sick african

Question
i have a sick elbino african. He has always been king of the tank. he is about 2 years old, and is about 4 inches long.  He likes to move the rocks around the tank. He hides underneath the lava rock Alot. Anyway tonight i did not see him so i moved the rocks and he seems dis-orriented now. I think he is dying, he is swimming in all directions, even upside down. i'm not sure if he was stuck or not underneath. he is laying on his side currently. Is there anything i can do?

Answer
Hi Jeff,
Thank you for your letter. Sorry to hear the old fellow is feeling down. It could be a) old age - search the Internet for lifespan for his species, or b) polluted water.
If you over feed, it builds up in the water, and causes symptoms like what you describe. If you are feeding more than a few flakes per square inch of fish, then that might be the problem. If the water is cloudy or viscous, follow the emergency care procedure at the bottom of this page:
http://steamboats.com/aquarium.html
Even if it is old age, using the product Cycle (friendly bacteria) can make the fish more comfortable.
Write back if you want to discuss further.
Nori