Bichir Issues

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Youmaykillme

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 15, 2012
6
0
0
Norway
hey I have some issues with my bichirs. two of em...
A is floating upside down/bare swimming at all. on top of the water. it happened like 30 min ago, he was (floating) the proper way then. aint energic at all :/
B was floating the aswell, now he managed to get down to the aquarium bottom (tho his tail is standing straight up) its more or less like a flag pole. tho he seems energic...

yesterday I also found two dead Hujetpike (might not be the correct name) after a heater went mental, threw away the heater and switched ALOT of water in case of poisoning (can be that still :/).

Have found floating feses, and have seen several things about floating bichirs having food issues getting gas etc. as ive also gotten the git of them not having a swim bladder.

stomach on A the smallest one is abit bloated. not much tho..
B the big one is a pretty fine speciment if I dare say so and dont rly look bloated at all. tho his eyes are pretty greyish.
i've had aquariums for several years never any deceases or anything. in my younger days I had some deaths aswell. but the last 2-3 years not one death...

hmm more informasion. water lvls are pretty nice.
have been rather stressful for em since ive been at war with a african lungfish... but not sure if stress can do this?. these bichirs are about 1 year both.


would be nice with some knowledge about this. and if their not saveable, still would like knowledge for future cases that might happen..


Yours truly YMKM.
 
short update; just saw A swim around on the top of the water pretty energic. for 1-2 minutes... now it is back to its old state. up side down.
 
SAM_0215.JPGspesiment A. SAM_0214.JPGA and B a few hour ago. odd behaviour. A tend to hide under a rock, B tend to hide under the pump. A is now SAM_0217.JPG spesiment A have tried t swim around more. think I will turn of the light, to prevent more stress.

SAM_0215.JPG

SAM_0214.JPG

SAM_0217.JPG
 
Try catching him with the net and gently but firmly rub his stomach in a head to tail direction until some of the air passes and he's able to swim upright. I had success doing this once, and try adding catfish to their diet every once in a while to aid with digestion.
 
ive been trying that one the small one for a while, now he stopped trying to ge away, but it feels like its something there, like"getting displaced" dont missunderstand, im doing it extremely gently. and I was able to get out some air. but im afraid of hurting the lil one. and now he barely moves at all :/

I also noticed that speciment A was alot softer (belly) then speciment B. and speciment B did not have that feeling of displacing something.

the displacement feeling may be like the feeling of the popping of bubbles some played with as a child.
 
Update: both are now dead.
Will cry myselves to bed now as my fav fishie died :( was sooo small when I got him aswell. grew like 20-25 cm : 9 - 9.6 inches. as I had him.

anyways thanks for the help.
 
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