# Help with Rescued Convict!



## Aviara (Apr 5, 2012)

My local Petco has an adoption tank. I had returned the M. auratus that I previously adopted after realizing the 20 long and a solitary existence was not making for a very happy mbuna.  Unfortunately, I was at the store today (Petco and Petsmart are the only pet stores for around 100 miles of where I go to college...) and found out that they had put an adult convict cichlid in with not only this M. auratus, but also a jack dempsey. The convict cichlid, which I had seen before in good health, was now ripped up, with virtually no back or top fin.

This made me really angry, and I talked the staff into letting me adopt him. As a student in college living with dorm rules, I can't really have as many tanks as I want, and my two 20 gallons are already stocked pretty full, but I had an empty 5 gallon set up. I figured better to put him in the 5 gallon temporarily and figure something out than to let him die in the store, right?

So I took him home, acclimated him, and put him in the tank. He has been here since this afternoon, and I am noticing that he is having a hard time swimming - sometimes falling sideways or even upside down - but otherwise seems to be alive and alert. I know what ammonia poisoning looks like (bad experiences with my first attempt at fish keeping - I really didn't know anything back then!), and it looks more like a swim bladder issue.

Now my questions. First of all, for more permanent tank while he's with me, I could either leave him in the 5 gallon or move fish around to my boyfriend's 20 gallon tank and put him by himself in a 20 gallon tank. Will the 5 gallon be a death sentence? Also, what should I do about his torn fins and his swimming issues? I really want to help him as best I can.


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

An adult convict can live in a 5 gallon but obviously is not ideal and some may consider it cruel. Amonia and then nitrates will build up quick, so alot of waterchanges will be neccesary, especially at first.

Melafix is great at healing wounds and fins. It should not be too expensive for a small hospital tank like a 5g.

Some say salt works well too.

....Bill


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## Azedenkae (Apr 19, 2012)

Mhm though I guess between living in a cramped place and being bullied daily to the point of losing fins and stuff, I guess cramped place is alright, for now.


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## 75505 (Apr 20, 2012)

Good advice above, I agree. The only thing I have to add is make sure he is eating well. Try to use sinking foods that he can get to easily. My young cichlids had nipped tails, almost all the way gone, and within 2 weeks they have almost completely filled back out with good feeding and good water conditions. Just careful not to overfeed because it will only make the ammonia build faster.

To elaborate on water changes...test for ammonia daily. If it is too much for the filter treat with 80-90% water changes and prime. That will keep the water ammonia free for 24 hours until you can do another change.


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## Aviara (Apr 5, 2012)

Thanks everyone for the advice. I was worried about him in the 5 gallon so I moved the fish in my 20 high to other tanks (bolivian rams and neons to my boyfriend's tropical and cories to my inch-long yellow lab tank) so he could have more swimming room and filtration.
Yesterday his belly looked badly swollen and he was having an awful time swimming  He would float suspended upside down or vertical with his head facing the ceiling. He already seems a little better today, although I'm imagine it's tough to swim with swim bladder issues and barely any fins... 
My plan is to give him salt baths twice daily in mildly salted water for a brief time and to add melafix to his tank. Does this sound good? Also, what sort of diet should I be feeding him? I have no past experience with central americans or convicts.


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## 75505 (Apr 20, 2012)

I don't have too much experience with medications and the like. I would likely hold off on the salt baths and just treat with melafix, though.

One suggestion for getting rid of swim bladder is to fast the fish. They can go for up to 4 days without food easily, so if feeding him doesn't seem to be helping or makes things worse I would try that.

CA cichlids eat meaty foods, very high protein diets. Most any cichlid pellets will do fine. Try to get the ones he can most easily fit in his mouth. Hikari Gold cichlid pellets are really good quality. I also like the top fin pellets. They will also eat most flakes foods as well. If he's having trouble getting to the top of the tank sinking shrimp pellets might be a good alternative. 

Once he gets better you can give him bloodworms as a nice treat!


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## Aviara (Apr 5, 2012)

Another update - this time with pics. He seems like he will make a recovery as long as the swim bladder issues are remedied. I feel so bad for him, getting put in that tank and beaten up. 

The first is the male convict. He is maybe 5", but missing his entire back fin as you can see, as well as most of his top fin and some rips in his bottom and side fins too. 









And then when I was picking up food for him today (I only had food for my more algae-loving mbuna on hand so I got him Hikari Bio Gold as recommended) I decided to get what I'm hoping is a small female convict. She looks like a girl, but I don't have much experience sexing them! I hope it's okay that I put her in the tank, she has places to hide and he has left her alone for now, and I'm figuring in the future she will be good company for him. I may move her to a tank by herself until she gets larger, but I do have very limited space right now! 









By the way, what looks like an awful nematode infestation or something in the pictures is actually bubbles from my over-enthusiastic airstone strip  Thanks everyone for the advice - I hope everything is okay and he can be nursed back to health and happiness.


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## Azedenkae (Apr 19, 2012)

First pic: Yeah with care he'll definitely grow back fine. ) Swim bladder problem could be gone as well, as it may just be the case that he can't orient himself properly with all those fins missing rather than an actual swim bladder problem.

Second pic: Girl. )

[EDIT]

Looks like you're taking good care of your fish. Awesome. )


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## 75505 (Apr 20, 2012)

I agree! You're a very kind person.  I sure hope he makes a recovery and you keep us posted!

I agree, girl! You can tell from the orange blush color on her underside!  As long as she's smaller she shouldn't pick on him and I don't see him picking on her in this condition. Should be fine, just keep a close eye on them both.  Who knows? Her not picking on him while he's down might help them bond!

Also, I like how dark he is! For his state I would expect his colors to be all faded out. He seems happy despite his fins. Good for him!


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