He beat her up!

[samsmom]

I had a female jewel cichlid, about 3" long, who really got beat up by the male in the tank when he decided to mate with the other female. They were in a 90g long with hiding places and rocks but he searched her out. She has torn fins and tail and is missing scales from her side, currently she is in a QT, she is starting to swim a bit after 4 days, but she is still not eating. Where her scales are missing she gets a white fuzz on her side, it falls of and she appears a bit more healed underneath, a version of fish scab or a fungus? I have the water treated with primafix and have turned the heat up, what else should I do? :help:

[wataugachicken]

try and feed a tempting, high-protein food like bloodworms. aside from that, just keep the water clean.

[samsmom]

ok, will try, what about the "fuzz" on her side, what could that be?

[fishcatch22]

sounds like fungus... like watauga said, it should claer up if you keep the water clean and feed her well. id also reccomend getting a new tank to keep her in and/or giving her to a friend... if they mate and have young, she'll probably be harangued nonstop.

[Prospector]

Had a 55 gallon tank set up with Red Top Ice Blue Zebras. At the time there were 5 females and 1 male. The male chose a female and beat and killed off the rest. With only the two left in the tank the male mated with the remaining female. After a week of the female carrying the eggs the male went after her beating the daylights out of her, making her drop the eggs which he immediately ate and in the process left her with no tail, dorsal fin, anal fin, and lots of damage on her body towards the back. It was white in color like yours. I got them apart and qtd the female. Put her in a smaller tank at 88 degrees. Fed her some brine shrimp and Cichlid flakes and only days later she improved. She now 3 weels later is much better and back in the community doing fine. That white IS a form of ick and is from the beating she took and stress which brings it on. It will clear up. Maricyn will help some but with mine I used no meds. Just some isolation, hotter water (changed religiously) and better food. Good Luck!!!!
Charlie.

[samsmom]

thankx, here's hoping I can save her with you advice, she just looks so sad.

[Prospector]

Dont give up on her, she will bounce back! It may take awhile and be carefull not to over medicate her. Most of the stuff will correct itself. The white will go away within a week or at least it should. Just not being stressed out will help huge. Fins will take awhile to heal up. From lots of advice I was told to watch the tail area for infection as this is not good. The other fins may look somewhat shredded but will come back. Just keep that water a little warmer and keep changing it and she will return to normal. I would have thought mine was dead after the last fight she was in as she was at the top with her head pointing straight up to the top of the waterline and she just stopped swimming and fell backwards and just flipped over and floated to the bottom and just laid there barely moving. Within just three days she was swimming on her own and eating. Again, good luck!!!

[samsmom]

Well, it took awhile, but my jewel, we named her Ms. Trashed, has survived! She does have a scar on her side, but she is finally swimming, with gusto, eating with a voracious appetite, and is losing her shyness again. Thanks for all the advice, clean water, a warmer temp and 2 capsules of furacyin, blood worms and brine shrimp has kept her going. She looked really rough, with no top fin, 1 gill fin missing and her tail just a stub and a huge hole in her side, I am amazed at her resilance. Thanks again.

[ESOXLUCIOUSS]

great thread, well done all...