New to the forum! Issue with my senegal.
- Thread starter LonelyPariah
- Start date
Oh wow thank you everyone for chiming in! It means worlds to me!
To answer your question directly, it could quite possibly be a spinal issue! however, this would be the first time it has come to light or it's a brand new issue.
Rou is my first bichir so these symptoms and behaviors have been relatively new to me other than from research and reading. He looked/acted healthy since the day I got him up until the point roughly two weeks ago when I noticed he wasn't using his tail. It seemed sudden, or perhaps I oversaw it until it got to this point but even then it wouldn't have been overlooked too long. He has always been relatively lazy and more active at night so acriveness wise he appears the same.
I'll definitely keep an eye on him and update everyone if there are any changes. I'll also go ahead and add some aquarium salt, as someone recommended, during tomorrow's water change to see if it helps any and if not it won't hurt anyways!
I'm just super attached the the guy and I'd hate to see him struggle/suffer if I knew there was something I can do about it. But for now he doesn't seem to be in any discomfort, he can still swim to the top on the tank and back down which is good. Just hope it doesn't get any worse!
Thanks again everyone so much for the tips and advice thus far! I should of made an account here ages ago haha.
Try to avoid feeding during epsom salt treatment.
Epsom salt use 1 tbsp. Per 5-10gallons, Do it for 3 days.
Welcome aboard in the poly section
Epsom salt use 1 tbsp. Per 5-10gallons, Do it for 3 days.
Welcome aboard in the poly section
Try to avoid feeding during epsom salt treatment.
Epsom salt use 1 tbsp. Per 5-10gallons, Do it for 3 days.
Welcome aboard in the poly section
Sounds like a plan! I was planning on doing the water change earlier in the day anyways since he gets fed during the evening so there should be a good size buffer time between then!
Thank you very much! I'm glad to finally be here
Hoping it makes a full recovery. Not to be a downer, but if the back half of the body is flaccid and not moving. There's a chance it may be paralyzed. Look up 'bichir paralyzed' or 'polypterus paralyzed' in google search. Some videos may pop up or threads about it. It's something that can happened to bichirs. Captive bred polys are more likely for it to happen. I'm still hoping for the best and it's just gas. Keep us posted
Not aquarium salt. Use epsom salt
Yeah mine happened really suddenly. One day totally fine and the next day convulsing around the tank. It seemed odd that it started suddenly but i guess that's the way it can happen as they grow. Hope everything works out
Welcome to the poly section.Sounds like a plan! I was planning on doing the water change earlier in the day anyways since he gets fed during the evening so there should be a good size buffer time between then!
Thank you very much! I'm glad to finally be here
Please keep us posted about Rou. Hope he feels better soon.So I little update, I treated the tank with epsom salt (not aquarium salt as I didn't realize how different they were, my apologies!) and, for a little while, he seemed to be doing better and was even starting to use his tail to swim!
Today however he to have took a turn for the worst and seems to be struggling even more!! He is starting to float up tail first and spends most of the day "parking" himself under plants so he can sit still. Otherwise he's gradually floating upwards. Could it be what he is eating? I try to give him a diversity of foods, but his main diet consists of Hikari brand sinking carnivore pellets. Should I switch to something else? Or is something else the matter?
He is still eating normally, and other than this issue he seems rather healthy. I'm just not sure what my next step should be with treatment. Thank you so much in advanced!
Today however he to have took a turn for the worst and seems to be struggling even more!! He is starting to float up tail first and spends most of the day "parking" himself under plants so he can sit still. Otherwise he's gradually floating upwards. Could it be what he is eating? I try to give him a diversity of foods, but his main diet consists of Hikari brand sinking carnivore pellets. Should I switch to something else? Or is something else the matter?
He is still eating normally, and other than this issue he seems rather healthy. I'm just not sure what my next step should be with treatment. Thank you so much in advanced!
If you have frozen peas in your freezer boil a few and peel skin off peas cut in small pieces. The peas would be like taking a laxative and hopefully it will eat the pea. I personally feed my polys pellets that contain vegetable matter in its ingredient alternate this with other foods Tilapia, Frozen Krill.
