sick quickly. I never had any troubles with having the lights on or off, it didn't seem to matter, but it might keep them in a more docile state and help keep the others from getting sick as quickly. Good luck with it, he should be coming around in a couple days.


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## Chris Derrick (Aug 31, 2008)

Guys thanks for the quick reply's. The person I purchased the fish from told me this is what he does and that is why i medicated so quick. He told me the first sighn of not eating to medicate this is the best way to catch bloat before it kills the fish and others get it! Only thing I don't know is about ebsom salt from what I understand it also helps laxitate them (SP) and helps clean them out same as it would us if drank. I don't know the correct measurments. Thanks and keep your fingers crossed please. Please keep the comments and ifformation coming. Chris


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## NorthShore (Feb 3, 2006)

It's a toss up.

On one hand, many hobbyists medicate prophilactically when they get their colony and on the other hand, many advocate against medicating in this fashion to avoid assisting in the development of super-bacteria.

As to white stringy poop, it is unusual in tropheus and is indicative of a problem with the digestive tract. As per a discussion I had with an expert in the study of fish diet, (and who wants to remain publicly anonymous) it appears that stringy poop is in fact the intestinal lining that is being sloughed off due to an irritant, typically parasitic, but it can also result form ingesting sand granules.

I had a beautiful 6" foai male over target play sand who ate like a piggie and was quite vigorous but constantly had a 8" trailer of "white poop" following him. He is not in my tank but is still alive to this day. He did not have bloat or anything like that. His intestine was simply irritated by the sand.

Having said all that, I usually wait for more than one symptom before medicating. The 3 things typically associated with the onset of bloat in tropheus are loss of appetite, listlessness and withdrawal from colony interactions and the stringy poop. If I see 2 or more of these symptoms, I medicate. Until I see at least 2 of these symptoms, I wait it out. Too often, blockage is mistaken for bloat and will clear up on it's own.

I have too often had new fish interact normally except for feeding. They seemed to be too interested in staking out a territory or were at the bottom of the totem pole and only ate last. You'd be surprised how much food is picked up from sifting the sand/gravel after you've fed the tank.

It's a tough call in your situation. You have a fish that is acting normally, except you don't see it eat. A sick tropheus would not do what yours is doing and in fact the white upper lip is a sign of jawlocking, fighting for dominance. That is not the behaviour of a sick fish.

As for the laxative properties of epsom salts, there is apparently no scientific basis to that statement, although I believed it until recently.


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## Chris Derrick (Aug 31, 2008)

North shore, thanks for the great info! I got two symptoms then so I feel like I did the correct thing. He is not hanging out with the rest, and is not eating while keeping to himself in the corner. Keep fingers crossed. How long will a fish act like this before they get well? Thanks CD


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## NorthShore (Feb 3, 2006)

My experience with treating fish has been that it takes a few days before you see any real positive change in behaviour and 5 or 6 days of treatment before they start eating again. Do not expect things to change for the better with one or two treatments. I hope your fish recovers quickly!


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## Chris Derrick (Aug 31, 2008)

The bottle says treat 3-5 days your saying to treat longer? Thanks CD


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## NorthShore (Feb 3, 2006)

I guess you could lightly feed the tank after 3 days and see what happens. If he eats, then you're good to go. If not, keep treating. It wouldn't be unheard of to even have to do two full rounds of meds.


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