help sick acei!!!

[jeremy1]

i have an acei who looks badly emaciated but has a huge appetite(still eating).i have him in a hospital tank i have treated once with clout, and am currently trying the epsom salt soaked into food method i read on another post here.from what i can find in my general fish health books it looks like hexamita or some type of internal worm/parasite? no real other outward signs all other fish from the tank i took him out of look fine. anybody got any ideas???:confused3:
:ty:for your time

jeremy

[Tim]

Got any pictures?
Can you describe the poop?
Water parameters of the tank he can from and what else was stocked in it? Aggression? Taken size?
Clout is a good med for really killing anything nasty in the tank, but it can sometimes kill all the beneficial bacteria as well and stress the fish. If the fish does have internal parasites and is still eating, I would treat with Metronidazole. It's hard to overdose and when taken internally usually does the job for parasites.

Last question, what are you feeding?
Tim

[jeremy1]

hey tim thanks for the help.as of right now i dont have any pics.and for your questions here goes

the poop he has had in the last few days is light brown and "pellet" looking

the water in the main tank is 0ppm ammonia and nitrites usually <5ppm nitrates

stocklist 2m/1f acei (including him) 1m greshakei 2f m esthrae 5 juvy yellow labs
2m/5f fuellborni.

i think the greshakei is starting to "assert his dominance" as of late but no bad fighting i have seen just a few nipped fins and a lot of "chase"going on.

the tank is a 55g and i know this is a little overstocked but most of the fish are still pretty small and i have multiple filters for water quality.

i feel nls pellets and mix in some spirulina flakes and ocean nutrition veggie pellets from time to time.

i hope this helps you,and thanks again for your help.any more questions let me know!!!!

[Tim]

Thanks Jeremy.
I'd give the metro a shot. It's a lot milder than something like Clout. Don't treat the water, mix it with the food. Fish can carry parasites without negative affect for a long time. Once they become stressed, their bodies can't fight off parasites, infection, etc. The chasing and greshakei asserting himself could be what kicked this off. If you get the chance upgrade to a 75. I have an empty one in the basement I'd give you, but CT is a long ride from Georgia just for a tank. Hope he makes a recovery for you.
Tim

[jeremy1]

how do you mix it with the food? ive tried before and it doesnt dissolve very well and the the food turns to mush when i try to soak it. any ideas?