# Lethrinops Mbase Not Eating (2 weeks now)



## jdhoggg (Mar 20, 2020)

Bear with me as I am going to try to give all the information I can. The tank he was residing in is 180 gallons with 7.8ph, 0 amonia, 0 nitrates and maybe a trace of nitrite. Tank is filtered with 2 FX6's and I do a 50% water change each week. (Well water that is filtered through our treatment system.) Tank's been up for 6 months since I cycled it and he has 16 other tank mates (peacocks and haps) ranging in size from 4" to 7" and he is full grown at 4.5". I treated him with medicated food soaked in garlic guard, focus and metroplex because I noticed him gasping and hiding and his color looked off. (He was not being chased or anything.) I assumed he had gill flukes, so the entire tank was treated. He stopped gasping and his color returned, but then he refused to eat. He no longer hides and is very energetic, as before. When I feed the tank, he takes food in and spits it out and will catch it again. (As long as one of his tank mates does not grab it.) From what I can tell, he has not eaten in about 2 weeks now, but he is not acting sick. I have tried soaking his food in water and also garlic guard and he takes it in, but does not hold onto it. I moved him to a quarantine tank yesterday and left him alone to acclimate. When I tried to feed him today, he took the food in his mouth, then spit it out. (He even picked it up a time or two, but never ate it.) I took the soaked (garlic guard) pellets out, thawed out some blood worms, tossed them in and he would not eat those either. I don't think he has ever seen them as I typically do not feed them to my fish. Sorry about the long and probably disjointed post everyone. (I am wrapping up here at work.) I am worried he might die, but I do not know anything else to do other than start trying to feed him various types of food till he eats one. Aside from this thought, I am out of ideas....HELP!


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Is his belly concave?

This is not a good species to keep in an all-male tank but it sounds like he recovered.

Malawi can go a month without eating. If his belly is not concave I would stop feeding for 2 days and then try again with his staple food only.


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## jdhoggg (Mar 20, 2020)

No concave belly.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Try waiting. Don't put him back in the male tank...rehome him once he is healthy.


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## jdhoggg (Mar 20, 2020)

If he recovers, I have a 55 I want to move him to and will put only small peacocks in it. (Think that will be more suitable?) I will update when something changes.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Mine only did well in a species tank with females.


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## jdhoggg (Mar 20, 2020)

He still is not eating. Withheld food for two days and then provided usual food and he did not eat. Waited two days and soaked some in garlic guard and he did not eat it. Saw some clear looking poop when I tried to feed him this last time and started on general cure. (Probably reaching) was thinking of dropping a cube of blood worms in to see if he will eat. Anyone have any other suggestions as far as meds, salt baths, whatever? Can fish be force fed? I had a big monitor lizard I had to force feed a few times when he was sick. Just not real hot on the idea of watching him starve to death if I can help it.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Treat with double dose of Metronidazole, he is in a tank by himself with nitrate 10ppm correct? Blood worms is the last thing he needs...do not feed.

Force feeding would be counterproductive if his intestine is blocked.


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## shiftyfox (Aug 2, 2019)

When I had fish that were not eating and evidence of white stringy poop I dosed the tank with Epsom Salt and metroplex and that did the trick after a few days. Also fed flake which I found they seemed to take better than usually fed pellets.


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## jdhoggg (Mar 20, 2020)

Moved him to a qt tank with the same ph and did a 100% water change prior to putting him in. Running a big air stone in it too. I have plenty of metro on hand. Should I do another big water change, then treat with the metro and try to feed flake food?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

If you did 100% water change then there are already zero nitrates. Treat with double dose of metro and do not feed.


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## jdhoggg (Mar 20, 2020)

Just dosed him this morning. How long should I wait to try and feed him? He is darker than usual today. Hope that isn't a bad sign. Thanks for all your advice everyone.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

https://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/vie ... 40#p272716


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## jdhoggg (Mar 20, 2020)

Well the wife and I came home from the grocery store and he was tipped over just now. Thanks to everyone who gave me suggestions on how I might treat him.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Sorry for your loss.


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