My Flowerhorn hit the tank.  2/4/08
Dear Sir,
<Sophie>
Ten days ago, Thursday Jan 24, 07, my Flowerhorn (around 30cm long) hit his 50-gallon tank
<Needs more room than this>
with his mouth when seeing me stand by another tank closer to his (he usually does that when seeing us come back home or pass by his tank). But this time, he hit so hard that he fell upside down right away within a second after hitting the tank and could not swim anymore. He cannot control his swimming and let himself float upside down at the top of the water.
<Yikes, bad>
I then put him in a smaller tank (20-gallon) in order to keep him stay upright. He was floating upside down at the top of water for few days then lying flat (also at the top of water) for few more days, and by doing so, his left side was exposed to the air and getting dry. And now, after a week, he is sinking and lying flat on his right side at the bottom, exposing his left side. Also, I just realized today there is white cloud in the center of his right eye while his left eye looks normal and clear. I don't know when this happened and just guess it is because his right eye has touched the bottom for a while, but not sure if it is the reason. So, today I use a bottle full of water to hold him upright. Is it ok to do so?
<We'll see>
He has not eaten anything since he hit the tank, although I tried a couple of times feeding him directly to his mouth with pellets ground then soaking in water to make it soft, but he threw out everything. What medication should I give him?
<Perhaps a little salt in the water... as a general cathartic>
I feel very bad for not knowing what to do or what kind of treatment to follow to keep him alive. He has been with us for 3 years and I don't want to lose him. Please help. I really appreciate your great knowledge about Flowerhorn. I could cure another smaller Flowerhorn with bloating/dropsy problem thanks to the Questions & Answers from your website.
<Am glad it was useful>
I forgot to tell you that during few hours after hitting the tank, he produced lots of stools with normal dark brown/red colour (like colour of pellet food). Few days later, stools are lighter in colour. Also, few days after he hit the tank, I tried to help him walk around the tank because I was afraid that he would be paralyzed if not swimming. But now I realized from your web site that I should not hold him and can make him sick for doing so.
Please help, Sir, I don't know what to do without your advice. Should I treat him with Maracyn-2 or something else? I feel very uncomfortable for not doing anything to save him. I change water twice a week.
Best Regards,
Sophie
<Mmm... I do hope your cichlid recovers. The neural damage it did itself... is not really "treat-able" other than being patient; hoping for self-cure. Bob Fenner>

Pls help, asap, my Flowerhorn is sick! 1/29/08
Dear Sir,
Greeting of Peace!
<Hello,>
I would like to seek your advice what will I do w/ my Flowerhorn. This started when I bought an XO product for color enhancement (ever red) w/c is the usual brand we buy. Unfortunately, when I bought this last wednesday(01/23/08) I ask the saleslady what is the expiration date because I can't see it on the label. But when she look at the product there is no exp date on the can, so she said that the product just arrived last week. So, I bought it anyway even w/o exp date.
<Doesn't sound promising.>
I started to feed him w/ these last thu but after a few days, I've noticed that my fish seems in active, he didn't even consumed the one I fed him last night . Until this morning, I saw him upside down and can't even move.
<Oh.>
So I transfer him to smaller container but when I came home this afternoon his lying flat on the floor of the aquarium.
<Why to another tank? How big is this "smaller container"? Does it have a mature filter?>
I noticed on the water that there are fragments of dead skin or I just don't know how u call it but the appearance is white. I also noticed his right eye that there is a white spot on the center.
<All sounds like a bacterial infection, such as Finrot or something similar. Treat with an antibiotic or antibacterial. Regardless, almost always connected with either physical damage (e.g., rough handling) and/or poor water quality. You need to check out the ammonia/nitrite level immediately. The damage to the eye makes me also think the fish was carelessly handled, perhaps with a net, or maybe damaged by another fish in the aquarium. Lots of things can cause these symptoms. Tell me about the aquarium, its size, what other fish are in there.>
He can't move unless you lift him up and let him sink that is the time he will try to swim.
<Stop touching your fish. It's bad for them. Every time you hold a fish you remove mucous, and that lets bacteria get into the skin.>
What shall I do and is this because of the food?? Is he poisoned??
