Breathing from one gill.

[Fraise]

DISEASE QUESTIONNAIRE


Problem

1. Please explain the problems with your fish/when and how they started

Noticed last night that one of my pigeons is only breathing using one gill and the opposite fin is being held tight to its body. It's tankmate is behaving completely normal.

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)

Noticed last night that one of my pigeons is only breathing using one gill and the opposite fin is being held tight to its body.

3. What medications/ treatments that you have already tried and results. Include dosages and duration of treatment.

None yet.

Tank/Water

4. Tank size and age, number and size of fish

40G breeder set up for 2-3 weeks. it was going to be my breeding tank so theres only the fish in question (about 6") and another pigeon (4.5-5")

5. Water change regime/ how long has tank been running/ bare bottom or gravel/ do you age your water?

Try and do an 80% water change every day and wipe down the glass. The tank is barebottom and i dont totally age the water, but i do fill up a bucket and try and de-gas it for about 30 minutes with a power head and an air stone while i circulate prime.

6 Parameters and water source;

- temp __84.5-85°F___

- ph __7.6___

- ammonia reading __0__

- nitrite reading __0__

- nitrate reading _??__

- well water ____

- municipal water __yes__

7. Any new fish/plants added recently

Nope. only the 2 fish.

[Fraise]

A little background info:

Both fish in this tank have been in my 120G planted tank and doing great. They've been shaking for each other for the past little while and i figured i'd put them in their own tank to breed. purchased the 40G breeder tank and set it up with a sponge filter and an air stone and filled with water from the 120. The tank sat for a couple of days while i got the temperature stable and then i added the fish. The problem fish is a checkerboard pigeon that i've had for 13 months so its probably about 1.5 years old. The other fish in the tank is probably around 8-10 months and seems to be doing fine and breathing normally.

[Sivasama]

What are you using for a dechlorinator? If you use prime and the wrong test kit for ammonia you can get false readings I believe. I have seen the one gill thing with a new tank with some ammonia myself. I wouldn't think you would have ammonia with that big of a water change though? Just my limited experience.

Travis

[Ardan]

Could be gill flukes. You might try some formalin based ich product and see if it helps. This will be a good indicator if it is a parasite problem.

hth
Ardan

[Sivasama]

Yeah, that would be the next guess. Flukes or bacterial infection. Bacterial can be tougher if not caught soon enough. Flukes can be an ongoing pain, as I'm sure you have learned by the extensive threads on here about flukes.

Travis

[Foxfire]

Not sure what is wrong with your fish but your new tank is not cycled at all and the ammonia/nitrites will build up fast - large WC every single day are critical. If running with meds, add extra air! If sure it is not gill flukes or that treatment fails, consider salt and high temp. Has worked wonders for me.

[Eddie]

consider salt and high temp. Has worked wonders for me.

Salt and high temps are not a cure all, there isn't a post in the disease section where you have not advised otherwise. Its important for people to understand that if salt and high temp cured everything, nobody would be posting in this section. :o

[MSD]

Or buying super expensive meds!

[Eddie]

Or buying super expensive meds!

Yup, that too! Lots of companies making non-sense if salt is all the fish ever needed. Plus all the pointless literature on the market from actual vets. :o

[manitu]

il would not use anything for the moment

its normal for them to do that now and then

obviously if its constant then it could be flukes

microscope would then come in handy


regards

[Ruffy]

Could be gill flukes. You might try some formalin based ich product and see if it helps. This will be a good indicator if it is a parasite problem.

hth
Ardan

So would this be the first thing to try??...cuz i have a similar one gill problem with one of the fish....should i quarantine the one fish for treatment??....i have a 125g and 12 other fish in the tank...i was doing 50% w/c every 3 days.. should it be more of a daily thing now??? all info and advice would help dearly....Thanks all.

[Jennie]

ruffy, start by increasing your water changes. if no improvement then seek further advice.:)

[jimg]

The fish were just moved into a new un-cycled tank. I would stop wiping everything down and continue with water changes enough to keep ammonia and nitrites at a min until it cycles or try filter material from the original tank. I would not raise the temps any high than 84. I would add a little salt,1tbs per 10 gal. to help breathing and stress and leave them alone. If you think it may be flukes I would first use prazi as it is gentle and will knock the #'s down.
IMO wiping everything down in a new tank wipes a lot of the good bacteria that is trying to establish.
Salt does help in many ways but I never found it to be a cure

[pcsb23]

The fish were just moved into a new un-cycled tank. I would stop wiping everything down and continue with water changes enough to keep ammonia and nitrites at a min until it cycles or try filter material from the original tank. I would not raise the temps any high than 84. I would add a little salt,1tbs per 10 gal. to help breathing and stress and leave them alone. If you think it may be flukes I would first use prazi as it is gentle and will knock the #'s down.
IMO wiping everything down in a new tank wipes a lot of the good bacteria that is trying to establish.
Salt does help in many ways but I never found it to be a cure
I think Jim makes a good point here ^^

Get the tanks filter cycled before treating. Salt @ 1 tablespoon (heaped) per 10 gals will help mitigate the inevitable NO2.

If it was me I'd return them back to the 120, cycle the filter using the fishless method and the try again.

[Ruffy]

Hi Fraise,

Let me know if your fish gets any better cuz i have the same problem right now.

Thanks.

[whitezo6]

i have the same problem too,is your fish get well
thanks

[Skip]

i have the same problem too,is your fish get well
thanks


the thread is 3 years old.. i hope the fish is still alive.. lol