green terror lying on the bottom

Question
QUESTION: hi i have a green terror i have only had about one week.she always comes to the tank to great me but yesterday she started acting alittle weird and now she is hiding behind her cave and is just lying on the bottom of the tank.i don't see any problems and the water was checked and is fine.there is a jack dempsy and a tin foil barb that are fine.today i tried to feed her she came out for a sec and didnt eat then went right back behind ther.any help.thank you

ANSWER: Hi Jason,
 Are you doing regular weekly partial water changes?  The fact that the water "checked" out fine doesn't mean very much.  You should be changing 25% of the water once a week, every week, to keep your fish happy and healthy.   

 It is also possible that there is some aggression happening between the green terror and the Jack Dempsey, so keep an eye out for that.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: yes i always change 25% of the water weekly.The green terror is more aggresive towards the dempsy but since the terror started acting like this there are buddys.Its almost like the dempsy protects it and now if the tin foil barb come even near then the dempsy attacks.Its been three days the terror comes out for just a sec and will eat alittle and go back and sit on the bottom and not move all day.

Answer
Hi Jason,
 Is she "lying on the bottom", i.e., on her side, or is she "sitting on the bottom", i.e., upright? They are very different.  The first indicates that she is seriously sick. The latter could be all sorts of things -- she might even have eggs on the bottom that she is staying near.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>