Need help! Sick Fish

[jred]

Good afternoon all,

So I have a 65 gal cichlid tank where I had about 17 fish right now (mostly juveniles with about 5 adults and 1 pleco). Yesterday I came home to one of my Kenyi's had died (female) but it was weird because she showed no signs of sickness except for not eating for a couple of days (which I was growing concerned with but she passed before I could act). Now I my largest Acei is definitely sick (his eyes are bulging from his head) but he appears to be acting fairly normal except he no longer is being bossed around by my largest Kenyi (who is the dominant fish in the tank). I researched alot of forums for an hard fast answer so I don't loose another fish, some saying different meds, some saying isolation and others saying salt/WC (water changes). He didn't eat yesterday (just ate at 6:30pm tonight- shrimp pellets) and the water has only 0.25 ammonia and the pH is 7.6+. I am going to do a 30-40% WC tonight with added salt but I want to know if anyone on this forum has dealt with this. Let me know if you have, or if you know of somewhere I can find a reliable source before I start adding chemicals, it would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

[Admin]

hmmm I don't know specifically what the issue might be, someone with more experience with cichlids will have to chime in. However doing a large water change and salt is always a good first step. I would also try to get that ammonia down to 0. If you have a spare tank I would recommend isolating the sick fish so you hopefully stop it from spreading to all your fish. Until you can narrow it down large water changes are a must.

[lisachromis]

I agree. No matter what your fish is sick with, the very first thing you should do is a water change. When their eyes bulge, it's called popeye and is a sign of a bacterial infection. I would not hold out a lot of hope when they get that far along to have the bulging eyes. The best treatment I've found over the years is lots of water changes, and cut down the food while they are not feeling well. They won't eat much of it anyways.

[jred]

I never concluded on the subsequent events after the water change (been neglecting the forum a little). After the first water change there wasn't much difference (even with the added salt) so I performed a second smaller water change and prayed for the best. After about 2 days my big guy's eyes stopped swelling and now he is much more dominant in the tank. I read online that the salt draws out the excess liquid behind the eye, so maybe their is some truth to the internet myths. Since then, I have kept adding salt to my water changes just to be sure. Hope this helps anyone else who might have a similar problem. Cheers.

[freshwater]

Salt really helps, a table spoon per 5 gallons and water changes as often as possible. Another thing that really helps boost the immune system is garlic. I use Kent's Garlic Extreme in the food or 1 drop per 10 gallons into the water when they won't eat. It's very potent so follow the instructions on the bottle. I have had good luck using it