Pink/Whitish Convict fish

Question
I have a convict fish that seems to be sick. He/She seems to be hanging out at the bottom of the tank,sometimes on it's side and looks like it is having trouble breathing and will not eat. Please advise.

Answer
Diane,

   If he is on his side, then it sounds like swim bladder disease. The swim bladder is what gives our fish the buoyancy and their capability to swim and keep upright. When there is a problem, the will start swimming sideways and at times upside down. They will also lay on their side at the bottom of the tank or hang out at the top. This problem is due to over feeding and bad water quality. Every week you need to be doing water testing and water changes. The most common amount of water being changed is 25%. The best way to treat this is to give him a pea. The directions are below. Make sure you feed him only what he can consume in 1 to 2 minutes and remove any uneaten food after his time. Water quality is a must when keeping fish. You need to test for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. If after you feed the pea he doesn't get better, or he gets worse let me know.



Feeding a pea:

Fast your fish for 2 days. On the third day take a frozen pea, or two depending on the size of the fish. Drop the pea in hot water to thaw it out and cook it. When done, remove the outer shell and throw it away. Your fish cannot digest the shell so we don't want him to eat it. Cut the inside of the pea in small bite size pieces and feed it to your fish. Fast your fish for 2 days after feeding the pea. If he doesn't look better repeat the processes.