Need some advice

[Scrappy71113]

Have you tested your water?

No

If I did not test my water...

1. ...I recognize that I will likely be asked to do a test, and that water tests are critical for solving freshwater health problems.

Do you do water changes?

Yes

What percentage of water do you change?

71-80%

How frequently do you change your water?

Every week

If I do not change my water...

1. ...I recognize that I will likely be recommended to do a water change, and water changes are critical for preventing future freshwater health problems.

So, I went to Petco today to pick up a few odds and ends, and naturally I had to look at everything.
Well, I found a fish that someone had surrendered that's in pretty bad shape. They said that he's is a Jack Dempsey.
I recognize the fungal infection, it looks identical to what I lost my Oscar to, so I know I'm going to have to treat this agressively. So of course my soft hearted butt adopted him.
Current plan is to set the guy up in a hospital tank, salt him, and start treating with meds.
I'm honestly not expecting him to survive, but I figured he'd have a better chance with me than with Petco, and his chances of getting a home are slim considering his condition. I'm still going to try my hardest to get him straightened out, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

On hand, I have paraguard (what I'm going to start with) kanaplex, fungus cure, general cure, amoxicillin, and maracyn.

I think I should be putting this guy on some antibiotics as he's got some exposed flesh, so advice on which antibiotics, if any, is much needed.

If you think I should be using a different med, let me know.

Finally, he seems reasonably active, so I don't think he's terminal yet.

I got a picture of him in the bag, once I get him in the tank, I'll try to get better pics. But all of the red is where there was a massive patch of white fluff, it all came off when he got netted out.

I have not done water tests or water changes as this guy just got home with me.

 

[Scrappy71113]

This guy really is camera shy. This is honestly the best I could get. ?

 

[kno4te]

I’d go with the General cure for now. Make sure it eats and add a bit of salt 1 tsp per g. Keep the water clean. Keep an eye on the poop and appetite. Cross fingers and best of luck.

 

[TooQ]

Ive saved a few jd's, they are the most resilient n hardy fish ive come across, i havent treated one in that bad condition before but the fact that its still alive and in that condition means its strong and can recover. I believe it can be done using kno4te's advice. Salt, general cure and water changes. Make sure he has a cave to dwell in too. So crucial for a jd's mental health which elevates stress which is mega important imo.

Treat n see how he does for 2 weeks after. You could put a little mela and pima fix in that 2 week period after water changes. I usually use less than half the reccomended dose for mela and pima as a luxury for the fish when treating. The sunstances reduce oxygen which can be a problem as salt also reduces oxygen. So just a little to help out/sooth.

Keep the salt dosing going when changing water during and after api GC treatment as well. Salt n a secure feeling fish is key.

 

[Scrappy71113]

I’d go with the General cure for now. Make sure it eats and add a bit of salt 1 tsp per g. Keep the water clean. Keep an eye on the poop and appetite. Cross fingers and best of luck.

So, he's not eating pellets. I gave him a couple of the bug bites that I feed my Oscars, walked away so he had the opportunity to eat, and he's absolutely not interested. I want to feed him frozen, but I feel that would be too messy so I'm going to run to the store in a bit, get him a few flower pots and some shrimp and maybe some meal worms if I can find any (I worry about changing food back to pellets once he's eating and healthy). Anything else I could try to get him to eat? Or should I just give him time because he's in a new home?

I had already started him on paraguard yesterday before reading about the general cure. Should I finish out the treatment, or switch him over today? I'm planning on moving him to a bigger hospital tank today simply for the ease of keeping the water cleaner and I could switch over the meds then.

And finally, quick update: the fuzz that sloughed off hasn't come back yet, and the guy doesn't seem so timid and shy today. I woke up this morning and he was chilling out at the front of the tank inspecting and judging my mess of a living room lol.
When I walked up to the tank, he didn't try to swim off and hide again, but he still seems a bit nervous. I'm assuming that's a good sign.

 

[kno4te]

I’d leave the paragaurd in and finish the course. It’s behavior seems better. I’d try mixing the pellet or anything ur giving with garlic and a vitamin supplement like Boyd vitachem. Otherwise may have to wait it out a bit.

 

[Scrappy71113]

I’d leave the paragaurd in and finish the course. It’s behavior seems better. I’d try mixing the pellet or anything ur giving with garlic and a vitamin supplement like Boyd vitachem. Otherwise may have to wait it out a bit.

Okay, thank you so much!

 

[TooQ]

I dunno about switching treatments to be honest ive used methylene blue n malachite green together with api gc, which i think paragaurd has in it. Didnt cause harm. Perhaps one of the more experienced members can advise on that. As for food n motivation have a look at how i saved some discus, https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/...s-methylene-blue-from-your-experience.745967/

Give it some time, let the salt get his body regulated n metabolism going, let him settle. The discus i treated didnt eat for 5 days and they are fussy. Dont keep trying with different foods all at once. Maybe try very small amounts of two different food types every day and remove uneaten food. Dont panic fish can go without food for a while. The discus i treated - some liked vibrabites, others disliked it and ate staple food. In the end they were all gorging on staple food more than vibrabites (which i found surprising). See what food they fed him at the store maybe? Might be acustomed to it?

Also wouldnt move him to another hospital tank. Continue treating him in the one he is in now hes been in there. Id say you have to as he may have infected it and you want to use it, i wouldnt move him again. He doesn't need the stress.

I wouldnt stress if i were you, just do your best, if he recovers you'll be greatly rewarded, if not at least you tried.

If he isnt scared its a good sign (a confident fish) which could be why he has survived up until now. Resilience.
Looking forward to see how it goes, i have high hopes. Jd's are tough as hell.

 

[Scrappy71113]

I wouldnt move him to another hospital tank. Continue treating him in the one he is in now hes been in there. Id say you have to as he may have infected it and you want to use it, i wouldnt move him again. He doesn't need the stress.

My concern with his current hospital tank is the size. I pulled out the first empty tank I could get to just so I could get him out of the bag. So he's in a 20 gallon, and I feel like that's way to small for him.
I'm wanting to move him to a 40 today. I don't mind sanitizing the smaller tank, I just feel the bigger tank is an overall healthier and cleaner option for him and I can give him way more places to hide to make him more comfortable. I just need to scrub it out a bit because my cats decided it makes a nice bed ?
But if you think he'll be okay with the 20, I'll hold off. I just want to give him the best possible chance at survival. I would like to be able to give him a 75 gallon to himself and spoil him a bit.

 

[TooQ]

I hear what your saying.. you know I can easily imagine myself doing the same... Although movement is a stressor, maybe wait a day or 2?, see what the other contributors to the thread say... Both options have pros n cons i guess.