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Sick fish???
Badmans Tropical Fish Message Center: archive:
Sick fish???
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Rachel
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Thursday,
August 09, 2001 - 04:39 pm
Hi again guys. Well, I was gone all day yesterday and didn't
come home until today. I came in and checked on my tank
first thing. I saw my 2 gouramies, but didn't see my
angel. After a min or two of looking, I realize she had
hidden herself underneath one of the rock arches in the
bottom of my tank. She hasn't come out at all yet, not
even when I put shrimp in the tank. My younger teenage brother
has been here with me for a few days. He likes to put his
face up on the glass and scare the fish. Is she sick or
just stressed out. She won't come out from under the
rock. Should I just leave her alone for a while?? Any suggestions
on what I should do?? I know I might be over reacting a
little, but there is no telling what my brother did while
I was gone.
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Kick
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Friday,
August 10, 2001 - 08:58 am
Before I would blame that little brother, I would look into
the gouramis. It could very well be that they are harassing
the angel. Are these the only fish you have in this tank?
Hiding can mean a couple of things, but the first is stress
from the aggressiveness of other fish in the tank. If they
have gotten along well up to this point (remember you
don't know what is going on when the lights are out),
then you might want to check on your water perimeters and
pH. If you don't notice him darting or rubbing on plants,
decor, etc., I would still sway toward the gouramis making
his life uncomfortable. Not eating is not a good sign, but
it could be that he is too frightened right now to go after
the food.
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Rachel
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Friday,
August 10, 2001 - 10:29 am
Right after I finished writing the first message. She came
out from under the rock and swam around and ate the food,
but after a while of swimming around the tank, she went
under the rock again. She repeated this many times over
the course of the night and has done it twice this morning.
I don't understand it either. She normally is really
active and swims back and forth right in the front of the
tank where she can be seen. I don't think that the gouramies
are being agressive toward her. However, when I first put
her in the tank, she was agressive towards them. After the
first few days, she stopped and they all get along fine,
from what I see. All three usually swim around the tank
in a group. And yes, the angel and the 2 gouramies are the
only fish in the tank. The pH and ammonia levels are fine.
I was thinking that maybe she has laid eggs under the rock
and is protecting them, because there is a flat piece of
rock under the arch. But if I remember correctly, one, the
angels will eat their own eggs, two, I have no male angel
to fertilize them. Maybe I should just keep an eye out and
wait to see what happens. Anymore suggestions would be great.
I don't think she is sick, but if there is anything
wrong with her, I'd like to catch it early so I can
help before I lose her. Much thanks
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joycedonley
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Friday,
August 10, 2001 - 11:53 am
Keep an eye on thing Rachael. I had trouble in the past
with aggressive dwarf gouramis. Sometimes they get preety
feisty. Angles don't lay eggs in caves. Mine lay them
on the filter tube or side of tank. They will lay them on
slate also. They fan the eggs for a day or two and kind
of hover over them. Then when I'm not looking eat them!
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Robin
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Sunday,
August 19, 2001 - 10:25 pm
Hi. I was wondering why my Cardinal Tetra was found floating
dead yesterday morning, then my daughter found small bubbles
floating up from the bottom of the tank. I did a water change.
I actually did a 50% water change because of the collection
of feces in the gravel. This afternoon I found a Black Mollie
bent over and floating on the gravel on its side. Do you
think I have too high of amonia? I know you are not supposed
to do such a big water change. I only changed the water
3 weeks ago and my tank is twenty gallons. I have an algae
eater, 4 skirted tetras, 2 zebra danios, (had) 2
Black Mollies and they had babies. I found one and have
it in a small fish net until I get a maternity trap for
it to grow. After I found the black mollie dead I checked
the water temp. it was 92deg.!!!!
Wow! I don't know what happened there, I usually keep
it at 82 deg. Hope you have some advice for me out there.
Really wondering what is going on, maybe it is something
I am doing wrong.
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jeff
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Monday,
August 20, 2001 - 01:09 am
robin sorry what happened..usually bubbles from the substrate
indicate nitrate and ammonia converting to nitrogen gas...if
it smelled it was also producing CH4(methane gas)...the
high temp in your tank probably set off a chain reaction
and did your fish in..my sympathy sorry
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joycedonley
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Monday,
August 20, 2001 - 07:19 am
Suggest you purchase a better heater. The electronic ones
are much better. The inexpensive heaters tend to break easily;
the temps either fluctuates or they leak. I replaced all
four of my cheap heaters with Tronics. I noticed the temp
in my 29gallon rising with a cheap heater and caught it
in time.
