Hello,

I have been browsing this forum for a while and today is the first that I've posted.

This morning I fed flake food to my community tank. Everyone was fine, doing good... about 7:05 am

When I was going out the door to take my daughter to school... My husband said "Your shark is stuck between the filter tube and the back of the glass - upside down". This was at 7:40 am.

I have held him (I'm not positive it's a him... I call him a him and his name is Sam - just in case it's a her...) for an hour and a half. I was holding him and moving him back and forth through the water to keep water going through his gills. If I let go of him, he floats to the bottom of the tank upside down.

While I was holding him... several times an air bubble would come out of his mouth. Little bubbles, but bubbles just the same. I thought this was strange.

So I don't know how long he was stuck, but he's not doing well.

And... it looks like the end of his nose has been eaten, by a tank mate... There's a couple of fish in here that aren't the nicest, but usually they keep to themselves.... someone took advantage of him being caught in the filter tube.

So... I've fixed up the hospital tank... scooped him in a pan of his water, dripped him in with the hospital tank water, dumped the pan of water into the hospital tank. I have a sponge filter in there and an extra airstone. I've set the heater to a little warmer... the community tank is 77, I was going to get the hospital tank up to 80. And treated with a teaspoon of Melafix. He's upside down on the bottom of the tank.

Please help!

History - I bought this 55 gallon tank from a man, it was full of fish, and nasty with algae. I cleaned it, and set it up. All the fish were fine except Sam - the Roseline Shark. His nose was red, he was swimming upside down. Wasn't doing good. I assumed he had hit his face on the side of the Styrofoam Cooler and injured himself... So... I held him and moved the water through his gills for almost 2 hours. He kept getting stronger, I could feel him working harder and harder to get out of my hand... Finally - it was 2:00am... I gave up. He was swimming around the tank, but wasn't looking so hot... he'd flip upside down, then struggle to get upright again, but I was exhausted and went to bed. The next morning he was ok... swimming at a slight angle, with his head pointed down, but he was making it. After about a week of his being weak, and not as fast as he once was... I saw that his tail was in bad condition. Tankmates had eaten it almost completely down.... but after a couple of weeks, he fought his was back again, and his tail grew back in GORGEOUS... it was 2 "eyes" on it. It's so pretty. So that was in February... and he's been doing SO well! Now this....

Please give me some advice on what I can do for my fish...

I'll try to post some pictures as soon as I get them downloaded...

How many fish and which type.
Water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.
Once a fish lays upside down not good, does he look bloated.
Once fish start to lay upside down they are dying.

It's a 55 Gallon Tank - it has a lot of fish in it, and I'm aware that it's overstocked, but I do weekly water changes and keep it clean. We're getting a 300 gallon tank as soon as the addition is finished.

Also, I don't think that it's the tank parameters that caused this issue, I think it's the accident of getting stuck behind the filter downtube and the back of the tank.

These fish aren't little, so when they race around the tank, they get some serious speed up... I think he just got excited during feeding and got stuck, I'm not sure about the upside down part... I just don't know what's going on...

6-7" Roseline shark
Huge Turqoise Rainbow
Large Millenium Rainbow
Rosy Barb
2 - Congo Tetras
2 - 6-7" Picus Catfish
2 - Albino Cory Cats
4 - Tetras
1 - 7-8" Red Tail Shark
1 - 8-9" Sailfin Pleco
1 - Small Pleco
2 - YoYo Botia Loaches
2 - 5" Bala Sharks
1 - 4" Rainbow Shark
2 - Silver Dollar Tetras
1 - Fancy Tail Goldfish

I think that's everyone.

Tank Parameters:

77 degrees
Weekly Water Changes - Last water change: last night
Nitrate: 80
Nitrite: 0
Total Hardness: 120
Alkalinity: 20
pH: 6.6

In the hospital tank, he's laying on the bottom on his side. He's not laboring extra hard to breathe, and he moves his front fins a little, his eyes are very alert. He's still shiny, last time he wasn't shiny, you couldn't even see his rose line, he was dull and sick looking... his eyes were like, glassy looking. This time he sees me, and looks good physically, except the nose... He's emerald on top, the rose line is clearly visable... Also, he's still pooping, and the poop is regular looking, and has increased in amount since I put him in the hospital tank... I don't get it...



Second Picture

Another Picture

This post has been edited by angela_brown: Apr 28 2008, 03:58 PM

The tank is overstocked.
I would add a bacterial med, melafix is no good.
Increase aeration.
Good luck.

Im not an expert but if its a shark thats on its back and other fish are pecking on it then I think he's dying.
But I hope everything works out Ok in the end, lets just hope its old age?
good Luck

This post has been edited by aquanovice: Apr 28 2008, 03:59 PM

The fish is now in a hospital tank isn't he.
Yes it dosn't look good but better off trying to save the fish so you feel abit better.
By the pics his times up i'm afraid.

This post has been edited by Wilder: Apr 28 2008, 04:01 PM

I don't think the high nitrate level has helped, if it is 80 after the water change i wouldn't like to know what it was before?
Denisonii barbs aren't the hardiest of fish.

compatibllity issues could also be blamed

He's in the hospital tank.

I went to town, when I called the LFS the lady said to try some Aquarium Salt, I was out, so I ran to town to get it. None of the other fish in the tank are sick, I think this whole issue is due to injury. Maybe the other fish didn't eat his nose, maybe he damaged it when he ran into the filter tube... I don't know.

He's a little more active since I got home, moving a bit more. I added 1 TBSP of Aquarium salt. The hospital tank is a 10, that's the only tank I had open. We'll see how he does.

Good luck.

Lets hope that aquarium salt helps a bit
Good Luck

Awwwwww........How sad

Bless you for trying so hard.

I am thinking he may have become ill first and drifted/got stuck to the filter tube.

He may just be old.

This evening, he's started moving around the tank a little bit more, and he ate... which I'm taking as an encouraging sign.

I fed him some baby brine shimp through a dropper and he really liked that. He wiggled a lot more while eating. And he pops up off the bottom of the tank and tries to swim a little bit. Much better than yesterday or the day before, but he still has a long way to go if he's going to make it.

Maybe he'll get better. I'm really hoping so...

Seen it all to often look like there getting better to go down hill fast again.
Good luck.