Flowerhorn is sick but I don't know what he has!

[TheBrotato]

Hello, I got a new blue diamond flowerhorn about a month ago and just about three days ago he stopped eating and is just sitting at the back of the tank with a slightly swollen belly, white on the edge of his fins and his kok shrunk significantly. He is in a 75 gallon at 78 degrees with 0ppm ammonia and 7.8ph. Here is some photos, if you have any idea what's wrong please let me know and how to treat him!

 

[HardBodyBullies1]

View attachment 1278399 View attachment 1278400 View attachment 1278401 Hello, I got a new blue diamond flowerhorn about a month ago and just about three days ago he stopped eating and is just sitting at the back of the tank with a slightly swollen belly, white on the edge of his fins and his kok shrunk significantly. He is in a 75 gallon at 78 degrees with 0ppm ammonia and 7.8ph. Here is some photos, if you have any idea what's wrong please let me know and how to treat him!

Hows it going? Sorry your going through
this. You need to up your temp to a about 84 1st. Check all your perimeters of your water. Whats your nitries and nitrates look like? How much you feed what are you feeding? How does his poop look? Also looks like his fins are rotting as well. You can add some aquarium salt snd epson salt to the tank as a start for now, and turn the light off.

 

[TheBrotato]

Hows it going? Sorry your going through
this. You need to up your temp to a about 84 1st. Check all your perimeters of your water. Whats your nitries and nitrates look like? How much you feed what are you feeding? How does his poop look? Also looks like his fins are rotting as well. You can add some aquarium salt snd epson salt to the tank as a start for now, and turn the light off.

Thanks for the reply, as of now he hasn't improved or gotten any worse. I started to slowly raise the temperature now, checked my nitrites and nitrates which read 0ppm and ~5ppm. I only feed once a day putting the Fluval Bug Bites Cichlids Formula and some blood worms once a week. I already tried to treat with API general cure and I've started epsom salt treatment now. His poop is slightly white and stringy. The only thing I can think of is Dropsy but he isn't bulging too much other than his belly.

 

[Rocksor]

3% Epsom salt treatment works best when consumed. Fish would have to be eating the soaked pellet. I found floating pellets or dehydrated krill to be the best.

 

[Boomer1224]

best of luck with your FH

 

[duanes]

I edited your photo a little to be able to see more clearly.

Does the mouth seem unable to move? If it is, it could be the beginning or columnaris (AKA duck lips)
One of the more common ailments of cichlid these days , the bacterial infection called columnaris. It become most virulent at temps above 82'F, so while raising the temp is a good treatment for ick, it is not good when dealing with bacterial infections (if that's what it is), which often occur after the fish comes under stress from being transported, or put in a new environment.
Beside the frozen jaws, other symptoms are refusing to eat, and just sitting in one spot.

 

[philipraposo1982]

Columnaris aka saddle back acts super fast and you would know it. Chances of beating it is slim. Fish would be dead in less than a week at temps of 80+.

Likely internal parasite.

 

[RD.]

FYI - there are several strains of Flexibactor columnaris aka Flavobacterium columnare aka Duck Lips, with the more virulent strains of this bacteria ones fish can be dead in less than a week, but that is certainly not always the case with less virulent strains.
.
More info (and pics) can be found on this disease in the past discussion.

https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/15-umbee-sick-help.543236/

For what it's worth, I'm seeing and thinking the same along the lines of Duane. Do not raise temps. Lower temps, and pray its not the beginning columnaris. See link above for how best to proceed.

 

[JGotti]

Watch "How to Beat Duck Lips Disease in Fish - Cause, Identify, & Successfully Treat" on YouTube

 

[JGotti]

It's worth a shot I bought this med 3 med packs in one for 20 bucks on eBay just in case