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Kick
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Wednesday,
August 22, 2001 - 09:01 am
Robin, I agree with the other two, but I would like to add
something. First, even 82 is a bit too warm. The normal
temperature of a tank is about 74-78. Also might I mention
that mollies need a good deal of salt in their water for
good health and survival, but this cannot be added with
the other fish you are keeping. Also danios prefer to be
in shoals of 5 to 7 so when the tank is back in normal order,
you might think of getting a few more of those. A good idea
if you want to keep the remaining mollies is to set up another
tank where you can add the needed salt for their survival.
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Jack
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Thursday,
September 06, 2001 - 07:43 pm
Folks,
I have a female swordtail that has been acting peculiarly
for at least a month now.
She was a prolific breeder, but her mate suddenly died last
month. For a while she was fine. Then she started swimming
at the top of the tank, near the bubbler. Prior she always
stayed hidden behind the plants at the bottom. Yesterday
we found her, nose down, in one corner. But, then she was
back at the top near the bubbles again. This morning she
was nose down in the front of the tank.
Her fins are not clamped. But, today my wife put her in
a segregation tank. However, her alignment is still nose
down. And, she does eat.
What, the heck, could cause this? I fear she may not last
much longer.
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joycedonley
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Thursday,
September 06, 2001 - 08:13 pm
Her swim bladder is no longer functioning properly. That
is what keeps the fish floating and balanced. Try treating
with Maracyn or Maracyn II if you are using the QT tank.
Swim bladder disease is listed under medications on badmans
main board. By the way also checked my book to be sure and
symptom of swim bladder disease is loss of balance, fish
swims upside down or on their side.
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jeff
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Friday,
September 07, 2001 - 02:11 pm
jack..I thinks you said it in your statement that she was
a prolific breeder..this is a problem that can manifest
over time..Her poor little bladder is not functioning well
from all that breeding,or recent even courtship and also
stress from whatever else will increase the problem...also
just to be sure a bacterial infection isn't causing
this problem too..remove her as you have now, if she doesn't
recover on her own treat with M2 as joyce suggested...good
luck...
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Jack
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Sunday,
September 09, 2001 - 08:34 pm
Folks,I have a (sick?)betta problem.Two days ago
my wife mentioned that our female betta looked strange.
On inspection, her right, lower gill area seems to be protruding
due to some white mass. Also, several weeks ago, behind
her dorsal fin, it appeared as if something had taken a
bite out of her; several scales were/are missing, and her
flesh seemed exposed. However, she is in a tank with no
agressive fish (guppies, neons, small swords). Could
she have developed a bacterial or fungal infection? She
is extremely active, and eats very well. The tank pH is
about 6.7, and the NH4 level is about 40ppm. I keep the
temperature around 76 normally, but with the high temps
this summer it has hovered around 80. I now have her segregated,
which she does not like at all. (These bettas seem almost
as intelligent as Oscars or Jack Dempseys.) Any comments
would be most welcome.
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joycedonley
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Sunday,
September 09, 2001 - 09:06 pm
I would personally treat with Kanacyn. This is what I use
to treat fungus,fin rot and infections. Kick usually suggests
adding salt to bettas tank although your tetra will not
tolerate salt well. If you currently have the betta in a
QT tank you may try adding a tsp of salt to the water. It
should also help the fins to heal. The condition does sound
very serious if your fish has a bite taken out of her. Bettas
don't make good community fish even the females so you
may want to keep her in a small tank to herself whether
she like it or not. Guppys can sometimes be a little nippy,
but can't imagine them taking a chunk out of any fish!
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JackW
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Thursday,
September 13, 2001 - 05:26 pm
Joyce, Thanks. I've started with Maracyn, only because
I have some now, and the pictures on the package seem to
discribe what is happening. However, I don't notice
a significant change in the gill region. But, it's only
been three days. I'll give it a while longer, and then
let you know. I'm sorry to say that mama sworttail is
no longer. She seemed to be doing much better. But, then
she escaped her isolation tank, and I think the stress of
getting her back in it did her in. My only salvation is
that she left behind a plethora of offspring. Thanks gain.
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joycedonley
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Thursday,
September 13, 2001 - 08:33 pm
Maracyn is fine for bacterial infections. Most swordtails
only live about 3 years and if they breed a lot they can
shorten their lifespan. If she had survived she would have
eaten all the offspring. By the way guppys only live about
a year give or take a few months, so if you reach the year
mark you have taken good care of the fish. Small tetra usually
live about five years( I have serpae and red-eye that
are five now), but neons are really hard to keep since
they are so easily stressed. Kick would have to advise on
bettas(when she gets back maybe), but I know they
live longer than livebearers.
