*EDITED w/ pics* 2 fish not doing so well (not eating & other white feces).

PART 1:
My German Red Peacock has been spitting his food out ever since I got him (2.5 weeks and counting I think). His stomach isn't inverted, so there MUST be something going inside his stomach. I have him in a 10g QT right now and have tried both New Life Spectrum and New Era pellets (New Era being a very soft pellet), but he spits them both out. What could be going on? His feces is also a regular pink/orange, so I'm not sure what's going on.

I bought some Seachem Kanaplex and some Seachem Metro, will be using the Kanaplex since it should have more affect on the fish since it goes through the skin; whereas Metro would be better off fed to him (obviously not an option for this little guy). Any other suggestions? I add 3 TSP of Epsom salt per water change to maintain a high GH, so this basic remedy to some diseases/illnesses is out.

PART 2:
Got this Aul. Saulosi Green Face on Saturday, but he has white waste/feces and his belly area looks a bit off (bloated a tad?). He still eats very well and yesterday his waste was actually a regular orangey color, but today it's back to white. I've treated him with Kanaplex and Metro and now have him in my 10 gallon quarantine tank with my German Red in order to treat both with Kanaplex & Metro. Any advice or input would be GREATLY appreciated.

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Is this a new fish or one that you had that was eating before? I find if you try a little frozen bloodworm and get no reaction, then the likelihood is you've probably have a sick fish. I would be looking to see is you spot stringy white poo, but it sounds like your ready with the Metro/Kanaplex.

It sounds like Malawi bloat. I haven't had to deal with it for years now, but I remember I had some success using Jungle Parasite Clear to treat, along with epsom and/or sea salt.

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There's a lot of info on the subject if you search Malawi bloat.

He's somewhat new, about 3 weeks since I've got him. I've treated him with Kanaplex and he has been gradually swallowing the pellets more and more, but the limit is at 4-5 pellets then he starts spitting them back out. The waste is a regular orangey color.

I didn't think it was bloat since his stomach was rather regular looking or maybe a tad inverted, but hopefully it won't be the case because it's the one disease I dread

So it is actually eating some of the food? Soak a few pellets in a epsom salt liquid, (1tsp of ep salt and 1tsp water) let the food soak it up for a bit, you could add some garlic but not necessary. Feed the fish this way for a few days. Keep the water clean.

Yes, I'd say soak the pellets in some epsom salt and I'd also add some of the metro as well, if he's starting to eat.

The fish will not look swollen or bloated until the end stages or sometimes not at all.  The early symptoms are spitting out food or approaching the food and not taking it, white stringy poop, and maybe reclusive or changed behavior.

Sounds good, thanks Betty I'll soak the pellets for tonight's feed. Hopefully the Metro doesn't throw him off, currently treating a different fish with Metro soaked pellets and he only ate one before flipping out and ignoring the rest (whereas the previous feeds of regular pellets, he gobbled them up).

    

Betty nailed it! when your fish wants to eat but keeps spitting out the food it's bloat-- sometimes the fish will swell up and some times shrivel up but something's wrong with that gut if I remember right clout might clear it up? I better keep my day job

I think I've posted this link a couple of times but here is the best site out there for information on bloat and treatment of same...good luck.  It can be a hard illness to treat but it is treatable.  Keeping my fingers crossed as I've seen your group in videos and pics you have posted and they are great looking fish.

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Thanks Donna and anthony, I currently have the German Red Peacock and also my Aul. Saulosi Green Face Peacock cichlids in my 10 gallon quarantine tank to treat both with Kanaplex and Metro. I picked up the Green Face on Saturday, but his body shape is a bit off and he currently has white waste/feces. Yesterday after treating him with Metro in the main tank, he had orange waste and now today it's back to white (though he still eats a lot). Really weird, so now I have 2 fish that are really concerning me. Pics below of both   

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I haven't been so stumped, after I moved the Green Face over to the QT (after I found that he had white feces), just now I went to look at him and saw that he has regular orangey color waste again. What the heck is going on, at first I thought he may have bloat, but his feces keep changing from white to orange and he still eats pretty well.

As for the German Red, he hit 11 pellets tonight before spitting the 12th out. I've heard conflicting reports where some say that you shouldn't feed until bloat treatment is over; whereas some say that it's okay to continue.. gah   

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