Is my Leopard Bushfish Sick?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
duanes said:
Your other eventual choice, as a last resort, (as you mentioned ) is Euthanasia, of all fish in the tank.
I don't think you're at that point yet.
Click to expand...

Of all fish? Isn't that a bit excessive? I know I'm not at that point yet, but not all my fish are sick (or at least show signs of illness) and I don't believe they will get sick. If I did need to go the euthanasia route, could I just euthanize the actually sick fish? The other fish are fine and I don't want to wipe out everything.

I also see your point regarding salt and other medications. Thank you for the great info Duanes!

Also, would talking to a veterinarian who knows about fish be a good resource? I know vets are usually used for land animals, but could it be a resource I've been needing?
 
The entire tank is now (probably) contaminated, and any fish you add from now on, may succumb to whatever disease this is, unless you are able to totally eliminate the cause.
Or if any fish do survive, they may have immunity, but they will probably be asymptomatic carriers
This is one reason a QT tank is always recommended, so as not to end up with that last resort option.
Before whatever disease a new fish comes in with, catching it in a QT tank saves all others.
I usually QT for at least 3 months before adding new fish to the main tank.
And if they show signs of an unrecognizable disease that can't be easily cured, they are euthanized, and the QT tank is torn down, and everything that was touched by even a drop of its water is bleached.
There are certain diseases that can live inert in a dry smudge of dirt for years, and reinfeet when water is added.

Going to a Vet might help, but only if that Vet is well versed in fish diseases, and has worked for something like a public aquarium.
A normal dog or cat just won't have that experience.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tlindsey and SilverArowanaBoi
Ok...so I think I've made a decision on this...

As I've mentioned before, there is an Aquarium expo the weekend after this one. I will wait till mid-next week and give the fish another week to show signs of improvement. If there is no improvement (like the entire tank is sick, the fish already sick are progressively worse, etc.) I will peacefully put down the sick fish. I will do as much as I can until then, but I don't want my fish to suffer unnecessarily, as I do truly care for my stock.

Here is my plan for if I euthanize: I will save the fish that are still healthy and probably take them to the fish store or keep them (I will make a more definite decision on that and post regarding that). After I deal with my stock, I want to replace the sand and thoroughly clean the tank. I fully realize that this will set me back to square one, and I will probably have to re-cycle the tank.

What is the best sand for my tank? And also, what advice do y'all have regarding getting the tank back up and running? Can I use the old filtration and get the tank cycled in a few days, or will doing this take a long time? I successfully cycled my tank within a week when I first set it up and have been mostly successful.

Depending on how this works out, I may do this plan sooner to give me more time (for example, I may do this plan within the next week rather than two weeks). I intend to get fish at the expo if I can; I'd feel kinda silly going to an expo and not getting at least one.

Finally, in regard to restocking my tank, I have a plan in mind. I will probably do my current syno and some yellow labs (or get a new syno depending on how this entire ordeal works out, as I really like synos). They are hard water-appropriate, and I can make it a biotope.
 
Last edited:
  • Haha
Reactions: Caveden
SilverArowanaBoi said:
Ok...so I think I've made a decision on this...

As I've mentioned before, there is an Aquarium expo the weekend after this one. I will wait till mid-next week and give the fish another week to show signs of improvement. If there is no improvement (like the entire tank is sick, the fish already sick are progressively worse, etc.) I will peacefully put down the sick fish. I will do as much as I can until then, but I don't want my fish to suffer unnecessarily, as I do truly care for my stock.

Here is my plan for if I euthanize: I will save the fish that are still healthy and probably take them to the fish store or keep them (I will make a more definite decision on that and post regarding that). After I deal with my stock, I want to replace the sand and thoroughly clean the tank. I fully realize that this will set me back to square one, and I will probably have to re-cycle the tank.

What is the best sand for my tank? And also, what advice do y'all have regarding getting the tank back up and running? Can I use the old filtration and get the tank cycled in a few days, or will doing this take a long time? I successfully cycled my tank within a week when I first set it up and have been mostly successful.

