# Sick electric blue jack dempsey



## bigdev (Jan 13, 2015)

Okay so I've had this male jack for maybe two weeks. He is in a seventy five gallon tank with three electric blue acaras and a female EBJD. Also three cory cats and a bristlenose pleco. There was an African Brichardi Cichlid in there as well but he was removed for picking on my male EBJD (the one I am currently concerned about). He was removed four days ago. I noticed the Brichardi I relocated would sometime slam into rocks, shivers I think its called? He is in an isolated ten gallon and I haven't noticed him make the behavior again since relocation. The tank has been set up since the fourth of December. In that time I have done 3 water changes, all 25%. The last water change was approximately a week ago.

I tested the water parameters today. The water was very hard, almost 8. I know that is stressful for Central and South American Cichlids. I ordered a very large piece of driftwood I will put into the tank (though it may not arrive for a week or two), and I also have two pieces in there now. I will remove some of the rock caves I have in there. I also have Acid Buffer, a PH lowerer. http://www.seachem.com/Products/product ... uffer.html I don't think I want to use it as its not permanent and I feel swinging the PH around may stress my fish out. The water is hard here unfortunately so I will do my best to soften it up for the fish.

Ammonia and nitrite levels were zero, nitrate was below 25 ppm. I feed them bloodworms mostly but occasionally flakes. Sometimes twice a day but usually once. I suppose I should add some shrimp to their diet also. I use Prime dechlorinator by seachem. I add a small amount to the water I add to the aquarium, wait, then pour the water into the aquarium. Water temperature is 76-77.

I have watched the tank for aggression since removing the Brichardi and have noticed none really towards the male EBJD; the acaras chase each other around but don't really do each other any damage and largely ignore the Dempseys. I do notice that one or more acaras will sometimes follow the dempsey? Just follow him, it kind of freaks him out, but theres no quick movement like there is in a chase. The female dempsey is slightly larger. Sometimes she likes the male, sometimes she nips him away, but I never see them fight.

Okay, so there is your background info, now for ailments. The Jack was usually very active, but has become less so. He is very excited when I come up to the tank usually and will greet me every time. Lately this is not the case. He will frequently be hiding very well, usually to the point where I cannot find him. When I do find him he is lying on the bottom of the tank tucked up in a small small area between a piece of driftwood and the gravel, a very small cave and the gravel, etc. Sometimes he greets me when I come and sometimes he does not. When he continues to lie there after I have been standing at the tank is when I become concerned.

Sometimes a fin is clamped. I have never noticed him clamping both fins simultaneously, but usually only one at a time. I have noticed that the clamped fins alternate. He will usually navigate with his free fin while leaving the other clamped to his body. Sometimes he shakes his whole body violently, though this is infrequent.

He seems to have slight discoloration from the day I purchased him. There are white patches on him that I do not remember when I purchased him. The black markings on his stomach look almost rusty and streaky when compared to the black markings on the rest of his body. Here are some pictures where you can kind of see some of the white patches and rusty streaks




























So wat do?


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Central American fish often come from harder waters than any Rift lake. I wouldn't worry about your pH. You're likely to see no drop with the driftwood addition. The frequent water changes cichlids require should keep your pH where it is.

Sounds like an aggression issue to me. I would suggest separating and seeing how the fish responds without tankmates. I cannot comment on the color change.


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## Cichlid Debby (Mar 21, 2014)

Agree with Iggy about aggression.

I also would try and get them eating a good pellet food as a staple diet. I only feed my SAs and CAs "meat" once or twice a month.
Mine live in 8.2 ph, so skip the acid buffer. Better to be stable. I tried that stuff and all it did was bring the ph down to 8 and precipitate all the what evers, into a white crust that covered everything. Huge mess!

At water changes I bucket too. Add prime first then fill the bucket to make sure it is well mixed. I add enough prime for the entire tank volume by time I am done. You just never know what your water supplier is doing.

Keep us posted and GL


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## bigdev (Jan 13, 2015)

yesterday he started clamping one fin in particular much more frequently while he navigated with the other. This and his lethargy prompted me to treat the tank with Seachem Metronidazole. This morning he was lying on the bottom of the aquarium, and I have returned to find him in the same spot. I do not expect him to live.


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## bigdev (Jan 13, 2015)

I came home around 6 PM today to find him swimming around. I went upstairs and defrosted some blood worms but he was back under his rock by the time I returned. He did come out and eat a few bloodworms, then went back to his hole. I examined him just now (5 hours later) and after a few minutes of my roommate and myself standing in front of the tank he swam out to greet us. The fin that was clamping was much less clamped as he swam around in the tank, though he did shake violently and he had the 'bends' in which he would curl his body around very much. He has changed color again, though this time he is much darker. I do not know what that really means.

I agree it may be an aggression problem but the fin clamp makes me believe the stress has perhaps caused him to struggle with a parasite. I do not want to stress him with a move now and he is content to lay under a rock until he heals. I will put him in a 26 gallon and feed him excessively until he is able to hang with female dempsey. In the meanwhile I will do a 25% water change and redose with the metrodinazole later


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## bigdev (Jan 13, 2015)

I got a good look at the female tonight and noticed she was not as brilliant as she usually is. Upon further inspection I noticed a light film around her. This led me to believe I have velvet parasite in my tank. A quick flashlight test showed that the film was patchy. I performed a flashlight test on the male and didn't see much, other than the fact that he looked like ****. I am doing a 40% water change immediately in an attempt to remove the Metronidazole. My first and only dose of met was yesterday afternoon. After the water change I plan to dose with a full bottle of Mardel coppersafe. The male is still struggling and I don't know if he will make it. I assume I caught it on the female early enough to treat her. She is hiding more frequently but not showing any clear signs of distress.


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## bigdev (Jan 13, 2015)

This morning he is much more active, though he still looks unwell and has weird jerking erratic movements. I find myself optimistic about his recovery for the first time.


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## bigdev (Jan 13, 2015)

Dosed again with metro and now he's swimming around the tank like everything is business as usual. I'll probably pull him from there until he gets a little bigger and his fragile little self can handle the aggression. yep.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Good to hear he's doing better. Still clamping fins? Not sure why metro would have turned things around for him, but I'd continue dosing for the next few days just in case.


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## bigdev (Jan 13, 2015)

No clamps and he's back to his usual self. I dosed with metro twice and administered coppersafe. I'm not sure which cured him but everybody looks happy.


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## Cichlid Debby (Mar 21, 2014)

Good job! Glad to hear he is well!


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