<Possibly either of these, but without knowing more about the size of the tank, the filter you use, what the pH and nitrite levels are in the aquarium, I cannot say anything helpful.>
PLS HELP...
Thank you once again and hoping for your immediate response.
Sincerely,
Claire
<Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Pls help, asap, my Flowerhorn is sick!  -01/30/08
Hi Sir, The tank is between 30-50 gallons. It has no rocks, sand or ornaments. He's the only one on the tank. I usually change the water once a month and within this month I have changed 50% water after 2 weeks. I changed the water last Jan 20 and again this evening. I gave him Flagyl 500mg and now he seems a little livelier compared yesterday, but most of the time flat on the bottom of the tank. Sir, how can I check for ammonia/nitrate levels? I haven't tried it yet.
< There are many reliable test kits available from retailers online. The ammonia and nitrite levels should be zero nearly all the time. The nitrates should be under 20 ppm.>
I usually don't do netting that often unless I change 100% water w/c is once a month. What I observed is that when he sleeps he loves to stuck his face on the side of filter machine. I have two filter machine but I use the other one to keep water flowing or moving. His color didn't change and his stool is just the same. I tried to feed him but he keeps on spitting it. I rarely touch him either, it's just that I'm so worried to what had happened to him right now. Thank you also for the information about that, quite not aware of it. This
morning his right eye is clear but this evening I noticed the spot again. Sir, how long will I treat him w/ antibiotics and do I have to change the water every time I give him the meds? How frequent and how often? Thank you again and more power! You're really a great help.
Sincerely, Claire
< First lets fix the tank problems. Get the kits and check the water quality. Keep the water parameters as suggested above. Check the water temp, it should be around 80 F all the time. If the fish is still not acting normal, lying on the bottom and not eating. It could suggest that there is an internal infection that is blocking the internal organs. The Flagyl was a good choice but if the fish is continuously stressed then it will continue to get reinfected and never seem to be cured. Eventually the medications will become less and less effective and you won't be able to save your fish. Get the tank right then treat with a combination of Metronidazole( Flagyl) and Nitrofuranace as per the directions on the package.-Chuck>

Sick Flowerhorn Fish - 1/17/08
Hi,
<Hello,>
My Flowerhorn fish has been laying at the bottom of the tank for about two weeks now and it doesn't eat either.
<Not good. How big is the tank? What is the water chemistry/quality? Almost always with cichlids that lose their appetite the problem is quite serious and often related to the environment in some way.>
We have another Flowerhorn fish in the tank separated by a divider and it is okay and fine.
<For now, anyway.>
The sick one just lays there it doesn't swim and if it does swim when I try to touch or move it, it swims in vertical circles or with the head facing down and settles back down in a lying position, I don't see anything wrong with the outside of the fish.
<Need more info. For example: what does the fish eat? What plant material does it get in its diet? Have you ever used live feeder fish? How big/old is the fish? What about the water? Apart from the obvious need for zero ammonia and nitrite, cichlids are ALL sensitive to nitrate, so big water changes help enormously.>
We tried changing the water and added some salt.
<Well, they don't need salt, but like any other Central American cichlid they do need water with a moderately high carbonate hardness (that's the KH test kit) and plain old aquarium salt won't do anything to help with hardness. Instead, I'd recommend using Malawi Salt mix (either purchased or home made) at a 25-50% dose to get pH 7.5-8, carbonate hardness 5-15 degrees KH.>
Please help I don't know what to do and I don't want it to die.
<No-one wants their fish to die! Except maybe fishermen. Do get back to me with some additional information, and we'll try to help.>
Thanks,
Mic
<Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Sick Flowerhorn Fish (RMF, please comment on last bit if necessary)  - 1/17/08
Hi Neale, thanks for a quick response.
<Mic,>
Here is some more info maybe it'll help.
<Can't hurt!>
Fish tank is 55 gallons and divide for two Flowerhorn fish, it has Pentair filtration system (Mechanical, Chemical ,Heater, UV and Fluidized bed) on both side. Fish have been with us since they were baby it's almost a year old and about 6? now.
<All sounds good.>
I never feed it with live fish they have been feed with Jumbo Head Food for about 6 month.
