It is with a heavy heart I post this.....but I am not going to be 'Scarysdad' for much longer I fear....
'Scary' christened by my wife is my very first fish, I rescued him 11 years ago as my mom was going to flush the 3" bugger for eating her neons, I had no clue what he was back then but he sparked an interest that has become nothing short of an obsession these days...turned out he was a Tilapia Mariae, he has been residing for the past 9 years by himself in a 60 gal tank. He has never in that time been ill, so when he suddenly went off his food 7 weeks ago I assumed he was 'cleaning' himself out...I was used to his periodic 'detoxes' where he not eat for a day or 2 then just resume again like nothing had happened. When this went on for a week I tried diversifying his food a little.....he loves bloodworm but I hate feeding it as I know it causes constipation(I only use it to start new 'babies' eating 'dead' food), I gave in and fed it a couple of times it was all he would take....then he even stopped taking that he would spit it out shaking his head as if it was causing him pain. So I added some Epsom salt to the tank thinking he might be constipated, this produced a normal(if a little light in color) faeces. Still not eating so I did a course of Octozin(Metro based UK med), still nothing we are now over a fortnight with no food, no other symptoms of anything present - fish appears and behaves normal. Another course of the Octozin still nothing but now he is producing clear thread like faeces(I am presuming intestinal mucous and lining cells since no food in belly plus Epsom), so I upped the ante treated with the Met med for 9 days straight(3 courses back to back)...still not eating. After some research I decided to try a med which would kill parasites and worms so I used a Flubendazole based med...2 doses of that (after waiting 4 days from the last Met treatment and 50% w/c), still nothing. I did another few w/c now we are at week 6 without food...it was during a change I noticed his eyes were a little poppy and he was a little swollen around the belly....alarm bells started going off...this signals ascites to me within 24 hrs he was vertical(pressure on the swim bladder I am assuming) eyes bulging and very swollen belly....I did another w/c added more Epsom(double what was in there before) to try and reduce the fluid pressure and began treating with a swim-bladder disease remedy(this contains formaldhyde and Bronopol as the active ingredients) as I knew now I am dealing with a bacterial internal infection and in all probability organ breakdown. It is here I am just now....he is no longer vertical but upside down on the bottom still swollen eyes and belly(maybe a little reduced), his respiration is surprisingly normal(usually at this stage I would expect laboured breathing due to pressure of fluid around the lungs. Reading on here on advanced ascites it advocates treating with Met and Epsom to get the fluid out...so wondering whether to stop the antbacterial meds and go back to Met.....as my thread title suggests I know I am 'clutching' at straws...I know he is on his way out I just want to know I have done everything possible for him...finding it difficult even to type this it is heart wrenching to see that big strong fish reduced to this....I know age gets everything in the end his immune system was obviously declining that this all began....but it is so hard to let go...this fish would actually 'greet' me when I got in by shimmying up and down the tank.....it is not right to love a fish this much...
So any advice on whether the Metro switch will do anything welcomed......
Scary its been a blast thanks for 11 years of education...
'Scary' christened by my wife is my very first fish, I rescued him 11 years ago as my mom was going to flush the 3" bugger for eating her neons, I had no clue what he was back then but he sparked an interest that has become nothing short of an obsession these days...turned out he was a Tilapia Mariae, he has been residing for the past 9 years by himself in a 60 gal tank. He has never in that time been ill, so when he suddenly went off his food 7 weeks ago I assumed he was 'cleaning' himself out...I was used to his periodic 'detoxes' where he not eat for a day or 2 then just resume again like nothing had happened. When this went on for a week I tried diversifying his food a little.....he loves bloodworm but I hate feeding it as I know it causes constipation(I only use it to start new 'babies' eating 'dead' food), I gave in and fed it a couple of times it was all he would take....then he even stopped taking that he would spit it out shaking his head as if it was causing him pain. So I added some Epsom salt to the tank thinking he might be constipated, this produced a normal(if a little light in color) faeces. Still not eating so I did a course of Octozin(Metro based UK med), still nothing we are now over a fortnight with no food, no other symptoms of anything present - fish appears and behaves normal. Another course of the Octozin still nothing but now he is producing clear thread like faeces(I am presuming intestinal mucous and lining cells since no food in belly plus Epsom), so I upped the ante treated with the Met med for 9 days straight(3 courses back to back)...still not eating. After some research I decided to try a med which would kill parasites and worms so I used a Flubendazole based med...2 doses of that (after waiting 4 days from the last Met treatment and 50% w/c), still nothing. I did another few w/c now we are at week 6 without food...it was during a change I noticed his eyes were a little poppy and he was a little swollen around the belly....alarm bells started going off...this signals ascites to me within 24 hrs he was vertical(pressure on the swim bladder I am assuming) eyes bulging and very swollen belly....I did another w/c added more Epsom(double what was in there before) to try and reduce the fluid pressure and began treating with a swim-bladder disease remedy(this contains formaldhyde and Bronopol as the active ingredients) as I knew now I am dealing with a bacterial internal infection and in all probability organ breakdown. It is here I am just now....he is no longer vertical but upside down on the bottom still swollen eyes and belly(maybe a little reduced), his respiration is surprisingly normal(usually at this stage I would expect laboured breathing due to pressure of fluid around the lungs. Reading on here on advanced ascites it advocates treating with Met and Epsom to get the fluid out...so wondering whether to stop the antbacterial meds and go back to Met.....as my thread title suggests I know I am 'clutching' at straws...I know he is on his way out I just want to know I have done everything possible for him...finding it difficult even to type this it is heart wrenching to see that big strong fish reduced to this....I know age gets everything in the end his immune system was obviously declining that this all began....but it is so hard to let go...this fish would actually 'greet' me when I got in by shimmying up and down the tank.....it is not right to love a fish this much...
So any advice on whether the Metro switch will do anything welcomed......
Scary its been a blast thanks for 11 years of education...