Rainbow cichlid very poorly

About a month ago my pseudo zebra died from ? a bacterial infection. My water stats are always good with ammoni and nitrites nil, nitrates 10. He stopped eating and became emaciated went darker and eventually swam head down and I had to put him to sleep. My rainbow cichlid from the same tank has also become sick. He had red gills and became swollen went darker and tonight is swimming head down. Unfortunately he is also pine-coning. I've isolated him and have been putting melafix in the tank.

My question is, should I treat the affected tank before any other fish get sick. Have ordered some maracyn 2 but it hasn't arrived yet. There is a large frontosa in the tank who I would be heartbroken to lose, plus a silver shark 3 cigar sharks, 1 common plec and 2 large clown loaches.

Grateful for ANY advice.

Di

There quite a few symptoms there, going darker in colour can indicate a bacteria infection, swelling can be internal parasites,dropsy
,swimbladder, or constipation,losing weight can be internal parasites or fish tb, and red gills can be poor water quality,gill flukes.
what does it look like when the fish go to the toilet, what do you feed your fish, and how big is the tank.

Hi Wilder, my tank is 90 uk gallons. I feed small amounts 3 times a day in rotation, cichlid sticks with catish pellets and an algae wafer for George the plec, then a small pinch of cichlid flake at luchtime and frozen(defrosted) cooked fish or blood worms or brineshrimp with another algae wafer in the evening. They poo fine ( I Know because I hoover it up once a week!!). The silly thing is, the lfs say ring the vet and the vet says we don't treat tropical fish ring the lfs ARRRRRRG

The fish that pineconing is going to die so can't help him, sounds like you have a bacteria infection, with possilbe parasites, is any of the fish flicking and rubbing on objects, heavy breathing red inflamed gills and pale gills, and do the gills look glossy.

The gills on the other fish are fine but the frontosa is flicking from time to time. I'm currently treating the 90g with pimafix. Fairly new but I believe a sister treatment to melafis but treats internal bacteria and fungus. Perhaps I should add that I'm treating for cyanobacteria with protalon 707 safe with pimafix, but the fish were sick before this treatment started 2 days ago.

The med could be making him flick, just observe for parasites for now that's all you can do, good luck hope the rest make it.

Thanx, what do I look for with parasites? This is a pic of poor Spike (rainbow cichlid when he just got sick.

He's really swollen in that pic and he got red lines round his mouth and on his body. Pretty sure it's septacaemia (dropsy) poor spike.

Or bless him, he's cute, it's upsetting when you see the pics it makes it harder, just look for flicking and rubbing, heavy breathing, red inflamed gills, just behavour out of the norm.

Thanx, it's hard loosing bigger fish and I'm really attached to them. Sorry if the pic upset you but I really don't want to loose the rest. Will keep an eye and post what happens.

He died

Sorry he was lovely R.i.P.