# Red Devil not eating



## davercomeau (Feb 21, 2008)

I have had a large Red Devil in a 100 gallon by himself for a year now. I have kept large South American Cichlids for a years and have never had a fish stop eating entirely but show no signs of stress, illness, or abnormal behavior. In fact, he sticks his mouth out of the water every time he sees someone in the room as he always does, but when you drop food in there he just spits it out. I didn't change his diet, he just stopped eating it. I have tried a few different foods but he just spits everything out and then resumes his hungry behavior. The water parameters are what he has always been in (pH of 6.8, kH of 5) since I got him. Nothing has changed. Has anyone experience this problem? It's been a week since he has eaten and I'm getting very nervous. Thanks so much.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

There are two possibilities that come to my mind. One is an internal parasite. If you have added new fish lately or his belly is getting sunken he may have a worm. The treatment is anti-parasite food which is hard to get them to eat, and something like jungle anti-parasite fizz-tabs for the water. The other is something else wrong with his digestive system. Fish do get constipated and twisted intestines. Try the cooked, skinned pea pieces thing. If he keeps it down it may clear out the blockage. You could also try other reputed 'laxative' foods like frozen daphnia.


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## janislovesfish (May 17, 2009)

i agree with emc7. try to check for other signs within the body of your fish. sometimes too, fishes go through a phase when anything put he decides to spit out and then after a while, it eats again. my oscar has been like that once, and my discuss too...they eventually went back to their eating habit after a number of days...


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## redpaulhus (Jan 18, 2005)

Try a few extra water changes, there are plenty of things we don't test for that can affect fishes (dissolved organics, etc). 
Has anything been changed in the room lately ? New paint, new wallpaper ?
Has anything been sprayed in the room lately - windex, furniture polish, air freshener, lysol ?
I would also add fresh carbon (just to be on the safe side).

What does he usually eat ? What foods have you tried this week ?
I find very few cichlids will turn down a nice fresh (well cleaned) earthworm...


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