<Good. I only asked because many people keeping cichlids do feed them Goldfish, and the results are, unfortunately, not good.>
I did the water test Nitrate 0.5; Ammonia 0.001; pH 6.8 and temperature is at 82 deg. but I think the water quality is good.
<Right. Here's one possible problem. There is no "good" level of ammonia, and I'd be interested what your nitrite level is (as opposed to nitrate). I'm a bit dubious about a "0.001 mg/l" reading with a hobby-grade ammonia test kit. If you can detect ammonia or nitrite, this tends to mean the water isn't clean. Either you're overfeeding, or else your filter isn't working as it should. Since your filter systems sounds pretty good, I'd perhaps check that it isn't blocked in some way, or that the water is flowing through things in the right order. Another problem is the pH: this is far too low. Flowerhorn cichlids are hybrids, yes, but they're basically Central Americans, and that means they prefer hard, alkaline water. You need to raise the carbonate hardness I'm sure. Do this, and you'll find the pH goes up to 7.5, which is healthy. Do remember changing the pH by itself is NOT ENOUGH! You need to concentrate on the carbonate hardness. I'd start by making some Malawi salt mix. To make Malawi water per 5 gallons/20 litres the following is one recipe that works well.
* 1 teaspoon baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
* 1 tablespoon Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate)
* 1 teaspoon marine salt mix (sodium chloride + trace elements)
You likely won't a full dose for your Flowerhorns, so I'd start by mixing one bucket of Malawi water to every three buckets of plain tap water and see how that goes. If the KH is still too low (less than 5 degrees KH) I'd go with one bucket of Malawi water to one bucket of tap water. Remember not to make massive changes in water chemistry all at once. Space them out across a week, doing one smallish water changes (say, 10-25%) per day.>
I do a gravel clean and water change from 1/3-1/2 every month.
<Another problem. Cleaning gravel is fine, but the water change is too little. Should be at least 25% per week, and I'd recommend 50% per week for any cichlid aquarium because of their hyper-sensitivity to nitrate.>
I've read some of the articles on the website, about the Flowerhorn swimming upside down or lays on the bottom and inactive like my fish, but I'm confused on how to treat it.
<The problem with these symptoms is they can be associated with many different things: constipation, ammonia poisoning, Hole-in-the-Head, swim bladder infections, and so on.>
I don't know I've read something with metracyn2, tetracycline, nitro furnace, or Metronidazole, or furan 3, I'm confused, I don't want to treat it wrong. Please further advice.
<I'm not experienced with any of these medications, so hesitate to advise. I'd initially try to eliminate water quality/chemistry issues and dietary issues (i.e., constipation, by feeding high-fibre foods such as peas). There are "swim bladder infection" medicines on the market, and these would be my next port of call (for example: Interpet Swim Bladder Treatment #13 and Maracyn-Two). If these didn't help, then I'd personally seek help from a vet before randomly administering antibiotics.>
Thank you,
Mic
<Cheers, Neale.> <<I am in total agreement. RMF>>
 

My Flowerhorn has a prolapsed anus, please help!  1/7/08 Hi WWW Crew, <Hello,> Your web site is so great and informative. Now, I really need your help to save my FH. He has a prolapsed anus (see the attachment) hanging there about 3 weeks and there some dead white tissues come out sometime. He doesn't eat much and not happy as he was. I tried to clean it with Epsom salt solution, but not improved. Please tell me what to do with it. What medicine should I use to help him to pull his prolapsed anus back inside his body as normal. Is it ok if I cut it off from him??? I am looking forward for your help. Please answer me ASAP. Attached is his pix. Your time is my appreciation. Thank you very much, Tony <Hmm... the problem with this condition is that it isn't caused by any one thing, and it isn't easy to cure. The most important thing to do is identify the possible causes and reverse them. For a start, what are you feeding your Flowerhorn? Like virtually all other cichlids, these fish are omnivores and need a balanced diet that includes at least some plant material and algae. Tinned peas, cooked spinach, and Sushi Nori, as well as algae wafers, all work well. Just as with humans, a lack of green food can create constipation, and over long periods this makes the gut of the fish more sensitive to bacterial or protozoal infections. Ultimately, it's the "bloom" of micro-organisms in the bowel that causes the anus to become exposed in this way. Anything that increases the chances of bacterial or protozoal infections -- such as poor water quality or the use of "feeder fish" -- can trigger the problem. So, the three things to check are as follows: [1] How much