Cardinal Losing Colour

[GrubbyGirl]

OK, 6 days on here is the update. The quarantine tank has now had 3 days of esha 2000 and exit. The cardinal still has no colour but otherwise appears fine (he's always seemed fine!) so I'm going to pop it back into the main tank tonight.

The torpedo is far more of a puzzle. I had come to the conclusion that as he was lying on his side on the bottom and not able to swim properly, that he had a swim bladder problem. He does look a little bloated on close examination but not much. Also after 4 days in the quarrantine there was no poop. So, the ehsa treatment would solve any bacterial causes but I'm more convinved he's constipated. So last night and this morning I have given him an epsom salt bath. Still no pooping, but he is now upright and not on his side, but still can't swim. So what else can I do to get him to poop? I haven't fed since they have been in quarantine so I could try daphnia this evening. I don't think he'll eat a pea.

Anybody any other ideas? How many more times can I give him epsom salt baths? Should I add some to the tank?

Needless to day the main tank had some frozen daphnia last night just to keep them going!

 

[WILDER]

You could add the epsom salt to the tank if he's in isolation.

Soak the fish food in garlic juice to stimulate appetite, and boost the immune system.

Do any of your fish show any of these signs.
Long stringy white poo or clear poo.
Enlarged anus, red inflamed anus.
Sunken in belly.
Fish will look skinny or bloated.
Fish will swim on there sides.
Worms prutruding from the anus.
Bent spine.

 

[GrubbyGirl]

Nope every other one is fit and healthy. The cardinal is on his way back to the main tank so I'll add some epsom salts to tank now

 

[GrubbyGirl]

I just put some frozen brine shrimp with garlic in the tank as I had some and I know the garlic will stimulate his appetite. I put about a dozen in expecting to be siphoning them out in an hour. Put them in, covered up the tank, went back in an hour and there was not one left! I'm now even more convinced it's constipation. I know brine shrimp like daphnia helps with pooping, so fingers crossed. I'm feeling more hopeful now he's upright in the water and eating. Just wish he could swim better!!

 

[WILDER]

Bless him.
How is he today.

 

[GrubbyGirl]

He's the same, looking livlier and swimming a bit with a bend when he does, but when he stops he sinks. He actually looks fine but amazing still hasn't pooped and it's now day 7. Tonight I am going to try daphnia and a pea.....he's clearly a hungry boy. anyone has any other ideas for clearing him out I'd be grateful to here them??

 

[WILDER]

You can add a drop of cod liver oil to a fish mouth. But hard to do on a small fish.
Once you have used cod liver oil you can't feed for two days.

 

[GrubbyGirl]

He's getting better every day but still hasn't pooped. But then I read somewhere that a betta was in the same way and was eating his own poop as there was nothing else to eat. The owner saw it poop then when he looked an hour later it had gone.

He is still swining with a bend in his body but now he's so lively he's just crashing into the side of the tank as it's small. I don't want to put him back into nthe main tank as he's still not right. He's eating well though.

There is clearly something going on in my tank as another fish is now very bloated. No raised scales though. Can't catch it though as it's just too quick. It's behaving like there is nothing wrong though and just ate well with the others. I just don't get it.

 

[WILDER]

Being bloated can be caused by constipation, swim bladder, dropsy, internal parasites.

If anymore fish get bloated get back to the board.
Check all fish for when they go to the toilet.

 

[GrubbyGirl]

well 3 weeks on I thought I would update. After 2 weeks in quarantine and no signs of amy problems I returned the cardinal to the main tank. He did fine, then disappeared a couple of days ago. Couldn't find a body at my water change, so I'm sure he was a meal for the others.

After a second course of esha 2000 and exit the redline torpedo is still here and is very very gradually improving. It's only been the last couple of days that he's been swimming with a less bent spine. He's eating really well too. The lfs I really rate said I neded to be patient becuase if he did have swim bladder disease it could ake a couple of months for him to get back to 100%. It will be a while before he goes back into the community tank , but I am really pleased with him.

So the cardinal that didn't look sick didn't make it yet the torpedo who I thought I was going to have to eithanise is doing well. I'm glad I persevered.

 

[WILDER]

Thanks for the update.
Glad there some improvement.

Sad about the other fish. R.I.P.

 

[GrubbyGirl]

Hey wilder

I thought I'd let you know that the torpedo, after a month is quarantine is now fit and healthy and back with the other 5 and doing well. I can hardly tell which one it was now. I don't think I'll ever know what happened but I am so pleased that with lots of TLC he's gone from a fish that was bent up and twitching and couldn't swim to a healthy torpedo. Considering I was going to euthanise on day 2 I'm so glad I stuck with him.