For100
06-22-2021, 08:15 PM
Hi all,
Here is the story.... I am looking for a second opinion on next steps as I don't want to lose him.
Problem
1. Please explain the problems with your fish. When did you notice the problems and did anything unusual happen that you think started them?
Large 6+ years old Cobalt male from Kenny/Forrest. I know he is past his prime years, but his health has been steadily declining for the last few months. I noticed he was thinner than my other fish, tried to hand feed him for awhile, not much success (what a surprise!). I moved him to a hospital tank about 3 weeks ago, raised temp to 86 and start using salt (around 1 Tbs per 10 gallons). Hoping he would come around, he has not improved much.
2. Symptoms (i.e. turning dark, excess slime, not eating, clamped fins, flashing, darting, clamped gills, white/yellow/green poop, hiding, headstanding or tailstanding, white on tips of fins, rotting or fungus, blisters/white zits on fish, bloated, cloudy eyes, wounds).
He is wasting away slowly.... Pinched forehead and body. No color change: he is light blue with red eyes, comes to the front of the tank asking for food but he doesn't eat much. I tried live black worms as to recovery food, I have seen him pick from the bottom but not sure if he eats them. You can see he spit food after taking a bit.
3. What medications/ treatments have you already tried and what were the results. Include dosage and duration of treatment.
I moved him to a hospital tank about 3 weeks ago, raised temp to 86 and start using salt (around 1 Tbs per 10 gallons). Hoping he would come around, he has not improved much.
Tank/Water
4. Tank size and ages, numbers and sizes of fish.
He is on a hospital tank: 29 gallon bare bottom.
But he was previously on a 270 gallon show tank with another 13 discus and about 10 cory as bottom feeders.
5. Water change regime (What percentage and how often).
25% to 50% daily water changes using aged water + small quantity of show tank water, siphon bottom dirt and leftovers
6. How long has tank been running? Is it bare bottom? If you have substrate, what type and how deep is it?
He is on a hospital tank: 29 gallon bare bottom. Running a canister filter for the last 3 weeks
7. Do you age your water? If you do for how long and what is the ph swing.
Yes, I have two 40 gallon barrels where I age my water for at least 24hrs. Not sure about the pH swing
8. What type/brand water conditioner do you use? Do you add it to the tank or aging barrel? How much do you use?
I use activated carbon and sediment filter to remove chlorine and chloramines from municipal water source.
9. Parameters and water source;
Note: Water Parameters are important in diagnosing problems within a tank. If you don't own test kits for the following information, you can purchase them, test your parameters and post this info as soon as possible.
- temp 86
- ph ~7.2
- ammonia reading 0
- nitrite reading 0
- nitrate reading 5-10ppm
What type of water or combinations of water sources do you use? If it is an RO/tap/well water mix, please list percentages in the mix.
- well water ____
- municipal water 90%
- RO water 10%
10. Any new fish, plants or inverts added recently.
No
11. Please tell us what you feed your fish and how often. This can be critical information for solving the problem so be as specific as you can.
Showtank
Suckers don't eat dry food. ;(
Only feed them frozen food: beef heart, discus mix, brine shrimp and blood worms.
Feeding regiment: 3 or 4 times a day, enough to have them consume everything within 1 or 2min
Sick fish
Try few live black worms morning and afternoon and brine shrimp right around noon.
12. Include any pictures or videos you have which shows the symptoms. If you can't add them to this post, please provide a link to them.
I will post a picture tomorrow when I have better sunlight
Appreciate in advance any ideas or guidance.... I don't want to lose him, but I am afraid he might be just old and he is dying of old age.
FR
Here is the story.... I am looking for a second opinion on next steps as I don't want to lose him.
Problem
1. Please explain the problems with your fish. When did you notice the problems and did anything unusual happen that you think started them?
Large 6+ years old Cobalt male from Kenny/Forrest. I know he is past his prime years, but his health has been steadily declining for the last few months. I noticed he was thinner than my other fish, tried to hand feed him for awhile, not much success (what a surprise!). I moved him to a hospital tank about 3 weeks ago, raised temp to 86 and start using salt (around 1 Tbs per 10 gallons). Hoping he would come around, he has not improved much.
2. Symptoms (i.e. turning dark, excess slime, not eating, clamped fins, flashing, darting, clamped gills, white/yellow/green poop, hiding, headstanding or tailstanding, white on tips of fins, rotting or fungus, blisters/white zits on fish, bloated, cloudy eyes, wounds).
He is wasting away slowly.... Pinched forehead and body. No color change: he is light blue with red eyes, comes to the front of the tank asking for food but he doesn't eat much. I tried live black worms as to recovery food, I have seen him pick from the bottom but not sure if he eats them. You can see he spit food after taking a bit.
3. What medications/ treatments have you already tried and what were the results. Include dosage and duration of treatment.
I moved him to a hospital tank about 3 weeks ago, raised temp to 86 and start using salt (around 1 Tbs per 10 gallons). Hoping he would come around, he has not improved much.
Tank/Water
4. Tank size and ages, numbers and sizes of fish.
He is on a hospital tank: 29 gallon bare bottom.
But he was previously on a 270 gallon show tank with another 13 discus and about 10 cory as bottom feeders.
5. Water change regime (What percentage and how often).
25% to 50% daily water changes using aged water + small quantity of show tank water, siphon bottom dirt and leftovers
6. How long has tank been running? Is it bare bottom? If you have substrate, what type and how deep is it?
He is on a hospital tank: 29 gallon bare bottom. Running a canister filter for the last 3 weeks
7. Do you age your water? If you do for how long and what is the ph swing.
Yes, I have two 40 gallon barrels where I age my water for at least 24hrs. Not sure about the pH swing
8. What type/brand water conditioner do you use? Do you add it to the tank or aging barrel? How much do you use?
I use activated carbon and sediment filter to remove chlorine and chloramines from municipal water source.
9. Parameters and water source;
Note: Water Parameters are important in diagnosing problems within a tank. If you don't own test kits for the following information, you can purchase them, test your parameters and post this info as soon as possible.
- temp 86
- ph ~7.2
- ammonia reading 0
- nitrite reading 0
- nitrate reading 5-10ppm
What type of water or combinations of water sources do you use? If it is an RO/tap/well water mix, please list percentages in the mix.
- well water ____
- municipal water 90%
- RO water 10%
10. Any new fish, plants or inverts added recently.
No
11. Please tell us what you feed your fish and how often. This can be critical information for solving the problem so be as specific as you can.
Showtank
Suckers don't eat dry food. ;(
Only feed them frozen food: beef heart, discus mix, brine shrimp and blood worms.
Feeding regiment: 3 or 4 times a day, enough to have them consume everything within 1 or 2min
Sick fish
Try few live black worms morning and afternoon and brine shrimp right around noon.
12. Include any pictures or videos you have which shows the symptoms. If you can't add them to this post, please provide a link to them.
I will post a picture tomorrow when I have better sunlight
Appreciate in advance any ideas or guidance.... I don't want to lose him, but I am afraid he might be just old and he is dying of old age.
FR