green food does your fish get? Regardless of what it wants to eat, only feed green foods from now on until the fish gets better. The fibre will help the muscles of the bowel get back to normal. Soft foods (like shelled prawns) and dried foods (like pellets) must be avoided at all costs. Never, ever use feeder fish or unclean live foods like Tubifex. Brine shrimp and Daphnia are also "high in fibre" and can be used, though I suspect your fish is too big to eat them. Oh, and if your Flowerhorn ignores the tinned peas and spinach, don't worry! Starving this fish for a couple of weeks will get him hungry again, and will do NO HARM at all! [2] What's the water quality like? Cichlids are notoriously sensitive to dissolved metabolites, including nitrate. 50% water changes each week, minimum, are important. A big Flowerhorn needs a big tank, and you're going to have a hard job keeping it healthy in anything less than 200 l/50 gallons. [3] Keep using the Epsom salt treatment, adding it to each new batch of water during water changes. Understand that this may take weeks, even months, to get better, and during that time you must keep water quality 100% perfect and the diet as rich in fibre as possible. Hope this helps, Neale.> Re: My Flowerhorn has a prolapsed anus, please help!  1/7/08 Hi Neale, Thank you very much for your quick reply. <You're welcome.> Actually, this fish got an internal infection with stringy white feces which caused his anus prolapsed I think. <Quite possibly a protozoan infection, as I said; something like Hexamita, which will require a very specific treatment. In the UK, we'd use something like eSHa Hexamita.> I treated him with mediated food and his feces is normal color now. <Good.> However, his prolapsed anus is still there. <Does take a while to go back; fibrous foods will help.> I keep very good water quality and all parameters are fine by changing 1/4 water in the tank twice a week. <Good.> He doesn't eat tinned green peas at all, but bloodworms. <Bloodworms are very soft and not good for this. Try Daphnia or Brine shrimp, but honestly peas are the best. If a cichlid is starved for a while, it will usually devour peas!> As you advice, I am going stop feeding him for couple days. I just worry that he'll be ok with his prolapsed anus that's hanging there for a long time. <Can be a site of secondary infection, so is something "not good".> Will it get back inside his body soon? <Not soon, no. Takes time to heal.> Thanks <Cheers, Neale.> Re: My Flowerhorn has a prolapsed anus, please help! - UPDATED 1-11-2008 Hi Neale: <Hello Tony,> How are you doing? Thank you very much for your helpful information. As you know, my FH got a prolapsed anus. I let him sits in a 20G hospital tank with Epsom salt for a month already but his prolapsed anus gets worse and worse. I do not want to see the fish dies by this problem. So, I went to the LFS and asked for a medicine. The vet gave me a small bottle of Biofuran and instructed me how to use it. I stopped feeding him and treated him with Biofuran. After three days, the fish's prolapsed anus is retracted inside his body completely, but he got another problem. His body looks thin, his face is gaunt, and his eyes are hollow. He's been hanging to the water surface in 60 degree position versus the tank bottom during the treatment. So I took him out of the hospital tank and put him back to his clean tank last evening. This morning, I gave him his favorite food, but he ignored and still hanging to the surface in that position. Please tell me what wrong with him and what I need to do to save the fish. I don't want to lose him. Please help me. Thanks a lot Tony <Well, at least you've fixed one problem! Some fish medications are pretty nasty chemicals, and stress the fish only marginally less than they are toxic to the pathogen. Copper- and formalin-based medicines are the classic examples. So let's assume this fish is feeling shaky and unhappy. The Biofuran drug is not one I am familiar with so I can't offer any expert help here. What I would suggest is that you do everything possible to optimise conditions, so that the fish settles down. For a start, I'd not keep him with any aggressive tankmates; quite possibly the quarantine tank is the best place for him. I'd also ensure the water is well filtered and well oxygenated. I'd do 50% water changes per day for the next few days, so that the fish feels "fresh". I'd add some floating plants (plastic or real) to the tank to produce shade, and I'd install a flower pot or similar as a hiding place. I'd keep the tank dark and away from anything noisy. I'd then offer the fish small live foods, such as earthworms or river shrimps. Don't keep adding food... if he doesn't eat in the morning, leave him for 6 hours before trying again, so he doesn't keep getting disturbed. Basically, do everything you can to make the fish feel he is in heaven! It is possible you fixed the problem slightly too late... but that said I've rescued fish "starved" fish successfully. If the fish really gets thin, say after a week of still not eating, then force feeding may be an option. This is difficult to do, and it is very easy to damage the fish in the process, so is not something to undertake casually. But it can make the difference between life and death... so if you must force-feed the fish, get back in touch and I'll explain what to do. Good luck, Neale.>

