Help! New Tigerknife is sick or dying

[Scorponok]

This morning, the knife has a white coating all over its face and body. Looks like fungus. I added some salt into the tank. Some of it starting to peel. The knife now sat motionless on the bottom, but not breathing hard anymore like last night.

When I got it last night, I let the bag sat in the tank for an hour. During the hour I added a cup of tank water each 10 min., and did a 50% water change on the tank. When I let it out an hour later, it was breathing fast and the water parameters were Ammonia = 0.5, Nitrite = 0, Nitrate = 5. Temp. = 78f.

Any Gymnotus keepers had this kind of problem and solution? Thanks.

 

[jordanlewis100]

sounds like could be ammonia burns seeings as you have a reading and you left him in bag for an hour in polluted water! Do a 30% water change,clean filters in tank water and maybe run some carbon in your filter for a couple of days hope he recovers and good luck

 

[Scorponok]

Thanks for the response. Last night I took it out and put it into the bathtub in conditioned tap. The white coating came right off like snake shedding within an hour.

Today I got a new 40G and put it in as a solitary tank. Now its head, or the neck part above gills, just hangs on top of water surface while the body droops down. Is this normal for a knife fish to do this, or at least sometimes?

 

[jordanlewis100]

no it's not normal for a knife to behave like yours maybe it has a bacterial infection aswell,i've never had one do this but it may be 'cause he's sick,if you do add an antibacterial treatment be careful as knives are pretty sensitive to copper based remedies,maybe use half the dose it says on the bottle,sorry i can't help more but he does sound in a bad way,good luck and i hope he pulls through

 

[Scorponok]

Hi guys, just an update to let you know that my knife is doing fine now. Thanks for your concern and responses.

 

[Dovii dude]

Great news!!!

 

[Red Devil]

Hi guys, just an update to let you know that my knife is doing fine now. Thanks for your concern and responses.

fantastic..could you post a picture please ..love to see him!!

 

[Scorponok]

fantastic..could you post a picture please ..love to see him!!

 

[wintervixen]

pretty tiger!

 

[Scorponok]

Thanks. That tank is a temp.