Jack Dempsey with closed gill

[zhouluyi]

My Jack Dempsey was a bit behaving oddly in the last weeks, staying at the bottom of the tank hidding in caves, not coming out to eat, etc. The times when he was out there was no sign of fighting with the other fish (he is my second largest after my Oscar).

Today I noticed that his left gill is closed. He is breathing with just his right gill. He moves his fins normally and is able to swim without any visible problems, he also doesn't seem to be gasping for air. Also, no signs of parasites, fungi, etc. The water parameters are all fine (pH stable at 7.4).

Here is a video with the current population where he can be seem swimming all around and breathing normally from a few weeks back: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3_4jKr1rIc

What could that be?

 

[zhouluyi]

Here is a video of the Jack Dempsey that I just made that shows his breathing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbXnib7H88Y

His right lateral fin seems to have something on it (like a fungus), but I think that is just a healing wound from when I catch him with the net last week to check his body.

He just sits still on the tank, and rarely wander around.

 

[Aquanero]

It is possibile this is a sign of Gill Flukes. If you can't take a scrapping to a vet for positive ID try using Praziquantel. It is safe and effective. I would suggest treating the whole tank at this point.

 

[Slippery K]

Sounds like gill flukes. Prazipro treats that along with other infections/parasites.

 

[zhouluyi]

The closed gill was probably temporary. A few hours lates the fish was normal again, but still was very quiet and hiding in the bottom of tank.

In Brazil I have no Prazipro or Praziquantel. Also I couldn't find the name of "gill flukes" in portuguese to find a proper medication.

For now I'm doing a preventive treatment against parasites using salt (1 gram / liter added 3 times spaced 12 hours to reach 0.3% salinity).

 

[Aquanero]

In Portuguese look up "vermes das guelras" I did a quick search and you should find all the information you need.

 

[zhouluyi]

I found the comercial name for Praziquantel in Brazil (Cestox), but so far I haven't found a drug store that has it.
I will keep looking but I don't think that drug is easily found here, is there another type of medication?

 

[zhouluyi]

Just found a drug store that have two boxes of it. From what I found on the web the dosage is 150 mg / 50 liters and then repeat after 15 days, right?