Flowerhorn w/ "second head" 11/28/07 Hi, I noticed a few minutes ago that my Flowerhorn was growing a "second head". It looks really weird so I thought I should ask to see if there is anything wrong with him. Sorry I couldn't get a clearer picture. He was moving around too much (that fish is way too camera shy). <Greetings. It's not a second head. But it does look like some sort of growth, certainly. Assuming it isn't an obvious blister or wound (I can't tell from your photo) it is likely genetic. There's nothing you can do about it. Because Flowerhorn Cichlids are hybrids, their development is unpredictable at the best of times. Inbreeding was part of creating this hybrid, and this makes it easier for "bad genes" to stay in the Flowerhorn gene pool than would be the case with a proper cichlid species. At the height of the Flowerhorn fad a few years ago unscrupulous breeders were cranking out Flowerhorns with little regard for quality, and this has meant that nowadays Flowerhorns generally are plagued with developmental problems like bent fins, crooked spines, and I dare-say lumps and bumps of precisely the type you're seeing here. Provided their is no sign of a secondary infection, simply leave things be and enjoy your fish for what it is. Just don't breed from it. Cheers, Neale.>

Help... Flowerhorn hlth.   11/06/07
Good day! Thank you for continually helping hobbyist. I tried other fish websites but they do not seem to know anything. I feel like my FH is dying and they still want me to monitor and observe. Here are the things that I have noticed.
1. Continual flashing and scratching.
2. Body, pelvic fins, and dorsal fins twitching.
3. Stays at the bottom or near surface with clamped fins. (Sometimes, using only 1 pectoral fin)
4. Lethargic.
5. Body slime is visible on the body.
6. Gills are like hidden inside its gill plates and gill appears to be pale. (He does not appear to have rapid breathing. Slow and shallow breathing actually.)
7. Losing equilibrium.
I also noticed that he began to have small holes in his head. A secondary disease because he is not eating anymore, I guess. Is it bacterial or parasite? My guess is gill fluke so I went to a pet shop in New Zealand but they do not have fluke tabs. I was told by "apparently a fish doctor" that he's not sure what it is because fishes are hard to diagnose and that he told me that my best bet would be Furan 2. I want to know what you guys would suggest before I medicate my fish. By the way, he recently had Finrot so I gave him erythromycin, then he had this disease subsequently. Thanks again and again. Please save my fish from his imminent demise.
Take care!!!
Nina
<Nina, your fish sounds as if it has the symptoms of Hexamita and/or Hole-in-the-Head (these may be one and the same disease). It is very common among cichlids, and seems to be related to water quality and diet issues. The classic set of causes are a tank with high levels of nitrate caused by overstocking and infrequent water changes, plus a monotonous diet, in particular lacking in greens (vitamins!). Some aquarists have also implicated things as varied as electrical fields and the dust from activated carbon. Regardless, it's difficult to treat without recourse to a (normally) prescription drug called Metronidazole. (See here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/metranidazole.htm .) Nothing much else works. Ideally, it's fed directly to the fish. During treatment, make sure you remove the carbon from the filter (if you're using it) and make sure you optimise water quality. Once the fish is better, pay close attention to water quality and diet. Think: big tank, lots of water changes, no live feeder fish, and a balanced, varied diet with plenty of greens. Cheers, Neale>

Flowerhorn Cichlid Bloated 07/27/07
Hi crew. I have a sick flower horn. For the past 5 days he has been bent and on his side, sometimes with his belly up lying listful at the bottom of the tank. He has gone of his food and can hardly move. I have done a 25% water change, cleaned filters, vacuumed and cleaned the gravel. I checked pH levels they are perfect. Put some stuff in, can't think of the name of the top of my head but it turns the tank green. Still no improvement, if not worse. He has just recently change his colour and is now black. I have asked every one possible for help even to the expense of going to my vet and he was no help. Any advice you could give would be great. It would devastate me if I lost this fish as he is 30 cm.s and just a beauty. My kids love him, he is a much loved fish. Please can any one help me I will try anything.
