Help with a sick fish....

[razormix]

I have an African Cichlid that seems to be dying slowly and I'm not sure why.
He is about 6" and I noticed about a month ago that his head looked as if it was caving in.
Now his whole upper body appears "sucked in".
I really can't even believe that he is still alive.
I even see him eating.
Every once in a while he does these wierd twitches.
Has anyone else seen anything like this?
Not sure if there is anything I can do.
The rest of my Cichlids are fine.
In fact, some of them keep having babies.
They eat pellets, krill & bloodworms.

Thanks.


Steve.

[cichgirl]

Steve, Welcome aboard!
Do you know what kind of African that he is? There are some Africans that aren't supposed to eat high amounts of protein.. That usually causes bloat though, and it doesn't sound like that is your problem. Have you checked the water quality? There are any number of things that could be wrong with him. What condition are the scales in around the "sucked in" area? Are any scales raised anywhere? Is he flashing (scraping against rocks)? Are his fins clamped next to his body? Do you see any slime or spots on him anywhere? Have you recently added any fish (a month before you noticed the problem)? Is there any way that you can quarantine him? If it is a parasite or something, you'll want to avoid the other fish from becoming hosts.

Sorry about all the questions, but they will better help us understand your situation so we can help you the best we can.