Sick Fish...

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Jen

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I set up a hospital tank for a barb with internal bacteria problems. Took water from main tank, a hand full of sand, and some of the filter sleeve. The guy at my lfs said to turn the temp up to 80°F and treat the water Maracyn (I think thats what it is). So I treated the water, and turned up the temp. My main tank is at 74°, and I doubt the water was more than 76/78° when I put the fish in.

When the fish was in the new tank, he hid for a minute, then basically looked like he was headed out. He couldn't swim properly... just kept floating up to the surface, wouldn't try to correct it. This went on for like 5 minutes. I decided that he was in agony, and put him back in the main tank to see what was going on. Within 2 minutes of being back in the main tank, he was normal again (or - as normal as he was to begin with)

Anyone have any idea of what happened, or what I did wrong?
 
Shouldn't turn the temp up with bacteria infections, usually down, did you turn the temp up gradually, also did you climatise him back to the main tank tempreture again, as this could cause whitespot.
 
I did aclimatise him both times. Floated him in a container I have for that purpose, and gradually put water in before letting him into the tanks.
 
If there were no other chemicals or contaminates that could have gotten into the hospital tank, it could be that the fish was stressed. The last time one of my fish was quarantined to a hopital tank, he sat in the back facing the corner the whole time. Occassionally he would look over at the big tank. I think he was depressed. Incidentially he did not make it -_- and I don't bother with quarantining sick fish anymore. It's rare enough occurance that the expense is worth it if it saves my fish. Especially, if they are contagious, I treat the whole tank. If it's not parasitic you can feed medicated food and try to see that only the sick fish gets the most of it. The only reason I would quarantine is if the other tank mates are harrasing him.
 
I have never used a quarentine tank before, and probably never will again. I only did this becasue the guy told me too. I would rather treat the whole tank incase any of the other fish contracted it. He has a little cave that he has claimed as his own, so no one is pestering him.
I have medicated food as well, so maybe I will try and give that a go.
 

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