HURRY AND HELP!!! OH MY GOD WTF IS WRONG!!!!

Lepisosteus platyrhincus

Polypterus
MFK Member
Nov 9, 2008
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In the caiman den
Came home from vacation to find this!!!!
slime coat appears to be peeling on the two smaller and barely started on the big boy. fins appear extremely short.
SOMEBODY has to know what to do!!!
urgent!!!

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Gator

Fire Eel
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Aug 10, 2007
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Never seen that before but I'd start off with the basics until someone can correctly ID the Problem. Until then do a massive water change, bump the temp up and add salt. I'm just guessing here because I've never seen that before but It could either be a bacterial infection or some other irritant causing the fish to produce excess slime but I'm not sure if excess slime would cause the deterioration of the fins so I'd lean towards a bacterial infection. Some water parameter numbers would help but either way start off with the water change, temp bump and salt.
 

beblondie

In Loving Memory
Mar 31, 2005
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bacterial infection use anti botics marcyn and marcyn2 cocktail
 

Lepisosteus platyrhincus

Polypterus
MFK Member
Nov 9, 2008
6,765
17
92
In the caiman den
were do i get that? I dont ever use meds. Is that the best route despite the fact meds with gar are a big no no as a general rule??
how did this happen?
 

E_americanus

Penguin Lover
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Aug 14, 2004
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beblondie;3176295; said:
bacterial infection use anti botics marcyn and marcyn2 cocktail
i would not advise using these meds on gars as a first run at the problem. they usually do more harm than good.

Lepisosteus platyrhincus;3176474; said:
were do i get that? I dont ever use meds. Is that the best route despite the fact meds with gar are a big no no as a general rule??
how did this happen?
don't use the anti-bact meds at this point. it looks like a bacterial infection and also likely ammonia burn. as mentioned in an earlier post, start with the basics. do a big water change (more than 50%) and increase temp to 82F and add 1 tbsp of salt per 20g of water. keep up with water changes (at least 50%) every other day until condition improves. the should bounce back. how long were you gone for, how big is the tank, what are the tankmates? --
--solomon
 

Lepisosteus platyrhincus

Polypterus
MFK Member
Nov 9, 2008
6,765
17
92
In the caiman den
NO tank mates besides each other. 3 florida gar, 2 9" and one 15"
tank is a 125g. was gone a week but had people caring for them.
 

packer43064

Jack Dempsey
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Jul 10, 2008
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I had this big piece on the bottom of my tank that looked exactly like that. Lookwed like skin or something. This was when I had a crappy filter on, so ammonia and the such probaly did it. I just got a bigger filter and IDK it was gone, plus water changes.
 

Lepisosteus platyrhincus

Polypterus
MFK Member
Nov 9, 2008
6,765
17
92
In the caiman den
its a fx5 with 2 small and 1 med gar. i dont think its underfiltered
 

Gar keeper

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 19, 2009
288
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In a pond with Gars snapping at me
Lepisosteus platyrhincus;3176645; said:
was gone a week but had people caring for them.
What EXACTLY did these people to do "care for them" :irked:
I'm not sure what needs to be done if you're only gone a week, but you need to talk to your petsitters and see if they did anything strange.
Other than that, water change, bump temp and add salt.

Good luck man, keep us updated please.
 

Lepisosteus platyrhincus

Polypterus
MFK Member
Nov 9, 2008
6,765
17
92
In the caiman den
i talked to them. they followed my exact instruction. nothing out of the ordinary.
what could have caused this???
 
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