Red parrot fish

Question
Hi i have a red parrot fish, i`ve had him for over a year now and he has always seemed healthy until this past weekend. He seems to be very weak and at times he lies on his side in a corner. I know when fish are dying they lie on a side so i`m very worried. He doesn`t have any visible spots or any other visible symptoms. I dont want to take him out and put him in another tank away from the other fish because i`m afraid it might distress him even more. Over the past week sometimes he gets really pale and then he is normal again, and sometimes he is weak lying on his side and then normal again. But this is not normal behaviour for him. do you know what could be wrong ?

Answer
Hi Jacqui,
I would leave him in the tank with the other fish, and I would try malafix.  Follow the directions on the bottle, and remember to shake the bottle well before adding some to the tank.  This can't hurt your other fish, and if your red parrot is sick, this will help him.  It could be too that he is getting on in age.  You could put the temperature slightly higher, 80 degrees while you are treating with malafix.  Also, you could watch, there might be a fish that is picking on the parrot, that could make him afraid, and he could lose his colours when this happens.  It takes alot of observation.
Hope this helps you
Lynda