My Blue Diamond is still not eating!

[BlueTurquoise]

Hi all,

this is a continuation of the post:

http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=4;action=display;threadid=5932

But on another topic, termination...

I have tried these things:

Metro for 4 days (400mg per 10 gal) and elevated temps - made no difference. She never had white feces or anything to start with, it was just my gut feeling that it was hex. I am wrong it is something else.

I thought since she took some food (very very little) she was on the mend and I added her to the main tank, after all, they were together in the same tank no more than 2 months ago. BIG MISTAKE. The other 2's appetites have gone downhill since then. I see alot of darting and lots of cuts and scratched. Regular breathing rates still though so I thought fluke of some sort or bacteria.

2 days of Prazi (is this for flukes? on the pack is sure says it is...) and elevated temps - The reason why I stopped this was becuase one of my Red Scribbles started acting funny towards medication (at rest it was like it was drunk, floating around missaply). So i did 80% wc and kept temps at 32. They stopped darting. It may be sometime before they heal and get back to normal. Meanwhile...

Salt - 2 tablespoons per 10 galon added 2 days ago. They are looking better but they won't eat anything still, they will peck at beefheart but they are not keen. Won't go near BW (their staple diet for ages) even though I purchased a new pack thinking maybe my worms were bad. Tetra bits are going to waste. Brine shrimp is not touched. This weekend I will try to feed them live black worms to see how they take to that... but I am scared as this is my last resort and if they don't eat these I will be in big trouble...

I sit there every night in front of the tank thinking what is wrong with you guys... Why are you punishing me... tell me how to make you better... I am thinking about ending the suffering in my blue and starting again from scratch. I feel that my constant vigilence and hard work is just not paying off. Daily water changes and tank scrubbing, not to mention twice weekly filter cleaning... I am losing sleep over my fish!!!

*sigh* I am scared that she will just kark it one day when I get home. She's my favourite. I need help. Al you said something about piping medications into their mouths? mmm may be a last resort thing But I think I am there now...

Chong :'(

[BlueTurquoise]

Tell me a shopping list of medication that I should be lookign for. Flubendazole?? I have heard of people talking about this for flukes. Formaldahyde?

I am not sure if medication is going to save them anymore. I need evasive action like force feed.

:'(

[BlueTurquoise]

I don't even think it is stomach bug related anymore... just not sure what is going on...

Chong: Can you show me her pic. and see if we can save her. She did not response to all these meds. I have to see her before making any suggestion.
Jimmy.

Chong,
Did you do the fublz. treatment?

Miles

[BlueTurquoise]

No, I have not tried Flubendazole (sp?).

Things are alittle better this weekend after 3 days of 32 degree heat and 2 tablespoons per gal of salt. They are much much better but not completely recovered yet. They come to the front of the tank when I aproach and they come to the top of the tank when i put my hand there (or at least look at the top of the tank and slowly aproach).

Tehy have stopped darting an they have started to look at food again and eat something.

Jimmy thanks for the concerns. It was touch and go for many days back there... I was thinking about taking them to my vet friend and getting the blue examined. But thank goodness they are reacting to the salt in a good way.

Also I found out why they weren't eating bloodworms as well... i thawed some in a plastic bag (instead of throwing it straight into the tank) and it stank! pheeewww! They were badder than bad, no wonder! I didn't notice before as I threw them straight into the tank... my bad! I threw the whole box out. They are eating beefheart and tetra bits for now... Did not get a chance to get black worms but I am thinking about it.

*Big sigh of relief* I will keep my eye on them intensly over the next week and I will continue to treat them with salt for the next week or so. They should be fine (fingers crossed). i am so relieved as i thought the worste last week...

Thanks all...

Chong

[fossil]

One of my fish are not eating either, what kind of salt did you use?

I'm glad to hear yours are getting better :)

Hope to try the salt thing on mine. I have never used salt before when treating any of my fish, if you could tell me a little about it that would be great.

thanks!

[BlueTurquoise]

Hi,

Use plain table salt, make sure you look at the ingredients and they should state Plain table Salt or similar. If you can find salt without Anti Caking Agents then buy it but I use salt with anti caking agents and they seem do be fine.

You also need to raise the temperature in the tank 1-2 degrees (32 deg C is what I raise it to).

Are you sure that is the problem? not eating could be cuased by many other things, the most common of which is Hexamita which salt won't help much cept maybe to relax the fish and allow them to fight the disease on their own...

Hope that helps you and good luck with your fish!

Chong

[fossil]

Thanks Chong, I'll give it a try.