Fish Won't Swim

[swozzie]

I have 3 red line torpedo barbs and 3 clown loaches in a 180 liter planted tank, temp 24-26, ammonia 0ppm, nitrite 0ppm, nitrate < 5ppm - all the fish are around 8 years old

3 weeks ago, one of the barbs jumped out of the water and hit the lights/reflective metal around the lights - overnight he developed a large white area on his side, he seemed ok, madly going for his food etc but a couple of days later he lost the ability to swim. Over the next few days he didn't look good, milky white things growing at the base of his caudal fin and what seems like scales falling off the same area, surprisingly the initial white area on his side healed up and vanished over the next few days.

I treated with Interpet Anti Internal Bacteria and this helped clear up his caudal fin of those milky white patches. I then noticed a long thin white stringy thing coming from his rear end so I then treated with Sterazin.

The last 7 days I have been using Melafix.

The fish itsself is still lively, his caudal fin is in a state but he still can't swim, he can't control his self at all so subsequently he hasn't eaten for 3 weeks!! However I would say that any external signs of bacterial infection are now gone.

My question is this, has he got any chance of survival or should I think about putting him down? At some point he will only die of starvation anyway.

Thanks in advance...

 

[WILDER]

So it took a few days for him not to swim properly as injurys can sometimes damage there swim bladder.
longer stringy white poo can be constipation, bacterial infection, to internal parasties.
What do you feed your fish,.

 

[swozzie]

So it took a few days for him not to swim properly as injurys can sometimes damage there swim bladder.
longer stringy white poo can be constipation, bacterial infection, to internal parasties.
What do you feed your fish,.

once a day - TetraPrima complete food

once a week - TetraFishDelica whole bloodworm or TetraFishDelica brine shrimp

they get fed very little

it wasn't "white poo" - this thing was as long as his body and very thin, like a cotton thread - difficult to see!

 

[WILDER]

I would cook some frozen peas for a few minutes, let cool down and pop out of shell.
Mush between fingers into smalll peices and add to the tank.

 

[Loony Fish]

probably worms... the burn may be affecting it... sorry about your fish... it is annoying when things you cannot controwl happen.

 

[WILDER]

Looney fish long stringy white poo can be a number of things.
I would try the peas first as there good with constipation and swim bladder.

Signs of internal parasites are.
long stringy white poo, or clear mucas poo.
Being really thin, or bloated.
Sunken in tummy.
Enlarged anus or red and inflamed anus.
Worms prutruding from the anus.
Sometimes bent spine.

 

[swozzie]

peas are only good if its constipation and obviously he has a bacterial and/or parasite infection, besides he cant swim about enough to eat anything, I have tried hand feeding but thats a skill in itsself! He did have some stuff in his mouth but promptly spat it back out again

anyway I think that whatever caused the problem is now fixed - the question now is that if I can't feed him shall I get him put down or it worth waiting it out just in case he gets the ability to float again?

 

[WILDER]

Swim bladder fatal in most cases.
Bacterial meds only work if the its bacterial thats causing the swim bladde,rIf its not bacterial the med won't work.
I would issolate him so he's more comfortable.
Good luck.