white blotch and fin and tail rot on my parrot fish

Question
QUESTION: Hey Chris Robbins,
I have a blood parrot fish that has been sick for about 2 weeks now. It has white blotches on both of its sides and it's tail and fins have rotted. I have added medication in the tank, I used fungus eliminator and e.m. erythromycin. I also added stress coat and aquarium salt. My tank is 90 gallons, another fish that occupies it beside my blood parrot is a midas cichlid. I've heard that they're quite agressive. I'm a bit suspicious that maybe it's the midas that caused the white blotches on my parrot. The water is 86 F and I change the water every 2 weeks. Besides from my parrot having white blotches and fin and tail rot, it's always laying on it's side at the bottom of the tank. When it was first sick, it only had blotches and fin rot but it was still able to swim around, then later on it started to go up side at the bottom of the tank and now it lays on its side. Sometimes it gets up and swims but when it does and swims to my midas and starts to have a lip fight with it, after about 2 - 3 minutes it gets tired again and lays on its side. I separated the 2 fish with plexy glass so they won't fight, but the midas keeps finding a way to get to the side where the parrot is. What should I do to save my parrot? I have been treating it for a week now, but it hasn't been recovering.

ANSWER: Hi Donna;

They need to be separated permanently. The midas is going to just stress that guy to death and that's why he can't heal. Laying down is just not a good sign. He's trying to be "invisible" to the other fish so it doesn't get attacked, or he's just plain 'tuckered out'. Get him his own 30 gallon or larger so he can recover.

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins

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

QUESTION: Hey,
Sorry to bother you again, but I was wondering should I use any medication for the blood parrot, and if I should, what medication should be used?

Answer
Hi Donna;

You could try tetracycline. It's a broad-spectrum antibiotic that can cure many different bacterial infections. Melafix and aquarium salt are good to use along with it too. They both help inhibit further infection  and MelaFix helps to soothe and regenerate damaged tissues.

I hope he gets better soon...

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins