Help Help! :( Largest Pbass Not Eating and Starting to List

[heatherbeast]

Argus occasionally goes on hunger strikes that last a week or so, but lately, her appetite has been really off. :/ Since Christmas, she's been taking hardly any food -- a single feeder, and striking a second or third one before spitting them out. She's going on nearly a month without eating, and this morning I've caught her listing to the one side with her head tilted up, and she is not paying attention to where the aquarium ends -- she swims slowly, hardly uses one of her pectoral fins, and only brakes a little bit before bumping her chin off the acrylic. Any idea what might be affecting her? More importantly, any idea on what might a good way to treat her or the whole tank? She's my first pbass and I haven't had her nearly long enough (2 years!) for me to just write the illness off to old age!! What should my next step be?

Tank and Water Parameters

300 gallon with two FX5s
50% weekly water changes

82*F Temperature
30 GH
80 KH
pH 7.5
Ammonia 0.0
Nitrite 0.0
Nitrate 20-30 ppm

 

[kendragon]

Do you feed her strictly feeders?
When was the last time you cleaned the filters?
For now, double up on the WC and add salt. Still looks healthy but weak. Possible nuitrition issues?????

 

[sevank21]

Sounds similar to my tem which has swim bladder issues. But he was eating like a champ. But I also read that fish can also lose appetite. So it may have swim bladder. Does she rest at the bottom of the tank at times?

She could have gotten a disease from a feeder!
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[krustyart]

If you decide that the fish is not eating due to protozoan gastrointestinal infection, treat with flubendazole as per the following directions except that by end of the second dosing period the fish should start eating again, and you can start feeding Metroidazinole food. After the third dose and it's final huge water change you can feed it antibiotic food to knock down the bacteria levels that increased during the stress of not eating.

http://inkmkr.com/Fish/FlubendazoleTreatment.pdf


To purchase: http://inkmkr.com/Fish/ItemsForSale.html


Metro Food: http://www.kensfish.com/moreinfo/kens-premium-metronidazole-garlic-flake.html


Antibiotic Food for infections that happed due to the stress of not eating: http://www.kensfish.com/moreinfo/kens-premium-sinking-pellets-oxytetracycline-25mm.html

I have done this treatment when my female Thai-Silk Flowerhorn stopped eating and it worked wonders. She has doubled in size since the treatment just one month ago!!

 

[heatherbeast]

She normally eats a few different sorts of thawed freshwater frozen foods (silversides, lake smelt, krill). I don't resort to feeders unless she hasn't eaten for a few days.

I usually alternate between the two filters every three weeks, so each filter gets rinsed and cleaned (with dechlorinated water) every month and a half.

Re: Swim bladder issues, she has started lying on the bottom, yes. ;_;

 

[isde02]

Sorry to hear Heather, a nutritional issue sounds like the most reasonable theory. I would bump the water temp up to like 86, add some oxygen and try to get some pellets in her or try treating some of the meaty foods she normally accepts with an additive like vita chem or garlique.

 

[fishmanbob87]

Feeders shudder really be a no go if her and her tankmates take other foods. Wc add salt raise temp and add oxygen. I raised pbass happy n healthy for almost ten years with no meds. I honestly think meds r last resort. And if u do have to administer try to put her in her own tank while meddling. The meds can harm your whole system as well as your other fish. As far as not eating for a month. It really should not be a big worry. Fish can go much longer with food. U may see dropped energy and less reaction to things but they can survive for a long long time with no food

 

[heatherbeast]

She's gone. Declined very rapidly over the past two days.

I am inclined to agree with the assessment regarding malnutrition since she was the only fish in the tank that did not eat pellets of any sort. When I first got her, it was months before she even bothered to take frozen! All the other fish in the tank take Massivore, which forms most of their diet. I never got her switched over due to the size that I originally got her and well, frankly, not knowing better then. :/ I thank all of you for all the offered advice and support. <3

 

[Joey822]

im sorry hope u get another, she was a beauty too,

 

[bassguy]

Sorry to hear this, tough to loose a close friend. Thanks for sharing your experience as it may help others in the future.