# My firemouth is lookin and actin strange... need some advice



## bromm2 (Sep 29, 2010)

Hello... I'd like to begin by saying thankyou in advance to anyone who views and/or replies to my post.
One of my firemouth cichlids is acting and looking strange, it's colours have gone very dark, near enough black, same goes for the eyes, they have gone rather dark too, and it seems to have it's mouth wide open constantly... also, my 3 firemouths had taken up residence within an ornament I bought specifically for them(it's a tree root made of poly resin, bought frm a reputable aquarium shop) the thing is... the firemouth in question has decided to leve the roots and is now swimming about near enough to the top of the tank, right next to the Fluval, alone. It's swimming upright(not on it's side) and does not struggle to evade when I put the net in... I am both concerned and confused, it's been like this for a week or so now. Any advice would be greatly appreciated...


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## triscuit (May 6, 2005)

Hmm- often when a fish goes dark it's a sign of breeding or aggression. If your other three are hiding, it could be this fish is just strutting his stuff...


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## GeriJo (May 13, 2010)

Many fish will "mask" or go black when they are stressed about something. Usually in mating the fish will "color-up" in a... well... colorful display. Fish will hold their mouths open continuously if they are not getting enough oxygen. It would seem to me that something is affecting the gills of this fish. I would QT the fish with a large oxygen bar... not an airstone... you want something that puts out a lot of bubbles. This fish is struggling to breathe so we want to make it easier by providing a very oxygen rich environment. Poke holes in a foot long stretch of air tubing with a thumb tack for a cheap fix and make it stay at the bottom of the tank. Watch the gills. See if they are protruding, or reddened, or coated with anything, is anything "hanging" from them... Do you have any crustaceans or invertebrates in your tank? If so, what kind?


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