strange brown spot?

[allychew]

Hi! I'm a newbie in this forum, so please forgive if I'm stepping on any feet.

My husband bought 4 cichlids for his 18 gallon hexagonal aquairum about 3 weeks ago. They've been doing pretty good, except that yesterday we noticed that one of them looks swollen in the abdomen and has brownish spots on each flank, over the swelling. This morning the brownish spots seem smaller. I'm having a tough time telling, but it may not be eating.

This fish hangs out near the top of the acquairum, but otherwise seems fine. We have a heater (temp about 80F) and a decent filtration system (AquaClear).

I'm sorry I don't know which species cichlid it is. It's about 2" long.

Attached are some very bad pictures. Hopefully, one of you can help?

Thanks so much!!

-Ally

[usafschue]

first, what kind of cichlids, and why so high of a temp? Second, see if you can get a better pic, as in that one it is hard to discern much.

Thx

[allychew]

Okay, I've taken another picture. I felt bad, but I quickly scooped him up and took a picture. I was too close, but it's a little sharper.

I've noticed a few other things. The "brown spot" look more like a "blank" spot now, you can see it in the picture as sort of a void. And he's swimming in an upright position, canted towards the head, like at a 60-degree angle. And he's mostly at the top.

I still have no idea what species he is, sorry. Maybe my husband will remember the common name that we bought him under when he gets home.

Do you think the temp is too high? It can be easily lowered.

Thanks for any help.

-Ally

[usafschue]

well i was wondering if you're raising the temperature to kill some infection or if its always been that way

[allychew]

Well, fish died. Not that I'm surprised...

Anyway, what can I do to hopefully keep this from happening to the rest of the fish, whatever it was?

Thanks so much for your help!

-Ally

[SGypsyMermaid]

i don't know what's wrong with it, but it's not a cichlid...it's some type of gourami.

[strawberrysue000]

Hello..sry to hear about your fish..

Its definitely not a cichlid..Could you have bought cichlids and some other type of fish..Gourami it does look like to me as well..specific type not sure..

how are the other fish?..can you send pics of them as well....then I can determine what temp you should be at..

Tell me, did you cycle your tank fully before adding the fish..what are your water parim..PH, N and Ns..etc..

You could have just bought sick fish..but..a fish near the top..is usually looking for air..

Pls when you handle a fish that is sick wash your hands and mabye wear gloves..TB (Tuberculosis) fish can get and can be tranfered to humans..which is a infectious disease transmitted by a bacterium, in which tubercles (small swellings) appear in the tissues, especially the lungs..

give me more info on your tank so we can help you..

Sue..

[didjyman]

Looks like a gourami that has been nibbled on.