Caper Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Hi all! Well, I'm back home in Cape Breton now. Two days after being home (came home last Sunday) I gave all 3 tanks a good cleaning including the filters. I suspect my son Ryan did a better job of feeding my fishies as there was not alot of detris on the bottom. Perhaps I've been feeding my fish a tad too much! Anyway, the last 2 days I noticed one of the barbs having a real difficult time with his swimming/buoancy. Nothing visible on the fish so I'm thinking it is defenitely swim bladder, swims a bit then on his side and ends up on the top upside down. Did a search here and didn't find what I was looking for. Anyway, searched the net & one recommendation was to try epsom salts. I didn't have the necessary measuring tools to get an accurate measurement (spoke to pharmacist at the drug store when I picked up the salts) so I think it might have worked out to approximately a 1/3 third of salts added to a cup or 2 over 1 litre of water :oops: :-? Put fishy in for the recommended time of 5 minutes. Question, if this was going to help would I notice a difference right away? Should it be done more than once? I read not to feed the fish for a few days also to see if this helps so will try this as well. Oh, by the way, didn't test before I did the major clean up but tested today: ammonia = 0; ph around 7.6 (little difficult to tell but never changes); nitrates between 10 & 20. All set to check for nitrites when I realized that the test kit I bought in Calgary was for nitrates, duh :-? Caper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 I think the salts work pretty much straight away. See how it is after a couple of days no food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted June 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Thanks Caryl No change, if anything maybe getting worse since at one point he was stuck to the filter inlet tube so thinking he might be getting weak. I've since put him in a breeding "thing" but spending most of the time belly up. But I figure can't hurt to try no food for a few days. Caper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted June 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2008 Okies, I put him in a breeder trap so he wouldn't get stuck to the filter. Didn't feed for a few days. HOWEVER, I guess he was stressed from being in the trap so he got fin rot. He swims okay now, he eats okay but his tail fin is gone and some of his dorsal fin. There seems to be a bit of controversy over the use of Melafix so my question is do you folks recommend I take him out and put him in my small tank and treat with Melafix OR just let him be and see what happens???? Just did a weekly water change but should I do smaller ones each day for a few days??? Thanks Caper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted June 24, 2008 Report Share Posted June 24, 2008 If he appears to be improving (apart from fins having to grow back) I would leave him as that is less stressful than moving him again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted June 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2008 Thanks Caryl Yes the poor little fishy has been through alot. All the others seem to be ok, so I'm assuming it was the stress of the bloat and being in the trap. Curious, fin rot isn't contagious is it? Caper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted June 24, 2008 Report Share Posted June 24, 2008 Yes it is contagious but if a fish is healthy it usually has enough resistance to avoid it. It is when a fish gets sick that is is more likely to get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted June 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2008 Thanks Didn't know that. I was curious because there of one red eye tetra (who is a bit of a runt to the others). For quite some time, hmmm how to explain...his tail fin, the black on the upper part of the fin seemed to be fading. This has been like this for months but never changing. Then last night I noticed that some of his dorsal fin is missing. So, that's why I was wondering if fin rot was contagious. Now he's a hard little fella to get a good look at sometimes so I can't say for sure about the dorsal fin. Anyway, will keep an eye on him the best I can. Caper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted July 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2008 I can't remember if I already posted this somewhere, apologies if I did...my red eye tetra went to fishy heaven Now, yesterday and today the ablino barb is having trouble with his swimming/buoyancy again. At first, I thought maybe it was the fact his tail fin was missing (although is/was growing back), and one of his pectoral fins (that's the ones in the front, right?). But when I came home this evening, he was stuck to the filter intake. I went to move the ornaments off the tank and before I had a chance to lift the lid, he swam away from the filter. Then he was wedged in an artificial plant, then between a plant and an ornament. It doesn't sound good for him does it?? I've put him in the breeder trap again. I'd much rather move him to the 10 gallon so he won't be stressed however I am stuck between a rock and hard place because I'm scared if I leave him loose he'll just end up on the filter again Any suggestions, if it is indeed swim bladder problems again which I believe it is now, does this mean he will NOT recover????? Caper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted July 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2008 Anybody??? see above! When I went to bed, the poor fishy was upside down and not swimming around in the breeding trap. This morning when I got up he's swimming (but he did that yesterday morning when still in tank) but in the bottom of the trap there is a piece of what I'm guessing is poop? It's approximetely the size of a shrimp pellet; kind of light colored except one end was darker. When I move the trap the darker end seperated. Okay, just came home after being out all day and evening. Before I left this morning, I put small pieces of a pea in the trap. He ate one piece right away. When I came home this evening, he was upright in the trap and there was more of what I'm guessing was poop. I let him out because the last time I kept him in the tank he got fin rot. So far he's swimming fine :bounce: :bounce: So what do you folks think, doesn't it sound like he/she was constipated??? Oh, funny thing was my floating trap wouldn't float today, so I had it settled on an ornament with 2 stones on top :-? 8) Caper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 Sounds like he might have been a bit constipated since after the pea you noted more poo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted July 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 Thanks Caryl Oh, there was more poo . It was one of those rare occasions when you like to see more :-? :lol: Checked on him and he's still swimming okay. He/she is one tough fishy, I sure hope he/she survives after all this. I normally don't feed on Sundays anyway; do you think maybe I shouldn't feed for another couple of days??? Caper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 Yeah, give his little tortured insides a rest :lol: Just saw a programme on TV where they had a fancy goldfish that permanently swam upside down so they surgically attached a cork on a string to his back to keep him upright! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted July 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 Thanks Caryl, did as you advised and didn't feed the fishies for 3 days. He/she seems to be doing well so far. Just saw a programme on TV where they had a fancy goldfish that permanently swam upside down so they surgically attached a cork on a string to his back to keep him upright That is funny, did the owner(s) do this because they had the fish for a long time and didn't want to loose him/her?? permanently swam upside down So does that mean the swim bladder itself was no longer working, is that the only reason a fish would swim that way?? Caper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 I think some of the fancier goldfish can be permanently damaged and always have trouble swimming up the right way. Since the fish was otherwise healthy and was not in pain (as far as anyone could tell) the owner decided the cork was a compromise - and it worked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted July 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2008 My fishy didn't make it. Last night I noticed he was swimming mostly on the top. This morning he was dead He/she was one tough fishy, tried his/her best to make it Thanks for the help Caryl! Caper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.