Sick Freddy

Question
QUESTION: Hi Ron

I'm a science teacher and I'm in charge of all the fish tanks in our science wing. we have one tank with a big cichlid in it that the kids named "Freddy". He really seems to like me and every morning when i walk in, her swims out from his rock enclosure to "greet" me. He eats really well usually and as soon as I put the food in he pretty much has it gone. He usually comes out of his rocks and looks at the kids and is pretty friendly. But i think something is wrong with him. He has been hiding and he won't eat. he's dug out all the pebbles from under the supports of his little lean-to and now he's staying under there all the time. He'll come out and acknowledge me and then go right back in and hide. I thought he was dead the other day because he was actually laying on the rocks in back of his lean-to... I don't see any signs of ick or anything like that. I'm at  loss, sir. I just wanted to see if theres anything i can do to save this guy because the kids kinda like him.

ANSWER: Hi Erin,
  Have you been doing regular weekly partial water changes?  You need to be changing about 25% of his water once a week, every week.  

  Digging out under the lean-to is perfectly normal for a cichlid as they mature. He or she is making a nest. The fact that there isn't a potential mate in the tank does not deter them; they are forever optimistic that one might appear.  

  When you say "Laying on the rocks" I assume you mean laying on his side?  If so, that is not a good thing and that gets back to the water change issue. Doing a bunch of partial water changes in the next few days will help a lot.  
However, do NOT change more than about 25-50% of his water at once -- that can create very big problems.

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


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

QUESTION: Hi Ron-
I've cycled in 100% new water over a week and a half and still there has been no change in Freddy.  All of the tank levels are normal.  I've given him every kind of food within my budget, and he still won't eat.  His behavior hasn't changed and still hides frequently and I still see no signs of ick or any other visible problems.  Is there something internal that could be going on with him?  
Thanks Ron,
Erin

ANSWER: Hi Erin,
  It could be something internal but that is very difficult to diagnose and harder still to treat.  

  Is there any chance that someone else is feeding him at other times of the day or night?   This can sometimes be a problem at schools.

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


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

QUESTION: nope, it's just me. i make sure no one else feeds him specifically because of that. i don't want him to die because we've overfed him.

I don't think he's lonely because every other fish I've put in there with him he's eaten. He keeps digging up and "rearranging" the fake plants but assume that goes hand-in-hand with the digging of the pebbles...

is there some kind of alternative food I can have him try? I've tried flakes, pellets and cucumbers so far.

or is it worth it to just flush him and tell the kids i gave him to someone? Or would my local pet store take him for me?

do you think the local pet shop would be willing to take him off my hands??

Answer
Hi Erin,
  Fish don't get lonely (though many people think that fish do).  They get territorial, i.e., they do NOT want to see another fish in their space.  

 The fact that he keeps digging and rearranging is a great sign and perfectly normal.  

   Why would you flush him????    

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