Acarichthys Heckelii

Question
Please help, I have a Acarichthys Heckelii, I have had her/him (very beautiful) for nearly 3 years and at the beginning of last week he started to swim as if he is heavy with tail down and when not swimming he actually rested on the gravel.  I went straight to the aquatic shop and they said he could be constipated or have internal parasites.  A small gold barb has also been resting a bit on the gravel, but not as much.  They said to put meicine in the tank and feed him red blood worm.  I have fed him this for a week, and he just appeared to get heavier? and now spends nearly 100% of the time just sitting on the bottom.  The gravel where he sits we have removed as he looked sore, and he is sittng on the glass, his choice now as we only removed small area and he could move slightly but went straight where no stone.  He has fed all the time although yesterday he went for the food but seemed to struggle to swim and to lift his back end to point his face at the gravel to get the worms, so didnt eat as much.  Our tank is 300 litre ish and all tests ok as normal.  We have always struggled with nitrate and sunday did 25% change and yesterday 10% and tonight we were going to repeat either 25% or 10%, the nitarte is high about 100.  On sunday the acuatic shop said no more medicine strip with carbon, which is in the filters at the mo.  there are 2 large and one small filter on the tank.  He also just before this happened (literally) developed a spot on his pectral fin (on looking at books and web looks like Lymphocystis Virus ), I dont know if this is hurting him.  His colour is high he is not most of the time showing black strips, and his breathing is normal except when tank being cleaned.  In the tank with him are 3 silver sharks, 2 denisoni barbs, 1 other cichlid, and a few little fish, he has always been in charge of the tank.  Sorry to go on he is my baby and the shop have said they dont know what else just keep feeding and changing water and later in week use melafix and salt.  Please help Thanks

Answer
Hi Julie,
  I wish I had some better advice but in this case I think doing more water changes is about all you can do.  It doesn't appear like there is anything obvious that would explain the problem.   Personally, I wouldn't add the salt.  

  It would be unusual for him to have internal parasites unless you introduced a new fish into the tank that might have been carrying something bad. Is that possible?

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
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