Re: hi crew.. (sick Flowerhorn, no data) 10/17/10
Thanks for early reply :). Appreciated ,. Neale,.
<No problem.>
As you wanted more information with regard to other aspects I am providing you ,. One and half year aged flower horn ,. My tank size is 300 liters ,.
<80 US gallons'¦ a good amount for a single Flowerhorn.>
No heater,,
<Whether this is acceptable will depend on where you live. An average water temperature of 25 C is about right, slightly cooler at night will be fine. On the other hand most cichlids will be stressed by being kept colder than 18-22 C, depending on the species.>
I am feeding grand sumo pellets in the morning 10 pellets ,. Humpy head pellets in the night 10 pellets ,. At times boiled green peas once a week ,.
<While these are good foods, I would vary them a bit more. More plant material would be good, e.g., spinach or floating Indian Fern. I'd also offer a lot more "whole" foods, for example krill, bloodworms or earthworms. These have lots of indigestible material that helps keep bowel movements regular. The problem with pellet foods is they tend to cause constipation. If you imagine a person who just at meat but no vegetables, you can see the problem. In the wild cichlids will be sifting small invertebrates out of mud, and in the process eating a lot of indigestible matter that acts like fibre.>
Water test all under control ,. I mean the parameters are fine ,.
<Meaning what? Zero ammonia and zero nitrite? Nitrate level 20 mg/l or less?>
temperature 25 degree Celsius,, I siphon the tank once a week,, 20% water change weekly,,
<Sounds fine.>
All is fine with my flower horn I am worried for the reason its kind of floating near the top of the tank ,. Its not that its not moving around it is but kind of head semi down position mostly staying on top ,. Help Neale...tc cr azam..
<My gut feeling here is that constipation is the most likely problem. If appetite is normal, and there's no sign of wounds on the body or tears in the fins, and the fish has normal colouration, it's most likely constipation is the problem. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: re: hi crew.. (sick Flowerhorn, no data) [Bob, bad genes?]<<Maybe>> 10/19/10
hi Neale....sorry to bother you ...kinda worried for my Flowerhorn...read other FAQ on your website but couldn't relate my problem with them that's why bothering you ,,,,Neal I think its getting worse the problem ....from the past two days my Flowerhorn is struggling to stay upright
<I can see.>
...its like its floating around at the top of the water surface...and mostly headstanding ....tail up....head down position...and even though its swimming but the head is pointing down always ....its appetite is good, coloration is good ...responding nicely to the finger movement....Neal got a question ....if constipated do they do head standing...'¦.
<Not usually, no.>
two days once he is pooping and the color of the feces is light brown ,,,this I can confirm to you is for the fact that I kept it a bare bottom tank....if as you said constipation what is the treatment for it ?????
<Feed more green foods, e.g., cooked peas, cooked spinach. Also use "whole" crustaceans, particularly brine shrimp and daphnia. Do not, do not, DO NOT use any dried foods (pellets, flake, etc.) until the fish is swimming normally.>
attaching few pictures of it ....hope you can catch the problem ...thanks a ton Neale for your timely help'¦.
<Constipation might be an issue, but my honest guess is a deformed swim bladder. In other words, bad genes. The problem with Flowerhorn cichlids is they are mass produced by people interested in money. In Asia especially, some people think these fish are "lucky" so breeders produce lots and lots of them. These breeders have no interest at all in whether they are good quality fish. After all, a sale is a sale! Once the fish is out the door, and the money is in the bank, who cares whether the fish lives a happy, healthy life? So the bottom line is that unless you buy a Flowerhorn from a breeder you know and trust, there's almost no way to be sure what you're getting is any good. Cichlids do sometimes go loopy and lose their balance if exposed to poor environmental conditions, e.g., cold, but assuming you are providing the right conditions -- 25 C, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10+ degrees dH hardness, pH 7-8 -- then my money would be on either constipation or bad genes.>
tk cr
<I have no idea what "tk" and "cr" mean.>
azam
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: re: hi crew.. (sick Flowerhorn, no data) [Bob, bad genes?] 10/19/10
oh I c ....hoping that god willingly it should be constipation will stop feeding dry pellets...and start with the diet what you have suggested
<Very good.>
..hope he gets back to his normal self .
<Let's hope!>
Neal if I mean if its a genetical disorder what do you suggest ...is there any possible treatment which I will be very glad to provide my Flowerhorn with,
<Not really. Genes are genes, and you can't "fix" them.>
is there anything we can do to make him comfortable should I put an end to his suffering..
<If he's happily eating, I wouldn't worry too much. But if he can't feed himself, then that's more of a problem.>
since myself and my family are very much attached to it...cant see it suffering '¦
<Do read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/euthanasia.htm
>
("tk cr" means TAKE CARE....apologies for that'¦.
<I see. We don't really like "text speak" here at Wet Web Media. I'm too old for that sort of thing!>
Neal can you let me know looking at the pictures whether my Flowerhorn is a male or a female....thanks a lot Neale for advice appreciated...god bless'¦.
Azam
<You are most welcome. Cheers, Neale.>