[Stephanie772]

I bought a socolofi a couple days ago, and since I've had it, it has been laying on the bottom or wedging itself under a flowerpot. I can't see anything else wrong with it, except some nipped fins from my other fish. I've noticed its color is a lot darker. In the store, it wasn't acting this way. I've done some extra water changes to be on the safe side, but my others -- some kribs, another socolofi, a crabro, and a pleco -- are fine. I've seen it chase away the kribs a couple times, but other than that, it doesn't move. It's a 55 gallon, and there are plenty of caves and hiding places. Could it be just stressed? Should I do anything?

 

[cichlidaholic]

Are the kribs spawning?

Did you only add the one fish?

Is it eating?

Bloated? Emaciated?

Any white stringy feces?

Is the tank new? Cycled?

What are the water parameters on the tank?

It could be stressed, but stress can also lead to illness, so we need to take a look at things inside the tank before we decide.

Is this your permanent stock list?

Mbuna aren't pairing fish, so having 2 socolofi won't work long term. They are harem breeders, requiring one male to 2 or more females, preferably more. Anything less will lead to stress.

Kim

 

[Stephanie772]

There haven't been any eggs from the kribs yet. The socolofi was the only fish I've added in a few weeks. I still haven't seen him eat anything, and I've tried to get food to him but he doesn't pay any attention to it. I checked the ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite, and everything is okay. I've been doing extra water changes anyway though. The tank is several years old. Actually, today I saw a difference in him. He's not hiding anymore, but the other fish have been beating up on him. I finally put in a divider so they'd leave him alone. For a while, he stayed in the top corner, but now that I've put in the divider, he is swimming around. Since I've been able to get a better look at him, what concerns me now is that his tail is really frayed and feathered-looking, and it looks like it could be fin rot. If you look closely, you can see a tiny bit of white fuzz, no black edges though. He's not laying on the bottom anymore and actually looking a lot better except for his tail and that he still isn't eating. I can't see anything else wrong with him. I've heard good things about Melafix, so I bought some and decided to try it. Is there anything else I can do?

 

[cichlidaholic]

Melafix is a good preventative, but if there is fuzzy stuff on the tail, I would go ahead with some antibiotics. Eryrthromycin or a sulfa based med would be my choice, along with frequent water changes.

The problem is, once you remove this guy to treat him properly, you may have difficulty re-introducing him.

I would also be concerned about the dynamics of the tank when and if the kribs pair off.

Kim