Fish Not Eating - Advice Appreciated

[mark4785]

I personally would cease meds in the quarantine tank do PWC and run fresh carbon.
The meds may be causing the internal problems you suspect and on top of that the stress may be the reason for not eating. The stress and meds could also be a reason for the paleness.

The flickIng and rubbing has stopped so maybe that's an indication that the external irritation has ceased.

I've had 4 fish over the past month going towards food but not eating but mine lost weight and looked pale. I've had one fish stop eating and bloat wich I'm suspecting is caused by the damage of over medicating.

Bloating is usually associated with organ failure causing lack of osmotic regulation.

There is now no medication in the tank at all and the GBR has been facing the same direction, just above the filter head for 3 days in a row, only to move when I removed the aquarium lid to answer the burning question "what the **** is this fish playing at?"

There is absolutely no rubbing/flicking and there is no appetite. However, the GBR now has a whitish tint to the front dorsal fin and is swimming with it's head down. Fish constantly has a 'black tar mark' accross the central part of the body which is associated with stress/being scared.

With regards to the gravel vac advice, I always do gravel vacs on a weekly basis. I cannot add activated carbon as there is no such part to the filter system for this.

 

[mark4785]

I'm in the process of uploading a YT video showing the problem-fishes. I think the footage will best show what's wrong at the moment.

 

[mark4785]

GBR is swimming with head down, has a dark tar like colour across body and a white line of film on top rim of front dorsal fin. Fish is very listless when I don't offer food; often staying above Eheim filter outlet.

The DNR fish is unusually hiding in a small gap beneath Eheim filter. Very strange behaviour for this fish since it isn't a bottom dweller. Fish has a blackened face and the tail fin is a orangey colour.

 

[alihar]

Sorry I can't seem to look at the vid I will try on my laptop later. The blackening could possibly chemical burn???

 

[mark4785]

Video: http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=5haTOPPPpTQ

Sorry, the initial video failed to upload so that's why it wasn't working, that's YT for you .

The blackening could possibly chemical burn???

No, they can colour morphe. The black appearance comes about when they are scared or stressed.


As can be seen in the video, the GBR is swimming head down, is really pale and doesn't have much of an appetite even for atemia. The DNR is literally sat on the substrate with a blackened facial area; DNR, from experience, never swim at the bottom of the aquarium.

At present, both fish are at the top of the water column, gulping air.

 

[Caprichoso]

GBR is swimming with head down, has a dark tar like colour across body and a white line of film on top rim of front dorsal fin. Fish is very listless when I don't offer food; often staying above Eheim filter outlet.

The DNR fish is unusually hiding in a small gap beneath Eheim filter. Very strange behaviour for this fish since it isn't a bottom dweller. Fish has a blackened face and the tail fin is a orangey colour.

This looks to be the final stage of gill fluke infestation, fish on bottom, gills fluttering continuously. The fish has gill damage and cannot get proper oxygen. Even if the meds killed all the flukes, the damage has already been done. I'm very sorry, but your fish is going to die. There is nothing else you can do except to end his suffering.

 

[mark4785]

Is it possible for anybody to make a diagnosis from the footage and descriptions?

The latest symptoms to emerge the DNR gasping at the surface with no absolutely no appetite for anything but blood worm (something they should never eat as it can get stuck in their throat!). The GBR is also at the water surface but not gasping; top fin has been out of the water in some cases which is just going to create more problems. Also the reason the GBR is swimming head down is due to the fact that she has clamped her pelvic fins. Female GBR also has black tar mark situated horizontally across body and tail fin which is the colour they produce when stressed.

May be worth noting that a previous DNR has died in the same tank from what appeared to be gill flukes as she was gasping constantly at the surface and unable to maintain balance. Could a bacterial cause result in the same symptoms? The reason I ask is because I am treating for flukes with Sterazin and it's as though it has no effect.

 

[Caprichoso]

The reason the meds appear to have no effect is just what I stated previous, the flukes have already done the gill damage and it is irreparable. So even if the flukes are dead, they have already damaged your fish's gills to the point that it cannot get oxygen. That is what is going to kill the fish, the lack of O2. With most fluke meds, you have to do several rounds of dosing before it is effective. Yes, it's possible there is some sort of bacterial infection but that would improve with daily water changes more so than meds. Especially since you wouldn't know if that was the illness or not. Does the Sterazin have prazi in it? The API general cure is a pretty good med for gill flukes/parasites and it's also safe for inverts too.