# plz help!! red top zebra: lethargic, not eating, (another update: white stringy poop)



## stargazer86 (Sep 22, 2011)

hi everyone,

my red top zebra male has displayed the following symptoms this morning:
-came up when i threw in food but didnt eat
-went into his cave, when i turned on the aeration, he came to sit by the rocks on the gravel. 
-sometimes he takes a turn around the tank but then settles down at the bottom again 
-when he swims its almost without energy, the best way to describe it is that he moves slowly and with a little bit (just a hint) of a wiggle. 
-his poop is the usual red
-no signs or marks or anything on his body

this is very odd behavior for him. he is usually very active, darting around, chasing everyone else around and the females as well. he always rushes in to grab as much food as possible and he *never* sits at the bottom of the tank. he is the tank bully!

the past day or two, ive noticed him not eating as much as h usually does. otherwise he was behaving like his usual self until this morning.

2 facts about my tank: i did a 50% water change last week, whereas i usually do a 30% change. also last night i noticed that the temperature of my tank was down from the usual 25C to 22C.

all other fish in the tank are fine.

I`d appreciate any help. is this bloat?

--------------------UPDATE---------------

i tested my parameters. my nitrate was at 40 or 80 ppm, usually its at 10 or less. so i did a 50% water change. 1 hr later:

- he began eating. he was evidently very hungy, he darted up for food but he still has some difficulty swallowing it and spits some out and has to retake them again. 
- is a bit more active
- but still crawls mostly to his cave and still settles on the gravel after a few turns 
- i just noticed him trailing white stringy poop, here is vid: red top zebra - YouTube

is the white stringy poop a sign of bloat or parasites?
should i medicate him or continue with frequent water changes? how frequent and what % each time?
if i need to medicate, what do you recommend?

tnx in advance for any help!


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## stargazer86 (Sep 22, 2011)

some edits...i dont know why its not letting me edit my original post but

my cichlid is continuing the same behavior.

ive uploaded some vids to help you guys see.

this is just his old self, several months ago...excuse the quality, its with a cellphone.

red top zebra male - YouTube

this is him today. you can see he swims with a bit of wobble and is using his fins ALOT more than usual. then sinking to some corner suddenly.

red top zebra male - possibly sick part 1 - YouTube

this is him today. here you can see him just sitting on the gravel and struggling to get up again.

red top zebra male possibly sick part 2 - YouTube

if anyone has any ideas plz let me know . i really love this fish.


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## Scherb (Feb 10, 2011)

Hello. first off i know nothing about your fish. but i did notice in the second video your guy was breathing a little heavy. also the 3rd video kinda looks like he is protecting a nest or some eggs. I'm sure some people with experience will chime in soon. Good luck. Cheers


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## ct22 (Feb 5, 2012)

i had some africans in my tank i had a red devil oscar tilapia green terror and i found might not be your problem but 2 were the tank bullys constanly on the oscar and green terror all day after a couple weeks he was barley moving kind of shaking every now and then moving slowly then 2 days later he was dead i think maybe he stressed him self to death because he didnt like his tank mates but who knows


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## stargazer86 (Sep 22, 2011)

thanks for the reply guys. but do you think it could be bloat? 

he is still not eating today. he came up to eat 1 pellet and spat it out in a milisecond, then went back to his cave.. but he did dart toward the food, suggesting he is hungry enough to want to eat and just cant!!!! should i start treating with clout? i would want to catch this soon and start treatment, but i`m afraid of giving the wrong treatment based on a wrong diagnosis. :S

i know he is not stressed by his tank mates they get along fine as a rule, and nobody is half as aggressive as he is. also his behavior is so sudden, its not possible he could have become stressed overnight after months of living with the same buddies. 

also it does look like he is blocking the entry to that cave, but its more like thats his little spot now. his fry are in that cave but he has never before tried to protect them in any way, so why start now?


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