(Background: )
I have an old convict, Tyrone, who used to be an active and even sometimes mean fish himself, but got beaten up pretty severely back in May by a Green Terror. I gave away the GT and Tyrone found some caves to live in to try to recover. At that point he had almost nothing left to his fins and had some severe damage to his body as well, but he did gradually improve and would come out and swim around when he felt confident in himself.
Still, after several months his progress wasn't that great - his scales still looked a bit rough and he never got the long flowing fins back, and he still spent all his time in the caves. I have had other beat up fish recover within a month with just good water and melafix, so I figured he just had a permanently elevated stress level as long as he shared a tank with my 12" lussoso, who can sometimes be a jerk but is frightening even when he keeps to himself just because he's so big and darts around. So I pulled Tyrone out and put him in a small Quarantine tank so I could keep tabs on him and make sure he ate. I did 48-72 hour water changes, used a good amount of salt, a small daily dose of melafix, and would feed him once every two days. He liked to eat krill or shrimp pellets but not some of the other food I'd give him. I'd always do a water change the morning after feeding him.
Even in the QT he spent his time hiding behind a rock, and occasionally I'd get worried because he seemed to have lost his equilibrium and would be vertical. But just when I'd start to worry I'd see him looking better than ever, darting around normally.
(The actual question: )
Starting last night, though, he has done nothing but lay on his side and he is pale as a ghost - almost white. His breathing is normal and he reacts to my presence but he does not really try to move or eat. I did another WC and this time didn't add anything to it (other than prime of course) and this morning he is still the same. Alive, but not happy. Before I was occasionally worried that he might be suffering - now, I'm certain that he is.
I think that ever since the GT attack he has just been on edge and that has taken its toll on his health, making him an old and vulnerable fish, and I figure he's had enough, but before I consider euthanization I just figured I'd ask here - is there anything else I can try that might give him his equilibrium back?
I have an old convict, Tyrone, who used to be an active and even sometimes mean fish himself, but got beaten up pretty severely back in May by a Green Terror. I gave away the GT and Tyrone found some caves to live in to try to recover. At that point he had almost nothing left to his fins and had some severe damage to his body as well, but he did gradually improve and would come out and swim around when he felt confident in himself.
Still, after several months his progress wasn't that great - his scales still looked a bit rough and he never got the long flowing fins back, and he still spent all his time in the caves. I have had other beat up fish recover within a month with just good water and melafix, so I figured he just had a permanently elevated stress level as long as he shared a tank with my 12" lussoso, who can sometimes be a jerk but is frightening even when he keeps to himself just because he's so big and darts around. So I pulled Tyrone out and put him in a small Quarantine tank so I could keep tabs on him and make sure he ate. I did 48-72 hour water changes, used a good amount of salt, a small daily dose of melafix, and would feed him once every two days. He liked to eat krill or shrimp pellets but not some of the other food I'd give him. I'd always do a water change the morning after feeding him.
Even in the QT he spent his time hiding behind a rock, and occasionally I'd get worried because he seemed to have lost his equilibrium and would be vertical. But just when I'd start to worry I'd see him looking better than ever, darting around normally.
(The actual question: )
Starting last night, though, he has done nothing but lay on his side and he is pale as a ghost - almost white. His breathing is normal and he reacts to my presence but he does not really try to move or eat. I did another WC and this time didn't add anything to it (other than prime of course) and this morning he is still the same. Alive, but not happy. Before I was occasionally worried that he might be suffering - now, I'm certain that he is.
I think that ever since the GT attack he has just been on edge and that has taken its toll on his health, making him an old and vulnerable fish, and I figure he's had enough, but before I consider euthanization I just figured I'd ask here - is there anything else I can try that might give him his equilibrium back?
