Fat Lip

[Colin_T]

if the red spot on the fish's lip has gone then it is a good sign and sounds like it is improving.

most filter sponges will last for years and only need replacing when they start to fall apart. If it ain't broke, don't replace it

The black colouration could be the fish's natural colour or bruising/ cell damage. Without a pic it is hard to say but I would leave it and just monitor the fish over the next few weeks. If it doesn't get worse, then don't treat it any more. And just keep the tank as clean as possible (lots of water changes and gravel cleans).

 

[djb]

i noticed his lip was swollen again yesterday but its fine 2 day i hope he is getting better.
anoter thing i was wondering is why does my filter stream seem fast when i clean the sponge n a few days l8r its not as powerful it still in 1 piece so im not sure if it needs replacing or not.
im doing a 10% water change 1nce a week

 

[Colin_T]

The filter is probably blocking up from fish waste and other gunk in the tank. Pacu are pretty messy fish and can produce huge amounts of waste. This will cause most small filters to need cleaning fairly frequently. You should clean the filter about once a month. If you need to do it more often then you should increase the filtration on the tank by adding a second filter.

Filter sponges only need replacing when they start to fall apart. Most will last for years before they need replacing.

You should be doing bigger water changes as well. A 25-50% water change each week will help keep the water cleaner. If you use a gravel cleaner each time you do a water change, then that will remove a lot of the gunk and prevent the filter from blocking up as quickly.
The bigger water change will also dilute any harmful disease organisms and help reduce the severity and occurrence of disease outbreaks.