Urgent!

[nukeonekitty]

One of my yellow labs is up at the top of the water, swimming with the current into the heater. He isn't moving, just swimming in place. What is wrong with it? What should I do? My water is all normal for my water. I just added a few new fish a week ago. It is the 55 gal mbuna tank in my sig. Any help would be nice! I do put TopFin water conditioner and Topfin Bacteria suppliment!

 

[black angel]

Is it breathing harder than usual? Is it constantly swimming against the flow from the filter?
Anything new added to the tank in the past week or two such as fish?
Generally when fish swim into the flow its to get relief from something irritating the gills.
Can you see into its gills, it should be meaty red.

All the other fish acting normal?

 

[nukeonekitty]

All the other fish are acting normal, the sick fish is breathing a little bit harder it looks. I cannot see in the gills at all. I did add two rocks that I bought at the LFS (same as the rest of the rocks) and I rinsed the rock very intensly. The sick fish is almost on the top of the water, like his back fin is almost popping out of the water and he is swimming into the current from the bubble wall and right into the heater!

 

[black angel]

Its trying to get more oxygen over its gills for some reason. Ive heard of it associated with gill flukes or bacterial gill disease, so its important to try and get a look into the gills.
You may have to catch the fish and somehow lift the flap with something to see in.
If its bacterial then the gills will be brown in colour. If its flukes then you may see bits of white but healthy gills are a nice meaty red colour.

If it was the rocks I would have thought more fish would have the same symptoms. Can you isolate this fish to another tank with lots of air in it and maybe add some salt to the water?

 

[nukeonekitty]

Can I put the salt into the 55 community with all the fish? Will it helped? I will try to get a look at the inside of the fish!

 

[black angel]

If they are all african then yes.

But we need to see if its a parasite or a bacterial problem as salt has no effect on bacteria.

Can you seperate him?

 

[nukeonekitty]

It died... what a bummer... I looked at the gills and they were dark....

 

[black angel]

Sorry it died. DArk gills may have been a bacterial disease.

Do a few large water changes and make sure theres no muck under stones and the gravel/sand is clean.

 

[nukeonekitty]

Okay will do, thanks for your help.