Sick Convict

[Convict1234]

Hi, am looking for some help please about our convict. Will try and give as much info as possible.

He was in our outdoor pond with 4 goldfish. When I cleaned the pond out a week ago, he was bloated, lying on his side and had a gash/sore on his head.

We transferred him to our aquarium (4 foot) and put a barrier in (we have a red devil in there aswell. The convict was originally in the aquarium but they fought so he was put in the pond approx. 2 years ago).

Since then, he has been lying on the bottom of tank on his side. His stomach is fairly bloated.

I went to our local pet store and was told to add some aquarium salt which I did. We did not feed him 3 days and then tried feeding him a pea (without the skin) which he didn't eat. After a few days with not much improvement except for the gash/sore on his head healing quite well, I went back to the pet store.

I was told to add Melafix and Pimafix to the tank and bath him for 15 mins in Epsom Salt twice a day. Yesterday afternoon he seemed to slightly improve (was trying to swim to the top) but hasn't moved much since.

I have been searching the internet and think it may be swim bladder disease, constipation or dropsy???

Any help would be greatly appreciated. We really want him to pull through. Thankyou

 

[onidrase]

Convicts are tropical fish, they like to have very stable water conditions, which is hard to succeed in with an outdoor pond in most places. If you were feeding goldfish goldfish food (which is pretty safe to assume) it's likely that the convict was eating that as well. Since they like more protein in their diet, and I believe goldfish food is really fatty, this may be the issue. The gash on its head may have been a shock issue, the fish could have quite possibly gone erratic for whatever reason and hit its head on something. Try to keep the convict inside, it doesn't belong in a goldfish pond.

The fatness could be a number of issues, but I'm guessing its bloated. continue as you are, keep the water in the tank clean, and keep trying to feed it peas.

Pictures help as well.

 

[Convict1234]

Convicts are tropical fish, they like to have very stable water conditions, which is hard to succeed in with an outdoor pond in most places. If you were feeding goldfish goldfish food (which is pretty safe to assume) it's likely that the convict was eating that as well. Since they like more protein in their diet, and I believe goldfish food is really fatty, this may be the issue. The gash on its head may have been a shock issue, the fish could have quite possibly gone erratic for whatever reason and hit its head on something. Try to keep the convict inside, it doesn't belong in a goldfish pond.

The fatness could be a number of issues, but I'm guessing its bloated. continue as you are, keep the water in the tank clean, and keep trying to feed it peas.

Pictures help as well.


Thank you for your reply - much appreciated. I have taken a photo but can't figure out how to attach it here.

 

[Convict1234]

Convicts are tropical fish, they like to have very stable water conditions, which is hard to succeed in with an outdoor pond in most places. If you were feeding goldfish goldfish food (which is pretty safe to assume) it's likely that the convict was eating that as well. Since they like more protein in their diet, and I believe goldfish food is really fatty, this may be the issue. The gash on its head may have been a shock issue, the fish could have quite possibly gone erratic for whatever reason and hit its head on something. Try to keep the convict inside, it doesn't belong in a goldfish pond.

The fatness could be a number of issues, but I'm guessing its bloated. continue as you are, keep the water in the tank clean, and keep trying to feed it peas.

Pictures help as well.


Thank you for your reply - much appreciated. I have taken a photo but can't figure out how to attach it here.


I have attached a photo to my profile so hopefully you can see it??