Columbian Shark Dying? Please Help!

[ThisIsMyCareFace]

Hi everyone, I am new here, the old fish forums I used to belong to have been deactivated, seems the entire site is down forever. I have a serious problem, I have a 80 gallon brackish tank with 3 columbian sharks and one white convict cichlid, they have all been living in this tank for almost a year, and i've had all of them together for around 2 years. My problem is that one of my columbian sharks is not eating, and hasn't eaten in about a week, I am very worried, the other 2 sharks are swimming around happily and eating plenty, and fat, all the other fish are fat and appear healthy. I feed them a variety of food, and they eat it all, i feed them tropical flakes (they go through alot so it is always fresh), they eat shrimp pellets, slow sinking crumbles, brine shrimp (the dry cube kind), and sometimes live mealworms. The shark that appears sick swims at the front of the tank and his/her skinny belly is quite clear to see, and doesn't even attempt to eat at feeding time as the other fish pig out heartily. the sick fish also swims to the top of the tank and gulps in air and it comes out of his fins in large bubbles. Please someone help me save my beloved shark, I have raised all three of these sharks since they were about an inch long and it will break my heart to see one die. There is no marks on the fishes skin at all, and aside from not eating and rapid breathing and looking skinny, looks like the others. I am definatly due for a 30% water change but i have put this off for quite sometime due to a broken salt meter, or whatever its called. The ammonia and ph and temperature levels are all within acceptable range for these fish, and the cichlid doesnt seem to mind the brackish water at all. Please help me i am very desperate and i will be checking back every hour (unless im sleeping) to hopefully solve this problem.

Thank you-new to your forums-Levi

 

[LongS]

Try posting this in the brackish ection also, it might get more attention. Hope it all go's well.

 

[WILDER]

What test kit are you using?
Can you post water stats please.

Did the fish go skinny throw not eating. or was thin before it stopped eating.
Is the belly sunken in.
What does it look like when the fish goes to the toilet.
Is the anus enlarged or red and inflamed.
Any worms prutruding from the anus.
Does the fish act listless and lethagic.
Is the spine bending.
Does the fish look pale or darker in colour.
Do the gills look pale with excess mucas, or red and inflamed.

Not eating can be stress, bacterial, internal parasites.

 

[ThisIsMyCareFace]

Can you post water stats please.
SALINITY-1
PH-7.4
TEMP-28C

Did the fish go skinny throw not eating. or was thin before it stopped eating.
GOT SKINNY BECAUSE OF NOT EATING.

Is the belly sunken in
YES, AND THE SIDES OF THE BODY ARE SUNKEN IN TOO.

What does it look like when the fish goes to the toilet.
I DON'T KNOW I HAVE NEVER OBSERVED THEM DEFECATING.

Is the anus enlarged or red and inflamed.
NO

Any worms prutruding from the anus.
NO

Does the fish act listless and lethagic.
LISTLESS YES, LETHARGIC NO, HE SWIMS AT THE TOP FRONT OF THE TANK AT ALL TIMES, WITH HIS BELLY FACING THE FRONT OF THE TANK, SEEMS TO BE WANTING MORE AIR...NEVER REALLY STOPS MOVING UNLESS THE WATER IS DISTURBED AND THEN HE GOES TO THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK AND LAYS THERE UNTIL THE COAST IS CLEAR.

Is the spine bending.
NOT THAT I CAN TELL NO.

Does the fish look pale or darker in colour.
NO, EVERYTHING BESIDES NOT EATING,THE FISH APPEARS NORMAL.

Do the gills look pale with excess mucas, or red and inflamed.
NO.

Not eating can be stress, bacterial, internal parasites.
HOW DO I DIAGNOSE AND CURE?

Thank you so much for your reply, I await with baited breath.

 

[WILDER]

What's your location. Need it for a med.

Really need to know what it look's like when the fish goes to the toilet.

Does the shark flick and rub.

I would issolate the shark and start using a bacterial med for now. You need an internal bacteria med.
Plenty of aeration as the med will reduce 02 in the water.

If he's really weak the med could finish him off i'm afraid. Just a warning.

 

[ThisIsMyCareFace]

What's your location. Need it for a med.
WHITEHORSE, YUKON, CANADA

Really need to know what it look's like when the fish goes to the toilet.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN THEM USE THE TOILET, EVER LOL

Does the shark flick and rub.
NO, SWIMS SEEMINGLY CALM AT THE TOP OF THE TANK

I would issolate the shark and start using a bacterial med for now. You need an internal bacteria med.
Plenty of aeration as the med will reduce 02 in the water.
HOW DO I ISOLATE THE FISH? I WAS TOLD TO TRY SOME KRILL SOAKED IN GARLIC...HOPE IT HELPS STIMULATE APPETITE, IS IT POSSIBLE HE IS CARRYING SOME EGGS? I KNOW IT IS RARE FOR CSHARKS TO BREED IN A TANK, BUT IS IT POSSIBLE?

If he's really weak the med could finish him off i'm afraid. Just a warning.
AS OF RIGHT NOW THE FISH APPEARS TO BE ACTIVE AND NOT WEAK, BUT I'M SURE A FEW MORE DAYS OF CONSTANT MOVEMENT AND NO EATING WILL WEAKEN IT SIGNIFICANTLY.

Oh btw sorry for the caps, tryin to make it easier to read.

 

[WILDER]

Maracyn one and two, or maracyn plus.

Keep a look out for when all your fish go to the toilet.
They might need worming.

Garlic juice does stimulate appetite and boost the immune system. So soak his food in garlic juice. Also parasites are not meant to like it.

As for the eggs not to sure.
If it's rare I doubt it's egg. The fish usually looks fat not sunken in.

There this med. Get you some info.
Its a wormer and bacterial med all in one. Metro.

 

[WILDER]

Metronidazole

 

[ThisIsMyCareFace]

Thank you for the help, i'm wondering, do you get paid for all this posting? 16K in posts is amazing, and you reply very quickly.

 

[ThisIsMyCareFace]

Ok, just tested water properly, nitrates and nitrites were WAY up , ammonnia up a bit too, doing a 30% water change every week for a month.

 

[WILDER]

How often do you do a gravel vac and water change.

You need to do daily water changes when you have bad water quality.

I don't get paid for helping.
I read about deseases mainly for my own fish, but now I try and help others aswell.
It interested me at the beginning.

 

[WILDER]

The gasping probably due to the bad water quality.
If fish are stressed they won't always eat.

Is it possible to load a pic of him onto the site.

Also you need to get your water quality under control.

Water changes and increase aeration.

Also if your sponges are really mucked up rinse one of them in old tank water.

Need to see ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate reading.

 

[ThisIsMyCareFace]

Well...the fish died, and I am very sad.It is my fault i suspect nitrite/nitrate poisoning, the levels were through the roof, I had neglected my water changes. And I need to purchase a master tester kit on ebay. I did a 30% water change yesterday, found the fish dead today. I'm going to wait a week before i do another 30% water change because i hear that c sharks are very sensitive to water chance especially as adults. The rest of the fish appear healthy and fat, and continue to eat bountifully.

 

[LongS]

They may be sensitive to water changes but i bet they are more sensitive to high ammonia and nitrite levels.

test the water, if the ammonia and nitrite is above 0 then i would do a water change or if your worried get some ammonia remover.

Bad water will be worse than new clean water of this i am certain.

 

[WILDER]

Bless Him.
R.I.P.