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I have an L007 named Al. I've had him a long time (well ok about a year and a half, maybe a bit more) and he has lived in with my Malawis in the 100g tank. Obviously pretty hard water etc.
A few days ago he started acting a little restless and twitchy. Totally unlike him and I began to get concerned. He looked a little scrawny but he had also grown alot in the last year considering his species. Almost doubled in size, just rather thin for my liking.
Having recently refurbished my 35g tank, which is just next to the 100g, I decided, if I could, I would move him into it for a while and see if he settled a little better, being an enviroment more suited to his needs.
It's set up as a South American tank now, lots of plants, substrate of sand and Flourite for the plants. It has three filters (one extrnal Eheim ecco and two internals) with ammonia and Nitrite at 0 and nitrate at approx 5-10. All the filters are mature and have been running for a couple of years. A 10-20% w/c is done weekly. There is a long airstone and the larger internal is situated to push air into the water from above.
He only moved to it yesterday, having been acting so oddly in the Malawi set-up. But this morning, I found him out of the water on the glass inside the lid. He'd obviously jumped out (which he had appeared to be trying to do in the larger tank, without success). Thankfully he was still alive and wet so I put him back in. He seems somewhat yellow on his skin (normally a good black with his white spots) but now there is an obvious tint of yellow to his whole body. I'm wondering if there is any way I can put vitamin E into the water, as this is apparently a good way to help with it. Obviously I don't want to upset the eco-system which is why I am asking for advice. I'm no expert on the South American fish and certainly not on the L-numbers. We do have pretty hard water here (Cambridgeshire, UK) with a PH around 7.9 - 8.
I have added some of my betta spa to the water this morning, to see if this will help him out but any ideas or advice would be welcomed.
Thank you.
P.

I'm not sure exactly what could be wrong with your fish.

I take it that the water in the planted tank is similar hardness (i.e. tap-water) to the water in the Malawi-tank. If not, a rapid change in hardness can cause shock to the fish, and that's obviously not desirable - although not much you can do about it once the fish has been moved, other than learn from it and try not to repeat the mistake in the future.

The fact that the fish has grown is a good sign. If the fish will eat it, try some type of meaty food, as described in the data-sheet:

It is quite possible that although the diet in a Malawi tank isn't completely unsuitable, some of the meatier feeds are taken by the Cichlids rather than the pleco, which obviously means less muscle-gain when it grows.

Don't overdo the meaty food tho', a good mix of veggies and meat is the ideal food.

--
Mats

Miss Dib Dabs wrote:I'm wondering if there is any way I can put vitamin E into the water

Vitamin E isn't water soluble. I think spinach has a lot of it, though. I am doubtful that the condition is actual jaundice, implying damage to the liver, and think it's more likely paleness from some sort of other disease or stress.