< You are off to a good start. I would recommend a 50% water change and treat with Metronidazole and Nitrofuranace. treat with both medications on day 1,3,and 5 as per the directions on the packages. On day 2 and on day 4 do 50% water changes. when you fish starts to eat then he is on the road to recovery. You may have waited too long. To treat successfully you usually need to medicate the fish right away. Good luck.-Chuck>

Flowerhorn disease  – 10/24/07
Dear Mr. Fenner,
<Not Mr. Fenner. Have to make do with me, Neale!>
Greetings of Peace!
<Likewise.>
Good day sir, first of all I would like to inform you that I've search the web looking for a vet for fish. But I've search nothing, so it came up to me to search for a disease in a Flowerhorn and that is where I've found your site. I tried to register for the forum but there was an error from the site so I went to the homepage and it was written there that we can ask you for a question.
<OK. What's the problem with your fish?>Sir, this is regarding the situation of my 2 1/2 yr old Flowerhorn which I've noticed that his eyes popped or bulged. Its 3 days from now that his eyes pop, at first it was only his right eye but yesterday I've noticed that his left eye also popped.
<This is called "Pop-eye" and is (usually) a symptom of poor/wrong environmental conditions. In other words: too small an aquarium; not enough water changes; insufficient filtration; wrong water chemistry, etc. It is basically a secondary (opportunistic) bacterial infection. Think of it as "finrot for the eyes" and you have a good idea of what Pop-eye is all about. So when you see Pop-eye, as well as treating the symptoms, you have to figure out what made it happen in the first place.>
For the whole day he didn't eat and his eyes slightly became white and there was this scaly or flake around his left eye. 1 or 2 wks ago I've also noticed flakes all over his body but it disappeared after 2 days. aside from that his color is normal but i didn't noticed he passed a stool for the whole day.
<Hmm... this is all sounding like a systemic bacterial infection. Or, put simply, your fish is suffering from bacteria all across his body. Again, this is *almost* always a result of environmental problems rather than a "germ" that somehow crept into the aquarium while you weren't looking!>
I'm thinking that he had kidney disease like a human who had a symptom of edema around the eyes. or a person who have hyperthyroidism who experienced "Exophthalmus".
<Exophthalmus is a symptom, not a disease. Exophthalmus is therefore like chest pains, or a runny nose, or a fever. It can mean many things. In fish, Exophthalmus is called "Pop-eye" but they are exactly same thing.>
I've read some of the FAQ and I went to buy a Metronidazole and Nitrofurazone, but the Nitrofurazone is in the form of topical/ointment. Can I use a topical?
<No. You need a medication like Maracyn 2, which contains 10 mg Minocycline per tablet. The dosage is about 10 mg per 10 US gallons/38 litres of water. Other antibiotics might work, but Maracyn 2 / Minocycline is generally quoted as being the most reliable.>I have put tsp of rock salt/5 gal. and the water was changed last Sunday and i placed him in a 30 gal tank.<Salt won't make much difference, especially not a mere teaspoon per 5 gallons. Much more important you optimise water chemistry. Specifically, these fish need fairly high general hardness and carbonate hardness, plus an alkaline pH. I'd be looking at 15+ degrees dH, 10+ degrees KH, and pH 7.5-8.0. Rock/table/aquarium salt won't have any effect here. Crushed coral in the filter is much more useful. These are Central American cichlids, and do need to be given stable, hardwater conditions to thrive.>
Sir please help me how to treat his condition and what actions do I have to take so that his condition will not aggravate. Can I use the Metronidazole and topical Nitrofurazone?
<Metronidazole may well work; topical Nitrofurazone probably not. The bacterial infection is inside the fish, so putting it on the outside won't help much.>I'll be leaving for the province this Friday, do I have to keep his light on and can I give the antibiotic for 3 days?
