DEMPSEY HEATLH AND CARE TIPS

Question
actually he is the only fish in the tank, i went to petco and i was told that what sebastian has is ick. so i gave the treatment, and he is doing a lot better.

how long is the treatment suppose to be for? and do i need to change all of the water , once he is better?
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Followup To

Question -
thank you, you response have been very reassurring, today my question is about the fuzzy white stuff over his eyes , i just noticed it this morning, what is this and can it be cured, i really dont want to loose my fish, what can i do to help him get better?
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Followup To

Question -
Hi Ron,

I have a silvery/blue Cichlid fish. I have had him for 2 weeks and 4 days. he is a joy and quit a character.  He is in fairly good health, but i have notice some changes in him. when i first got him he had a black spot on either side of his body. only recently did i notice that the spot had disappered , then when i checked again it reappeared,  is this normal? i also notice that his fins became darker as well, and there are some black spotting on the lower part of his body. and right before my eyes he turns back to his normal coloring. is it usual for a fish to change color rapidly? all of a sudden i have noticed that there a shimmery specks all over his scales and fins, it looks like glitter, what cause this? and is this normal as well?

Now about feeding him, he only wants to eat shrimp. i have brought all types of food ,like granuels, shrimp pellets, and flakes and he doesnt show much interest in them. can you suggest some healthy choices for him, and is it okay to feed him just shrimp? what other kinds of foods is a dempsey fish suppose to eat?

Answer -
Hi Samantha,
 Color change is perfectly normal with cichlids.  In fact, that is one way that they communicate to each other.  For example, more intense colors often indicate that a fish is feeling pretty good.  Dull, dark colors indicate that a fish is trying to hide.  The shimmering specks means he is pumped up -- that's a good thing :)

 Shrimp is good.  Personally, I would try to get him to eat cichlid sticks.  I use Tetra Cichlid sticks for my larger fish. Shrimp is fine but can be expensive after a while.

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


Answer -
Hi Samantha,
  Are there other fish in the tank?  White fuzzy stuff on the eye generally means that another fish has been biting him and they typically go for the eyes. The good news is that fish eyes heal very quickly provided the biting stops.   

   Could this be a possibility?

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


Answer
Hi Samantha,
 If it was only on his eyes, then it wasn't ick.  Fish seldom get ick on their eyes.  Eye damange is almost always caused by another fish biting the fish.

 Are there other fish in the tank that might be biting him?

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