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JackW
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Wednesday,
September 19, 2001 - 09:55 am
Folks, Well, it's been 10 days now on Maracyn, and my
female betta seems to be getting worse?! Her right gill
is extremely distended, her fin rot seems to be increasing
in severity, and now her body seems to be bloating; but
she still eats! The tank pH is about 6.7, the nitrate level
is about 40ppm, and the water temp is about 76F. Yesterday
I bought some Maracyn 2. Nobody around here (the boonies)
has Karacyn. Should I continue to medicate with the M2?
Should I give her a break for a few days? Are these infections
often this resistant?
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joycedonley
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Wednesday,
September 19, 2001 - 12:05 pm
Do you still have her in the QT tank? Fin rot is really
usually cause by bacteria in the water getting into a wound
or affecting a stressed fish(if guppys were nipping
at her fins she would have been stressed).If you are
feeding too much it could make her constipated and bloated.
Also extra food waste could add to the bacteria in the tank.
Kick recommended a small piece of blanched pea for bettas
that are constipated. If she is eating try that and cut
down on your feeding amts to only a tiny bit once a day
until this improves.Healthy fish can actually go a couple
of weeks without food ( sometimes if your tank is has
extremely high levels of ammonia and such it's the only
way to fix things). If you have any carbon running in
the filter, it should have been removed as it will absorb
the meds. I have never had to treat that long. Are you still
doing regular water changes the nitrate level seems a little
high? If the betta is getting dropsy there may be nothing
you can do except continue treatment and hope. Badmans main
board describes dropsy under medications(please read
the description maracyn is also what you treat dropsy with).
Sometimes if fish have internal infections you just can't
cure them. At this point I don't think continuing the
meds will hurt. If she looks like she has problems breathing
you can try running a small airstone with pump in the tank
to help increase the oxygen.
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joycedonley
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Wednesday,
September 19, 2001 - 12:10 pm
Switch to the M2 as that is for dropsy and maybe it will
help if the infection is also affecting her internally.Dropsy
is very hard to cure.
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joycedonley
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Wednesday,
September 19, 2001 - 12:13 pm
Jack your nitrate reading needs to be about 5-10ppm so I
would do a water change before treating with the M2 and
make sure you cut down on the food!!!!!
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adrian
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Saturday,
September 22, 2001 - 05:42 am
could anybody out there help me and my fish? i recently
bought a freshwater mooray eel which is a little under a
foot long. the problem is after 3 weeks it still hasnt eaten.
so far i tried worms, various fish meat and even resorted
to small fish but nothing interests it. i need help and
would grately apreciate any help for my special friend.
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joycedonley
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Saturday,
September 22, 2001 - 08:15 am
I really think they aren't freshwater regardless of
what you were told. Almost all eels are at least brackish
and if you do a search engine on the web you will see Morays
come out countless times as ocean creatures. They are also
nocturnal so suggest you try feeding at lights out.
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joycedonley
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Saturday,
September 22, 2001 - 08:28 am
Sorry you have been in fact misled by your LFS store. Maybe
if enough people complain someday something will be done!Following
is a quote from another site and they do need SALT in the
water and quit a bit!
From aquariacentral.com
"Although traded as freshwater fishes, these are brackish
water fishes best kept with other hardy brackish water fish
like monos and scats, and can adapt to marine conditions
as well. A specific gravity range of about 1.005 to 1.010
is acceptable for long term health. As with other moray
eels, these fish are predators, enjoying small fish and
crustaceans"
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joycedonley
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Saturday,
September 22, 2001 - 08:41 am
Try this Link Adrian. I found it with a search on freshwater
moray eel(the eel that doesn't exist).
http://www.theaquarians.net/FishGuide/morayeel.htm
They won't eat unless they feel secure.It needs a cave
or lair. Also like a snake they can go a long time with
no food. It was a really informative link by someone that
has a couple so check it out!
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adrian
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Saturday,
September 22, 2001 - 09:58 am
thanks very much joyce for your informative help. i try
to meet the requirments of all my fish especialy my 2 snakeheads
which are housed in a 6" tank with good filtration and
obviosly the enormouse amount of food they eat and a ceramic
pot with small hole for my mooray. i thought i knew fish
and knew how to tell the difference between freshwater and
marine species but having seen marine eels and there bright
colours in shops before i presumed the blander colours of
my eel were a sure sign of freshwater based. however having
owned it for 3 weeks and it still seems very active at times
and happy i will hope he decides to eat soon. thanks again
and hope i can return the favour of my knowledge when needed.
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