Help! My African Cichlid is floating upside down..

Question
Hi Matthew,
I have an African cichlid that appears to not be doing well and hope you can provide some help/advice.  About 6 days ago my husband and I did our routine tank cleaning/water change.  The following day, 2 of our cichlids (I believe they are melanochromis johanni)became extremely aggressive with one another.  The jabbed one another and frequently became "lip-locked".  "Zing", the hurt fish, began retreating from the others and starting lying on the bottom of the tank appearing very weakened.  Some of the other fish continued to harass him but it did not appear to be severe.  I later noticed big chunks of his tail missing and chunks taken out of the sides of his body.  Four days ago, we removed Zing from the tank (100 gal) and placed him in our smaller tank (10 gal) which has some fry we are raising. He started floating upside down and appeared to lose his equilibrium and his body became more pale.  We have been putting "Lifeguard all-in-one treatment" in the tank as a prophylactic treatment for at a loss of what else to do.  He seemed like he was improving for a couple of days--floating upright and being a little more active.  The last couple of days he looks like he has taken a turn for the worst.  Floating upside down at the bottom of the tank but still breathing slow and labored.  He not eaten of the period of time.  Help! Do you have any suggestions? ideas? etc.

Thank you in advance,
Tiffany

Answer
Hi Tiffany.

It sounds like he will not make it. My advice, is to euthanize him in a humane way.

You could put him in a bowl of water, and then put it in the freezer, or you could put him in a bowl of clove oil (sedates him) and then in a bowl of vodka (kills him).

Its the right thing to do.