Blackmoor mystery

[Jammy6008]

Hello, looking for some advice. Recently over the last week or so my blackmoor has been sitting at the bottom of the tank not moving u less for food. Lively as anything when its feeding time but all other times just sits and doesn't move which is very unlike him. Water tests are all normal etc. He seems inflamed one one side, white spot treatment has been done so not sure what else I can do?

 

[Colin_T]

The fish has dropsy.

what have you been feeding it?

make sure it has lots of plant matter in its diet and treat the tank with anti-biotics.

To work out the volume of water in the tank:
measure length x width x height in cm.
divide by 1000.
= volume in litres.

When you measure the height, measure from the top of the substrate to the top of the water level.

There is a calculator/ converter in the "How To Tips" at the top of this page that will let you convert litres to gallons if you need it.

Remove carbon from the filter before treating or it will adsorb the medication and stop it working.

Wipe the inside of the glass down with a clean fish sponge. Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate. Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.

Clean the filter if it hasn't been done in the last 2 weeks. However, if the filter is less than 6 weeks old, do not clean it.

Increase surface turbulence/ aeration when using medications because they reduce the dissolved oxygen in the water.

 

[Jammy6008]

He's only had the same flakes that he has always been fed on from the store we bought him, might this need to be changed?

I've got a couple of live plants in there not yet rooted as only just been put in to help the tank condition.

Thanks very much for the advice below, very helpful i will try it as soon as I get in from work

I changed the filter last saturday so should I just leave it and add the anti-biotics?

Thanks
Jess

The fish has dropsy.

what have you been feeding it?

make sure it has lots of plant matter in its diet and treat the tank with anti-biotics.

To work out the volume of water in the tank:
measure length x width x height in cm.
divide by 1000.
= volume in litres.

When you measure the height, measure from the top of the substrate to the top of the water level.

There is a calculator/ converter in the "How To Tips" at the top of this page that will let you convert litres to gallons if you need it.

Remove carbon from the filter before treating or it will adsorb the medication and stop it working.

Wipe the inside of the glass down with a clean fish sponge. Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate. Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.

Clean the filter if it hasn't been done in the last 2 weeks. However, if the filter is less than 6 weeks old, do not clean it.

Increase surface turbulence/ aeration when using medications because they reduce the dissolved oxygen in the water.

 

[FishGuest5123]

His scales are raised a bit. He’s either bloated from constipation or beginning stages of dropsy. Have you seen him poop? Don’t Feed flakes to goldfish as they will gulp too much air when eating which can cause bloating. I breed black moor’s and they can be prone to swim bladder. I would fast him for a couple days. No food at all. Then on day 3 give him a blanched, peeled pea. See if he poops and the scales go down. If not, you can give him Epsom salt baths to help pull fluid off. One teaspoon in a gallon of dechlorinated water same temp as his tank. Leave for 3 minutes and then put him back in his tank. You can do this 3 times a day. I would suggest buying New Life Spectrum goldfish food. You will have to order it online. Also feed Repashy Super Gold gel food. Easy to make. I feed one in A.M. and the other in P.M. I also feed the peas once a week. Good luck!

 

[FishGuest5123]

If the scales don’t go down then treat for dropsy. Use Kanaplex and Furan-2 together per package directions. Even better would be to order Spectrogram which already has the 2 meds blended in it. You can order it from American Aquarium Products. You may want to do that immediately. Dropsy can be fatal if not treated quickly. Good luck! Please keep us posted.

 

[Jammy6008]

A few weeks ago he produced what i can only discribe as a white sphere from the side where his fins are raised, he was seperated and kept in clean conditions while the hole closed up, still no idea what it could have been but it as heeled over fine?

He is pooping and eating normally, just slower than he is as he's normally first to the top. He does get peas now and again and has in the past been given spare blood worms that have been left over from the lobster (they havent been in the lobster tank before giving him them, just because a cube is too much for the lobster and the black moor seems to love them)

I've got a spare tank ready set up for emergencies, should i transfer him to here and fast for 3 days and see from there do you think?

I'dd get some of that food ordered today

His scales are raised a bit. He’s either bloated from constipation or beginning stages of dropsy. Have you seen him poop? Don’t Feed flakes to goldfish as they will gulp too much air when eating which can cause bloating. I breed black moor’s and they can be prone to swim bladder. I would fast him for a couple days. No food at all. Then on day 3 give him a blanched, peeled pea. See if he poops and the scales go down. If not, you can give him Epsom salt baths to help pull fluid off. One teaspoon in a gallon of dechlorinated water same temp as his tank. Leave for 3 minutes and then put him back in his tank. You can do this 3 times a day. I would suggest buying New Life Spectrum goldfish food. You will have to order it online. Also feed Repashy Super Gold gel food. Easy to make. I feed one in A.M. and the other in P.M. I also feed the peas once a week. Good luck!

 

[FishGuest5123]

I would QT him just so other don’t bother him. Move some of your gravel to vet with him and a bit of filter media to help cycle the tank quickly for him. Go ahead and order the Spectogram first and let’s get him treated before the food. Here to help if needed.

 

[FishGuest5123]

I would QT him just so other don’t bother him. Move some of your gravel to vet with him and a bit of filter media to help cycle the tank quickly for him. Go ahead and order the Spectogram first and let’s get him treated before the food. Here to help if needed.

Sorry, I see the tank is already set up. No need to cycle then. Good for you!

 

[FishGuest5123]

Sorry, I see the tank is already set up. No need to cycle then. Good for you!

Here is a pic of the med needed. Order it from American Aquarium Products Inc.

 

[Colin_T]

I changed the filter last saturday so should I just leave it and add the anti-biotics?

There might be an issue with cycling if the OP is replacing filter media (post #3).​

You don't want to replace filter materials unless they are falling apart. I you have an external power filter, you can buy foam filter pads for AquaClear filters (or other brands) and cut them to fit your filter. Then you simply wash the sponges out in a bucket of tank water every couple of weeks.

 

[Jammy6008]

Thanks for all the advice. We QT'd him with the suggested meds but unfortunately he has passed tonight, absolutely gutted

Thanks again

 

[FishGuest5123]

I’m so sorry. Sometimes dropsy is fatal as too much damage internally.