Sick Fish

[fish are friends....]

My firemouth is showing some strange signs of illness that i havn't seen before.. i don't know whether it could be as simple as stress or somethng worse

He isn't active and just stays midtank, in the same hidding place. He never rests on the bottom but seems lethargic. He has also lost a lot of colour and is almost white and black striped now rather then a dark grey colour all over. He also keeps his mouth open all the time but doesn't have rapid gill movement. He isn't eating either.

Any ideas of what it could be..

please reply ASAP as i would like to save the little fellow!

Thanks!

 

[WILDER]

How many gallons is the tank.
How amny fish and which type.
Water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.

Is the fish bloated or skinny.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing against onjects.

Bacterial signs are being listless and lethagic, being pale or darker in colour, not eating.

 

[fish are friends....]

How many gallons is the tank.
How amny fish and which type.
Water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.

Is the fish bloated or skinny.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing against onjects.

Bacterial signs are being listless and lethagic, being pale or darker in colour, not eating.

its about 26 US gallons i think.
i have got 8 fish.
2 firemouths, 2 severum, 2 krib, 2 jewels.. they are all only small and there are no signs of aggresion in the tank

pH- 7.8
nitrate - 50mg/l
general hardness - 16
carbonate hardness - 7
nitrite - 0mg/l
and ammonia is fine

no bloating but he is starting to look fairly skinny
No flicking or rubbing either

 

[WILDER]

What your tap nitrate reading.
If he skinny it can mean old age, fish tb to internal parasites.

Signs of internal parasites are.
Being thin or bloated.
Enlarged anus, or red inflamed anus.
White stingy poo, to clear mucas poo, to blood red poo.
Worms prutruding from the anus.

 

[fish are friends....]

What your tap nitrate reading.
If he skinny it can mean old age, fish tb to internal parasites.

Signs of internal parasites are.
Being thin or bloated.
Enlarged anus, or red inflamed anus.
White stingy poo, to clear mucas poo, to blood red poo.
Worms prutruding from the anus.

The fish is only young and his poo is normal as does his anus.
I don't know what my tap reading is.

 

[WILDER]

You just do a test on your tap reading in nitrate.
has the fish lost weight due to not eating.
The fish is showing some signs of a bacterial infection.

<a href="http/www.petsforum.com/cis-fishnet/afm/G29060.htm" target="_blank">http/www.petsforum.com/cis-fishnet/afm/G29060.htm</a>

Taken from the link.

The third type of infection produced by Aeromonas is by no means the least. This form is often the most virulent (potent) and can be rapidly fatal. This insidious form does not produce any noticeable external ulcers. The most notable feature is a behavioral change in which the infected fish generally become listless and lethargic. Some fish may lose color or appear darker. The fish do not feed, frequently seem off balance and may sink to the bottom laying on their sides. The course of the disease is rapid, and by the time the behavioral changes are noticed, the entire population of a tank may succumb, sometimes in a day or so. This is an internal infection, with the bacteria being found in the kidneys and blood of these fish. The bacteria produce potent toxins that account for the severity of the disease.


His gills do they look pale with excess mucas or red and inflamed.

 

[fish are friends....]

You just do a test on your tap reading in nitrate.
has the fish lost weight due to not eating.
The fish is showing some signs of a bacterial infection.

<a href="http/www.petsforum.com/cis-fishnet/afm/G29060.htm" target="_blank">http/www.petsforum.com/cis-fishnet/afm/G29060.htm</a>

Taken from the link.

The third type of infection produced by Aeromonas is by no means the least. This form is often the most virulent (potent) and can be rapidly fatal. This insidious form does not produce any noticeable external ulcers. The most notable feature is a behavioral change in which the infected fish generally become listless and lethargic. Some fish may lose color or appear darker. The fish do not feed, frequently seem off balance and may sink to the bottom laying on their sides. The course of the disease is rapid, and by the time the behavioral changes are noticed, the entire population of a tank may succumb, sometimes in a day or so. This is an internal infection, with the bacteria being found in the kidneys and blood of these fish. The bacteria produce potent toxins that account for the severity of the disease.


His gills do they look pale with excess mucas or red and inflamed.

His gills look fine. Also instead of going darker in colour he has gone lighter!

thanks for the help so far tho!

 

[WILDER]

Ok.
Loss of colour can be bacterial as well.
Good luck.