# sick chocolate cichlid



## jonkarbo (Apr 13, 2008)

gday people.

new to all this so bare with me .i currently have a chocolate cichlid who is displaying unusual behaviour and was just wondering wether someone could help out.
i keep a 6' by 2' tank in my garage ,an as i open the roller door all my guys are there to greet me for their daily feed.the chocolate always darts to the top of the tank and get himself a good feed of watever it is im feeding them (pellets ,flakes,blood worms,misis shrimp).but after feeding drops to the bottom of the tank an often lays on his side and thats basically where he stays until he goes looking for another nibble at the surface.

can anyone help out


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## mcflyyy (Apr 5, 2008)

Hey Jono,
I reckon we must be the only two aussies in this place :thumb:

Untill recently my large gold severum did the same thing, lying flat under a rock all day, then I decided to make a great big cave for him to chill in and now he's a whole new fish! If he has his own bit of territory to call home he won't spend all his time in it but it will give him a place to be and you'll find he spends lots more time running around the tank.
Hope it helps,
Cheers,
Mcflyyy


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

But he is eating, right?

Any other signs of problems in the tank with the other fish?

Any drastic changes in temperature, new inhabitants, any changes at all?

Kim


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

> I reckon we must be the only two aussies in this place :thumb:


Well no. There are a few more of us here, though most just lurk.

Welcome to C-F *mcflyyy* and *jonkarbo*.

Sorry can't help you out with your chocolate cichlid. Have you tried the Illness, Health and Nutrition forum?


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## jonkarbo (Apr 13, 2008)

cichlidaholic said:


> But he is eating, right?
> 
> Any other signs of problems in the tank with the other fish?
> 
> ...


hey kim

yeah, he has no trouble eating.actually one of the better eaters in the tank.
everybody seems to get on pretty well in the tank and he even has his own territory behind some rocks.the only temp change that might take place, is when i do my water changes .not really sure how drastic that would be.
none of the other inhabitants seem to be troubled by this.just seems like he has trouble getting of the ground except when it comes to feeding.
not sure if it would be swim bladder related.

thanks for taking time to answer................cheers


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

It could be swim bladder related, or he could be experiencing organ failure. When organ failure occurs, the body cavity will sometimes fill with fluid, and make it difficult for the fish to swim or stay afloat properly.

What are the water parameters on the tank?

What's your normal tank maintenance routine?

Problems like this usually stem from two sources. It could be injury related, or it could be that the fish has been exposed to poor water quality somewhere along the line.

Do you have a hospital tank to move him to? If so, I would move him, and do some daily water changes on the tank and observe him closely. As long as he's eating, I don't think you need to medicate, but in his weakened condition, I do think he needs some special attention.

Kim


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