# Cichlid sinking to the bottom, will not feed



## PleaseHelpMe (Oct 8, 2009)

HELP! my cichlid sinks to the bottom of the aquarium and won't feed. sometimes it will come up but it seems like it's really tired or something because it's moving really slow. :fish: My tank's around 80 gallons and i feed him pellets. He's around 7 years old.


----------



## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

More information would help but I'll give you some general things to address.

First test the water. 
Do a partial water change of 30% using a good quality declorinator. 
Add Epsom salt to the water at a rate of 1 tablespoon per five gallons. Dissolve it first and add it gradually over 6-8 hours time. 
Look the fish over for any signs of external injury. 
Is the fish bloated looking? Sunken belly? Is the fish gasping?
How long has the fish been behaving this way? What species is the fish, how many other fish are in the tank?

_It could be _Bloat but not enough info to say for sure.

Robin


----------



## PleaseHelpMe (Oct 8, 2009)

He has some white flesh like thing swaying on his body. he has been acting this way since yesterday. He is a Jack Dempsey Cichlid. he won't eat and his stomach doesn't look bloated. he can still swim up but it's only occasionally. He can stay at the surface for quite a while but when he is resting, he is at the bottom, belly down. thanks for the reply


----------



## PleaseHelpMe (Oct 8, 2009)

there are no other fish in the tank and it's mouth is constantly open, he has this white flesh like things that are on the skin beside his fin and mouth. he doesn't seem to be gasping and the onlything he does is just lie there. His gills are moving like normal but he just lies there. Yesterday he would swim to the top of the aquarium but now he just lies there


----------

