Help fill curl on my RTG arowana

[alanliaw]

Hi could anyone help as my arowana started to have gill curl on both side.
I've done all the remediation recommend on website, I.e change 20% water every 3 days, introduce power head and even 50% water at one time.
Water parameters and nitrate is good as i ve tested water every 2 day to monitor it. Oxygen level is good
It had been 2 month now but the gill is still curl but fortunately its not harden.
Anyone could shed some light here?
BTW I got 4x2x2 foot tank

 

[narayanang76]

I read this somewhere on a site:

GILL CURL:
With this condition, the gill cover of the arowana curls outward, initially involving only the softer part of the cover, then later, the hard gill cover. If the problem is not treated, the condition will worsen and the gill will get exposed - causing breathing difficulty and making the gill prone to infection. The end result could be fatal.

A small swimming space in a tank with a length and width shorter than 2.5x and 1x the length of the arowana can cause gill curl, as the fish has to reverse when turning. Move your fish into a larger tank immediately. Poor water conditions with high level of ammonia, nitrite or nitrate also contribute to gill curl. Do a water change and increase the water current and increase dissolved 02 (by adding an airstone). If possible massage the gill cover if the fish allows it.

If all else fails you might have to operate. When only the soft potion of the gill cover is involved and the problem is noticed early, conservative management might be possible. However when the hard portion of the gill is affected, the condition is only reversible through surgery. With surgery, the curled portion of the gill is either trimmed off or multiple perpendicular cuts are made on it. There is a third hypothesis on the cause of gill curl. Infection of the inner membrane is believed to be the cause. The infection causes the inner membrane to swell and push the gill to curl outward.