Sick Convict Cichlid - not eaten in 3 weeks 11/15/08
Sick Old Convict Not Eating
Hello, I have a 8-9 year old Convict Cichlid whom I adore and am extremely concerned about. He has not eaten in over 3 weeks now that I can tell, and he's always been a voracious eater. I have tested his water, everything is where it should be. He did this about 3 months ago (not eating for a long time) and he got a large "dent" (not a hole) in his front forehead, reclusive behaviour, etc.. I treated him with Melafix for 7 days, religiously changed his water, began adding sea salt as directed and I have even gotten him a heater (his whole life he was fine without any of these things, but I am really trying to help him). He magically recovered one day, started eating and his dent grew back until it's as if it was never there. We thought we were in the clear and I went back to a 20% water change every week with a small amount of sea salt to just add back in what I had taken out.
This time he has NO dent, but he looks REALLY off. He has reclusive behaviour, when I come to the tank he hides under rocks, and his color is a bit off. He is also scratching on rocks and gravel, plants, anything he can reach, but it's not constant. i have added nothing new, and there is nothing else that I can see, no holes or wounds, nothing that looks strange on him, but I am really afraid we're going to lose him, I mean how long can a fish go without eating? I've asked pet store fish guys, but everyone of them has a different idea and I don't trust any of them. Most say he could just be at the end of his life, but I read online that Cichlids can live up to 20 years in the wild. I know I didn't do all the "right" things his whole life, but I would really hate to lose him if there is anything at all that I can do to help him. He's got such personality and he's really quite large... i just want to him to go back attacking anything that moves near his tank, digging fun holes, and eating like a shark attacking a seal.
Thank you for your help. Lynn and Greg Y ---------------
< You convict has lead a very long life. The Melafix is more of a general tonic than a specific cure. It has probably affected the biological filtration and you may be having spikes in ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels. This may account for the scratching. Without seeing the fish I will assume from you description that you convict has an internal infection. This is basically a blockage in the intestines and the fish can't eat. I would recommend a 50% water change, clean the filter and vacuum the gravel. Treat with a combination of Nitrofurazone and Metronidazole. After treatment you can use a high grade carbon and remove the medication. I would add Dr Tim's One and Only to bring the biological filtration back on line. All these can be found online at Drsfostersmith.com. These meds will cost you a lot of money. It may make more sense ($) to get a younger convict that you will have for another 8-9 years.-Chuck>