help sick JD?

[bluejd]

Hi everyone,
Did my normal water change yesterday. 30%. Then later at nite fed her a brine shrimp cube. She ate as usual. Then looked at her later and she was just sitting on the gravel and the front half of her body was real pale while the back half of her body was real dark? Never seen this before. I've seen her change colors but never seen her half and half. I put my finger on the glass where she was sitting and she swam away disoriented and went back to sitting on the gravel? I checked her this morning and she was sleeping in her cave. Her dorsal fin was up and she seemed to be dark again, 1 color. She is not a morning fish. Turn on the light and she can't be bothered, so that is normal. I don't have water parameters yet as I loaned out my test kit, water temp was at 80 where I keep it. I will get them after work and post. She should also be up when I get home so I should be able to give you a better update as to what she looks like. Any idea's or suggestions??

[monkey_toes]

Weird. How is she now?

[bluejd]

Got home from work and she was the same. She is real dark? Almost black and sitting on the gravel. Never seen her this dark. Very sluggish. Water parameters ammonia 0ppm, NitrIte 0ppm, NitrAte 5ppm, ph 7.6 (which is normal) temp 80. I really don't know. All came on after she ate the brine shrimp cube. (didn't finish it either, and she usually does). Woke up this morning and she is the same, except she was awake and came to see me. This is odd because she is not a morning fish. Usually cant be bothered in the am. should I treat for anything, feel bad going on two days now and no improvement.

[monkey_toes]

OK, prepare to be grilled. What do you use to treat the water when you do a water change? Do you use a bucket or a hose for water changes? How long have you had the fish? How big is the tank? Do you feed her anything besides brine shrimp? Is there anything else in the tank? Could any foreign substance (soap, perfume, deodorant, etc.) have gotten in the tank?

[bluejd]

Questions to grilling. I use Stress coat to treat the water. Drain the tank with a python and fill using buckets, I've had her for about 4-5 months. She is fed once a week with brine shrimp, once a week with blood worms (both freeze dried) the rest of the time Hikari Cichlid Gold and Hikari Cichlid Staple pellets. She is in a 29 gall by herself for now, She is still small only 2.5". The tank is in the basement so I can't see anything getting in there and I make sure no soap is added to anything. Hope this helps. Open for suggestions. I think I'm going to try epsom salt considering this all happened after she ate the brine shrimp. Constipated maybe?? But she don't look bloated.

[monkey_toes]

Well, I don't see anything that jumps out at me. You are keeping her maybe a bit on the warm side (I would go for 76°F). Is there a chance someone used your water bucket for mopping or something?

[bluejd]

No chance of that they are put aside and ONLY used for the fish. Got up this morning and she is still hiding and very dark. I treated the tank last night with epson salt, thinking maybe be was constipated since this all started after she ate. I'm at a loss.

[bluejd]

If she is sick though isn't it better to keep the temp higher?

[grannylvsfish]

did you feed her a cube of frozen brine shrimp? I always unthaw mine in a styro foam cup with tank water in it. I add the cube, let it unthaw , and slowly pour it in, my fire mouth eat it in pieces so as not to hit the bottom, and so its never frozen in her mouth. maybe giving it frozen is not a good thing?

[bluejd]

It was freeze dried brine shrimp