Cichlid fish acting weird?...

Question
Hello, I have a cichlid fish and it is acting a little weird. It is 29cm and the fish tank is 60cm by 29cm. I know that the tank is small, but my mother seems reluctant to buy a bigger one for me and the fish. The problem with him is that he keeps on staring up at the filter. Where the bubbles are coming out from. He hasn't been eating for about 2 days already. And from my
observation, it seems like something is keeping him floated up at the surface. His body will be in this manner \. And it also looks like he has difficulty swimming in the water. When he tries to swim, his body wouldn't be straight, the front of him would either he facing up or down. I hope you get what I mean. Its like he cannot swim lower to the ground of the tank. Do you know whats wrong with him?

Answer
Hello,

This could be an internal infection of some sort. The first step to treat a fish with an internal infection is to check your water for nitrites and ammonia to make sure these are not the cause of it.

In order to treat him you should use a strong antibiotic such as either triple sulfa or tetracycline. These can be bought at pet store made specifically for fish (never use human medicine in your aquarium).

Its a good idea to keep him in this small tank while your treating him, because it can act like a small hospital tank. But I would definitly recommend getting him a bigger tank for his comfort and health. A big fish in a small tank means the levels of waste build up quickly, and could cause toxic nitrite or ammonia to build up quickly as well. Tell your mom the fish doc recommended a bigger tank ;)

I hope those medicines can help you out. This actually sounds similar to something one of my cichlids had, and they really helped him. The bigger the fish, the better chance of survival.

Best of luck,
From Stephanie