Depending on how this works out, I may do this plan sooner to give me more time (for example, I may do this plan within the next week rather than two weeks). I intend to get fish at the expo if I can; I'd feel kinda silly going to an expo and not getting at least one.

Finally, in regard to restocking my tank, I have a plan in mind. I will probably do my current syno and some yellow labs (or get a new syno depending on how this entire ordeal works out, as I really like synos). They are hard water-appropriate, and I can make it a biotope.
Click to expand...
I’m sorry if I sound harsh, which I try not to be on this forum cause I’m peaceful most of the time HAHA but it sounds to me like you’re just trying to get rid of the fish you have at hand because you regret your decision instead of actually trying to treat it. This can be proven on how you decided to choose to buy two bushfish without consideration…

you have created 2 threads after you bought the bushfish on how you are going to restart the tank and create an entirely new stock list with new types of fish. Now you state you’re going to buy a new fish from the expo when your fish are at the moment considered, sick….


euthanize your fish next week because of their sickness? You mentioned in your other thread, “The Oscar has been eating shrimp, bloodworms, and catfish pellets (he snatches them before the catfish does because he's a food hog lol). I've honestly been leaning towards fungus as the fungal medicine started to work quickly.”
If your fish are still eating and swimming happily, the sickness is probably not detrimental. Here is what I think it is since it hasn’t been mentioned yet. I personally don’t think it even is a sickness, since it’s been 2 weeks and your fish are still eating fine, but just fighting between your Oscar and bushfish. You mentioned how the sickness made your fish shed scales, I don’t even know a sickness which does that. The fighting caused the scales to drop, making the fish grow fungus in the areas where the scales fell off.

I don’t mean to sound mean or anything, I especially hate fish police, but what you’re doing just seems to be trying to restock a tank which you don’t like anymore 🙏🙏

IMG_7098.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: fishhead0103666
Caveden said:
I’m sorry if I sound harsh, which I try not to be on this forum cause I’m peaceful most of the time HAHA but it sounds to me like you’re just trying to get rid of the fish you have at hand because you regret your decision instead of actually trying to treat it. This can be proven on how you decided to choose to buy two bushfish without consideration…

you have created 2 threads after you bought the bushfish on how you are going to restart the tank and create an entirely new stock list with new types of fish. Now you state you’re going to buy a new fish from the expo when your fish are at the moment considered, sick….


euthanize your fish next week because of their sickness? You mentioned in your other thread, “The Oscar has been eating shrimp, bloodworms, and catfish pellets (he snatches them before the catfish does because he's a food hog lol). I've honestly been leaning towards fungus as the fungal medicine started to work quickly.”
If your fish are still eating and swimming happily, the sickness is probably not detrimental. Here is what I think it is since it hasn’t been mentioned yet. I personally don’t think it even is a sickness, since it’s been 2 weeks and your fish are still eating fine, but just fighting between your Oscar and bushfish. You mentioned how the sickness made your fish shed scales, I don’t even know a sickness which does that. The fighting caused the scales to drop, making the fish grow fungus in the areas where the scales fell off.

I don’t mean to sound mean or anything, I especially hate fish police, but what you’re doing just seems to be trying to restock a tank which you don’t like anymore 🙏🙏
Click to expand...

I believe you misunderstand my situation here. I do very much care for my stock, and I want what's best for them. I don't regret the stock I have other than the Oscar, which was a severe impulse buy. I'm not simply trying to "get rid of my stock so I can restock it." If I really wanted to restock the tank, I wouldn't be trying to figure out a way for my fish to heal; I would've just taken these fish back to the store and gotten new fish regardless of how they look right now. I keep saying this, but my Striped Raphael is my favorite fish, and I wouldn't consider euthanizing it if I didn't see a serious reason for it. It is my precious, and I wouldn't kill it or get rid of it for anything unless it is absolutely nessacary.