<Use the medications as instructed on the package or by your vet. As a rule, do a big water change first (say, 50%) and then add the medication and leave for a few (three or four) days before doing another 50% water change. Make sure you remove carbon from the filter. Thereafter, take special care the water is spotlessly clean for the next few months: otherwise the eye will not heal! Zero ammonia, zero nitrite, and nitrate no more than 20 mg/l. You can leave the lights off while the fish are feeling sick; this does tend to help them feel more mellow.>Thank you very much and hoping for your immediate response... More power to your company! Respectfully, Claire<Good luck, Neale>

Re: Flowerhorn disease  – 10/24/07
Dear Mr. Neale, Good Day! Thank you very much for responding quickly and I'll follow your advice. Sir, I have another question, if I have the Maracyn 2 at hand, do I still have to use the Metronidazole? Again, thank you very much and more power to all of you!Respectfully,Claire<Hello Claire. No, just use the Maracyn 2 by itself, and see how things go. Best not to mix medications unless you know it is safe or are following advice from a vet or doctor. Good luck, Neale.>

Re: Flowerhorn disease – 10/24/07
Hi there once again sir. Thank you so much...
More power to all of you!
Respectfully,
Claire
<No problem. Good luck, Neale.>

In need of help... My FH is constipated – 10/18/07
Hello guys! My FH is constipated, he still poops but very little and rarely.
<Let's rewind a little. What are the environmental conditions, and what are you feeding the fish? Flowerhorn cichlids, like virtually all cichlids, are omnivores. That means that green foods are just as important to their condition as meaty foods. In other words, they need fibre. Tinned peas, fresh algae, Sushi Nori, spinach, blanched lettuce etc are all good. Sure, they prefer meaty foods, but then most humans prefer the steak on their plate despite the fact it's the vegetables that are essential to good health. Sometimes you have to starve your fish for a day or two to get it to eat green foods. But tinned peas though usually work straight away, as most cichlids seem to like them. Once you have green foods as a regular part of a fish's weekly diet, constipation as good as never happens.>
I started not feeding him today because I'm afraid he is beginning to bloat.
<Bloating is extremely serious in cichlids, and disturbingly common. Lack of greens and the wrong water chemistry are two factors widely considered to be critical.>
I read from your site that I should put Epsom salt so I went to the pet shop, but instead, they gave me marine salt mix and told me it was the same.
<It's not; marine salt mix is largely Sodium chloride. Take it back. They took advantage of you. Marine salt mix is absolutely not the same thing. It's like saying Salt and Sugar are the same because they're both white powders.>
I don't know if it was stupid of me to buy it.
<Stupid is too strong a word, but they certainly took advantage of the fact you didn't know any better. Not a good sign in a retailer. You can buy Epsom salt (Magnesium sulphate) from a chemist or drugstore if your aquarium store doesn't have it.>
I realized I should ask you guys first before putting that marine salt mix because I do not trust those peeps at the pet shop.
<Indeed.>
Does marine salt mix have the same effect as Epsom's regarding my FH's constipation?
<No.>
Should I put it then?
<No.>
Thanks!
Take care!!!
Nina
<Use Epsom salt as indicated to treat the symptoms, but also review diet to fix the underlying problem, i.e., the lack of fibre in your fish's diet. Good luck, Neale>

Re: In need of help...  10/19/07
Omigosh! He is a fast feeding fish gulping pellets. I only feed him pellets and never greens. I didn't know... thanks Neale! I did not feed him for 2 days now, he has not pooped. So, should I put Epsom salt and wait for him to poop before feeding him greens or should I feed him greens right away while on Epsom? Also, when should I feed him greens? Once a week? Once a day? Every other day? Thank you so much for all the help you guys?
<Do the Epsom Salt treatment *and* feed him green foods (tinned peas are cheap and work well usually). The green food is fibre, and that helps the digestive system "push" everything alone. Basically exactly the same as in humans. I'd be planning on making 2 meals out of 7 green foods of some sort. The more, the better. No cichlid is harmed by eating too much green food. So see how things go, and try out different things. Good luck, Neale>