Potential parasites? Three and a half year old female cichlid not eating.

[Steve C]

Hi guys, my name is Steve and I have a three and a half year old female cichlid who is not eating. She's going on her third day of swimming right up to her food and swimming away. I have read articles and looked at photographs until my head began to spin. She is the only fish in this 32 gal. tank and has been the only fish in this tank for several years.

I'm hoping that someone might help me cut right to the chase and identify these potential parasites floating in this water so I may start treatment. Thank you so much for your help.

Ph:7.8

Nitrite 5:ppm

Nitrate 10 PPM

Temp 82

Hardness 250

Ammonia 0

KH 220

 

 

 

 

[Tony s]

On 6/17/2024 at 1:10 PM, Steve C said:

Nitrite 5:ppm

I'm hoping that's a typo. that'd be really high for nitrites. @Colu

[Colu]

If your nitrite 5ppm that would be the reason she not eating hopefully thats a typo have your introduced anything new to the tank that could have bought in disease any rapid breathing hanging out near the surface lethargy flashing spitting food out sunken belly white stringy poop @Steve C

[Steve C]

On 6/17/2024 at 3:46 PM, Tony s said:

I'm hoping that's a typo. that'd be really high for nitrites. @Colu

Hi Tony thanks for responding. Yes that was a typo, nitrite is zero what I meant to say nitrate is over 100 parts per million. My nitrate is high right out of my tap. I've always kept nitrites down to zero and all the other parameters perfect for her with weekly water changes and the high nitrates have never seemed too affect her before. I know it's not optimal but my main concern are these new things that have appeared in the tank that I shared the pictures of. She is the only fish in that tank and has been the only fish in that tank for three and a half years. Haven't introduced anything new to the tank. I was wondering if the things in the picture are parasites. If they are, what kind are they so I can start treatment.

So far she isn't exhibiting any strange Behavior. As you can tell from the photographs she looks healthy. And maybe my imagination but it looks like she's getting lines and or shiny spots on her head. It also might look to me like she is moving the inside of her mouth a lot, like she has fry in there but of course she doesn't she's a single fish. So I'm hoping they're not some kind of Parasite. I can't tell for sure I just might be paranoid but I sent a picture so you could take a look at her. She is swimming fine. No flashing. No sunken belly.

Thanks again

[Tony s]

I honestly have no idea what that is. But I seem to have boring tanks. There are lots of people with all kinds of mico invertebrates here. Scuds, copapods, detritus worms. I don’t have anything like that. Yet. My luck I’ll get hydra or planarians 

[Steve C]

On 6/17/2024 at 4:43 PM, Colu said:

If your nitrite 5ppm that would be the reason she not eating hopefully thats a typo have your introduced anything new to the tank that could have bought in disease any rapid breathing hanging out near the surface lethargy flashing spitting food out sunken belly white stringy poop @Steve C

Hi Colu thanks for responding. Yes that was a typo, nitrite is zero what I meant to say nitrate is over 100 parts per million. My nitrate is high right out of my tap. I've always kept nitrites down to zero and all the other parameters perfect for her with weekly water changes and the high nitrates have never seemed too affect her before although I know it's not optimal, but my immediate concern are these new things that have appeared in the tank that I shared the pictures of. She is the only fish in that tank and has been the only fish in that tank for three and a half years. Haven't introduced anything new to the tank. I was wondering if the things in the picture are parasites. If they are, what kind are they so I can start treatment. Thank you for your help.

No odd behavior yet, no flashing swimming fine, no hanging out in the bubbler or water stream. I might be paranoid but she might be starting to get lines on her head and may seem like she is moving the inside of her mouth more without actually opening her mouth, kind of like she has fry in there. I may just be paranoid though. I just need somebody to look at the pictures of those white stringy things that I posted to see if those look like some sort of parasite to the expert eye. Thank you for your help.

PS. I'll share them again. 

On 6/18/2024 at 12:46 AM, Tony s said:

I honestly have no idea what that is. But I seem to have boring tanks. There are lots of people with all kinds of mico invertebrates here. Scuds, copapods, detritus worms. I don’t have anything like that. Yet. My luck I’ll get hydra or planarians 

Oh no! Haha, don't say THAT.