If it is as simple as you say it is, why hasn't my fungicide worked? It didn't work even though I did it for the time it said to do the meds. I can try doing a run of pure fungicide again and see if it works, and I can get rid of the troublesome Oscar. It is true the fact that the Oscar has been causing problems with the bushfish, but that still doesn't explain why my Raph has it, as my Oscar doesn't touch the Raph, and it has no open wounds that would allow the fungus to set in.

And in regard to the other threads about stocking, the reason I was doing that is because I was planning ahead for the worst; I'd rather not be unprepared and let it sneak up on me. I was also doing that to have options for an appropriate tank rather than bogus ideas that are uninformed and ill-researched, causing more problems down the road for me.

I want to be a good fishkeeper like most of the people here. I have no intention of being a hobbyist who is purely out for himself and has little regard for the fish. I take the responsibility of owning another life very seriously, whether it be fish, dogs, cats, etc. I'm sorry if my actions on these threads have made you think that I have little regard for the fish that are in my care and that I consider them to be dispensable items, as this is not true.
 
After more careful observation, thinking back on the past few days, and research into fish aggression, I believe that Caveden's suggestion is right. It makes sense: the Oscar has been attacking the bushish a lot. I hear loud splashes at night, and when I turn on a light to see, I find the Oscar has attacked the bushfish yet again. It attacks the sides of the bushfish, causing the wounds which allow the fungus to set in. I've also figured out why the Raph may have the fungus: When I accidentally stepped on him months ago, it caused him to bleed and make an open wound. The fungus is in the area where the most damage was done, so I believe there is still a part that is not completely healed yet, allowing the fungus to set in.

So here is my new plan for treatment and moving forward:

I will get rid of the Oscar by the end of this week; he has mostly healed already, and the spots that he was getting are almost gone. Once I get rid of the Oscar, I will attack the fungus hard with full doses of fungicide for five days (as that is the treatment period the medicine says to do). The sick fish should be healed before the expo, and I will be able to follow through with my original plan for my tank.

Thank you wholeheartedly to those who have helped me through this hurdle. I will update my fish's condition soon and elaborate on my plans decor-wise for the tank in a different thread. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 0wen_96
You could rig a tank divider, or breeding box, net cage or something to keep them apart until the oscar is removed. The added stress of random attacks can't be helping your bushfish heal. Also be careful at the expo. You don't have to get a fish just because you're at the expo, or at the fish store, especially one you haven't researched or planned for. I've been down that road, most of us have, but it's a real turning point in the fishkeeping hobby to be able to go to the fishstore and not bring home a new fish. It's ok to look and experience the show and appreciate the experience without needing to purchase something you're not ready for.
 
  • Like
Reactions: fishhead0103666 and SilverArowanaBoi
Cal Amari said:
You could rig a tank divider, or breeding box, net cage or something to keep them apart until the oscar is removed. The added stress of random attacks can't be helping your bushfish heal. Also be careful at the expo. You don't have to get a fish just because you're at the expo, or at the fish store, especially one you haven't researched or planned for. I've been down that road, most of us have, but it's a real turning point in the fishkeeping hobby to be able to go to the fishstore and not bring home a new fish. It's ok to look and experience the show and appreciate the experience without needing to purchase something you're not ready for.
Click to expand...

Don't worry, my friend. I will go in with some specific options so I don't put something disruptive in my tank again. I most likely won't have made my decision by then, but I will have a small list of what can work so I can make my mind up there.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cal Amari
Hey y'all! I need some advice about tank mates for my bushfish. I want to choose the proper tankmates after I get rid of the very troublesome Oscar; here is what I was thinking for options:

1. 3-5 Angelfish (of any kind, probably either Dantum or "normal" angels)

2. 1-2 EBAS

3. Buenos Aires, Diamond, Emperor, or Congo tetras

4. 2-3 Ropefish

5. Spotted or Striped Raph, or Farowella

6. Corys

7. 1 Platinum Senegal Bichir.

Before anyone asks, these are not all going in the same tank simultaneously; I will choose one or two of these ideas to go in with my current stock.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom