My Jaguar had a heart attack (for real I think)

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Damon0306

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jan 6, 2006
469
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New Jersey
Man I'm bummed..

I don't know what happened, but my here is what happened..

I came home after spending Super Bowl night staying at a friends house.

My jag is in my bedroom, and the door was closed and no one in the house was in the room the entire evening.

My clothes stunk like cigarettes, so I quickly changed into an old t-shirt and pants.

The shirt which I think for some reason is to blame, it has a big collage of BALL PYTHON color morhps patterns both on the front and back of the t-shirt.

But the colors are just everwhere so the pattern perhaps scared my fish to death :(

All I know is for the first time it freaked out. This was the first time I saw a 13 inch fish freaking out and what a helpless feeling it is, to watch your prized fish slam itself into the tops and sides of the tank.

The fish jumped so hard into the glass top of the tank that it almost completly knocked the light off the top of the tank, water flying everwhere.

All I wanted to do was leave the room, upon standing from sitting postion of horror, the fish freaked again, knocked the heater down etc etc..

I left the bedroom, kept all the lights in the room off, snuck into my bedroom in the dark to go the sleep and not disturb the fish.

This morning the fish looks terrible, its doing head stands in the corner of the tank, its having trying keeping its balance, caudal fin is clamped tight and side fins are still flapping very fast..

I cannot see any visual skin damage, but I really think this is the end for this fish.

At the time of purchase this fish was supposed to be a male, turned out to be a female, who knows maybe I will end up getting that male that I wanted after all.

But still this really stinks :cry:
 
check your water params. sounds like it has a nitrite or ammonia spike.. if you do a water change like 50%-75% you may be able to save her still...
 
I had a Red Devil Cichlid do the same exact thing. Dont blame your shirt because mine was all alone undisterbered in a corner of the room then suddenly I heard the violent splashing. He just kept slamming himself into the glass and jumping up and out of the tank. Everything you said. then finaly a ended up losing motor control and would do the head stands you describe and was no longer normal. He had a second and third spell/attack that night and that was the end of it. But there was hours inbetween the attacks and it was no longer a normal fish.

Sorry I couldnt help you with the exact cause, but at least know that one of us has gone through the same situation.
 
I highly doubt that it was a heart attack. Even when spooked, a heart can sustain a lot. Unless your fish had high cholesterol, and high blood pressure, I think we can rule that out. :D (cardiac sonographer)

I also had a green terror do this same thing, inexplicably flying all over the tank, smashing into things, cutting herself up. So I quarantined her thinking she was getting picked on, but even by herself she would 'freak out' and smash into stuff. It got to the point where she would spin in tight circles until she became disoriented, and float on her side, breathing heavily. It was gut-wrenching having to watch her go through it. I had her quarantined for a week, she didn't eat, and the episodes never stopped, and only seemed to get worse, so I had to put her down... sorry to hear, hope she pulls through for you. :(
 
Scottfree;686108; said:
Could be an electrical problem, actually it would be my guess, try grounding your tank....
Click to expand...

Are electrical outlets not grounded? Could you explain?
 
I too feel for you and your fish. :( What size is your tank? We have a 13" Jag in a 90 gallon and it has done this a few times as well. I don't believe it is anything related to water quality but more a frightened response. Not sure what size your tank is but I believe these guapotes can get uneasy at certain times in such close quarters. A certain shadow/noise/vibration has set ours off more than a few times. Our "Jaggy" once slammed the top glass like yours and another time tore part of his eye socket on an artificial cave structure we had in the tank. He healed up fine but it is somewhat disconcerting when it is your pet and you are trying to care for it the best you can. I have found keeping this guapote an interesting learning exercise. I can now appreciate very much some of the advice that is given with respect to tank size/conditions required for these fish. Being a very muscular, powerful, territorial fish I am determined in the future to provide Jaggy with a MUCH BIGGER tank with only very large smooth rocks and all filtration/heater/sharp objects outside of the tank. Good luck with your fish. they are tough, it should pull around.
 
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