[Colu]

It looks like poop without food in it just the mucus lining that happen when your fish hasn't been eating high levels of nitrate can weaken the immune system leading to secondary  infections loss of appetite rapid breathing resting on the bottom of the tank disorientation what I would suggest is to reduce water change every time your doing a water change it's putting nitrate back 100ppm I would add quick growing plants such as Hornwort Elodie water spite floating plants Amazonia frogbit water lettuce red root floaters duck weed to help reduce your nitrates you can also get nitrate removing filter media as well I would add some aquarium salt 1 table spoon for 1 gallons for 7 days that will aid Gill function and add essential electrolytes just remember to only put back in what you take out so if you do a 1 gallon water change put 1 table spoon of salt back in as salt only removed though water changes the salt will help provide a natural barrier with chloride ions preventing the fish from absorbing nitrate @Steve C

Edited June 20 by Colu

[Tony s]

@Steve C if she’s a plant muncher, you can get some houseplant roots into the tank. Pothos works well as do others. They make a potho carry that grabs the stem and holds it to the side of the tank with the roots in the water. Lots of other houseplants work fine. 
 

the problem with nitrates is they’re not really poisonous per say. It’s kind of like being in a smoke filled room. The higher the level the more uncomfortable it becomes. It causes more of a long term problem. It’s constantly irritating, eating at them. I didn’t use to worry about it much, because it wasn’t poisonous. Until I figured out nobody can live consistently in the smoke. That’s why people advocate for the 20ppm.

and high nitrate is not good for you either. Maybe a household carbon filter would clean up some of it?

And you may have parasites. But if she’s been alone for that long, I don’t think it’s likely. Unless you’ve added something to her environment 

Or been feeding live foods.?

[Steve C]

On 6/18/2024 at 5:30 AM, Colu said:

It looks like poop without food in it just the mucus lining that happen when your fish hasn't been eating high levels of nitrate can weaken the immune system leading to secondary  infections loss of appetite rapid breathing resting on the bottom of the tank disorientation what I would suggest is to reduce water change every time your doing a water change it's putting nitrate back 100ppm I would add quick growing plants such as Hornwort Elodie water spite floating plants Amazonia frogbit water lettuce red root floaters duck weede to help reduce your nitrates you can also get nitrate removing filter media as well I would add some aquarium salt 1 table spoon for 1 gallons for 7 days that will aid Gill function and add essential electrolytes just remember to only put back in what you take out so if you do a 1 gallon water change put 1 table spoon of salt back in as salt only removed though water changes the salt will help provide a natural barrier with chloride ions preventing the fish from absorbing nitrate @Steve C

Wow! Thanks for taking the time to share all of that with me. Will do. Update, she started eating again yesterday for some reason. However, that doesn't negate the fact that I need to do something about the the nitrate levels. They have been bothering me for quite some time but I just didn't know what to do about it. Thanks again.

On 6/18/2024 at 7:20 AM, Tony s said:

@Steve C if she’s a plant muncher, you can get some houseplant roots into the tank. Pothos works well as do others. They make a potho carry that grabs the stem and holds it to the side of the tank with the roots in the water. Lots of other houseplants work fine. 
 

the problem with nitrates is they’re not really poisonous per say. It’s kind of like being in a smoke filled room. The higher the level the more uncomfortable it becomes. It causes more of a long term problem. It’s constantly irritating, eating at them. I didn’t use to worry about it much, because it wasn’t poisonous. Until I figured out nobody can live consistently in the smoke. That’s why people advocate for the 20ppm.

and high nitrate is not good for you either. Maybe a household carbon filter would clean up some of it?

And you may have parasites. But if she’s been alone for that long, I don’t think it’s likely. Unless you’ve added something to her environment 

Or been feeding live foods.?

Thank you for the great advice I will try the plant option. I will trust what colu said about the poop mucus. I haven't noticed any more in there since she started eating. I agree, I didn't like it when my grandpa smoked us out in the car when we were kids. I'm sure miss fish doesn't like it either I'll get right on it. Thanks again.