Help!

[MtbGirl]

One of our cardinal tetras is not as bright red as the other three. She's somewhat whitish and bloated. She's swimming on her own, not hanging around the other fish too much, and she keeps swimming towards the top of the tank at an angle. She looks as if she's trying to stick her mouth out to breathe... oh and her mouth seems to be opening and closing at a faster rate than the other fish.

I called the LFS, they suggested putting a teaspoon of kosher salt in there to help with the bloating and they said she isn't a threat to the other fish. We're going to try feeding them a little now, to see if she's eating.

Oh... and I'm saying "she" but we really don't know the sex of this fish. Please help!!!!

 

[WILDER]

Your tank is way overstocked for a 7gal.
Chinese algae eater as they grow get aggressive and that tank is way to small.
Also its to small for shoaling fish.
Water stats in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and ph.
If she laboured breathing and gasping sad to say she not going to make it.
What do you feed your fish.
Can she maintain her balance in the water.
All there left to do is an epson salt bath do try and get the bloated tummy down, but she in a bad way and I doubt she will make it.

I would do an immediate water change.
Take a sample of your water to the lfs and tell the lfs to write the readings down for you.
http/www.fishjunkies.com/Treatments/salt.php

http/www.aquatic-gardeners.org/cyprinid.html

 

[MtbGirl]

We know we're on the edge of having too many fish, when we first bought them we weren't told we had too many. Somehow they've all survived in the tank since July.

The algae eater has been fine, he hasn't seemed to be bullying any of the fish, so we've been lucky there as well.

I have a feeling she won't make it either, my husband is out right now getting kosher salt.

 

[WILDER]

Right you have an algae eater there scaless fish so cant tolerate to much salt.
House hold salt is fine add a teaspoon in a jug of tank water let it disolve by stirring it, add it to the tank.

http/ukdiscus.com/ken_thomson_salt.htm

 

[MtbGirl]

I poured the salt in before reading your post!! Well it's kosher, not household, hopefully Herbie (the algae eater) will be fine.

How long will it be before we start to see a difference in the sick fish?? That's if we see a difference. We realize she may not make it, and I feel bad because I didn't notice her sooner...

 

[WILDER]

You haven't just poured the salt in the tank without dissolving it in water have you.
If the algae eater sucks that up it will burn it mouth.
How much salt have you added.
To be hoenst don't hold out much hope for the sick fish, but always best to give it a shot at trying to save it.

 

[MtbGirl]

Nope, I didn't dissolve it first... I just looked in the tank, can't see the grains... maybe they dissolved already?? Should we try sucking the salt out with the hose we use to clean the tank with??

EDIT: I only added a teaspoon.

 

[WILDER]

Didn't you read the instructions.
Yes vac it up and then add a teaspoon only.

 

[MtbGirl]

Didn't you read the instructions.
Yes vac it up and then add a teaspoon only.

We did only add a teaspoon. We used kosher salt, not epson salt, and I added it in haste because I was worried.

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

Put a teaspoon into a a big bowel of the tank water. Net the sick fish out and drop him in. Leave him in for 3-5 minutes and puthim back into the tank, becareful he might already be too weak for the bath. This sounds like a bad bacterial infection. Does this white on the fish look fluffy or like salt?

Either salts will hurt the CAE. I strongly suggest treating him in a bowel with a small amount of salt. It is fine to use the kosher instead of epson.

 

[MtbGirl]

I think she's just pale, she's not as red as the others... I think she looks more whitish on the underbelly because she's bloated.

EDIT: We put her in a separate bowl, looking at her from above we can see her scales sticking out... she doesn't look smooth. Unfortunately we don't have an extra tank to put her in... all of the other fish seem fine and healthy... are they in any danger??

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

Okay i'm pretty sure this is swimbladder and/or constipation. Another thing to try is to feed it a de-shelled cooked pea. If he is constipated this should clear it up and possibly help with the bloatedness. I'm going to ask that you hold off on the bath if you haven't done it already, laboured breathing is a sign of weakness and he may not live after the bath. Please pick up some medication from your LPS asap. medications I suggest are Premafix or Melafix

 

[MtbGirl]

Okay i'm pretty sure this is swimbladder and constipation. Another thing to try is to feed it a de-shelled cooked pea. If he is constipated this should clear it up and possibly help with the bloatedness. I'm going to ask that you hold off on the bath if you haven't done it already, laboured breathing is a sign of weakness and he may not live after the bath. Please pick up some medication from your LPS asap. medications I suggest are Premamix (sp?) or Melafix

She's moving pretty quickly in the bowl, we're going to put her back now. Unfortunately any shops in our area would be closed by now...

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

I'm guessing you did give it the bath? Okay make sure no fish are picking on him/her and if any are put a fresh bowel of water from the tank out and put it in there for alittle. Try to get to the shops when they open sometime

 

[MtbGirl]

I'm guessing you did give it the bath? Okay make sure no fish are picking on him/her and if any are put a fresh bowel of water from the tank out and put it in there for alittle. Try to get to the shops when they open sometime

Yeah, she's back in the tank now... she was actually swimming about quickly. Her fins seem fine and none of the other fish seem to be picking on her. As for the medication, what am I looking for?? I'm not sure if it's constipation or a bacterial infection.

She already doesn't seem as bloated but maybe that's wishful thinking.