O in serious trouble....help

[scarysdad]

Will post a more detailed acount later but I need help now, my O has been sleeping on his side for the last few weeks but eating/behaving normally, ast night did not get up for dinner, abdomen very swollen. I added epsom over a few hours 1tsp per 5 gal, today much worse still bloated white protuberance from anus ans a white patch on one eye now standing on his tail.....all other fish fine....

Any thoughts

 

[Lupin]

Without any more details, it would be hard to point exactly what the problem is. Could you please post as many details as you can, most importantly the water parameters, tank size, tank maintenance, feeding schedule, kinds of food fed and tankmates?

Epsom salt is best used as a dip/bath rather than actual dosing. Do not involve your other fish to your treatment procedures since they do not need it. Have you isolated the fish yet? When the fish is bloated at the moment, do its eyes and scales also protrude? This is where you will find the questions related to diet become extremely important aside from environmental conditions.

The white patch on the eye indicates your water quality may be deteriorating rapidly or the fish injured itself if you have abrasive decorations in your tank and/or have observed the fish swimming around frantically.

 

[scarysdad]

Hi Lupin sorry about the panicky post.....the O is almost gone......
He is in my 255gal tank with 7 other large cichlids, my Arro, 3 Plecs and 2 cats plus my Tyretrack eel. They have all been together for 3 years in this tank and 2 in the tank before....
Current params.....Ammonia = 0, Nitrite = 0, Nitrate = 40

Feeding Hikari Cichlid gold, Cichlid Excel, Tropical flake, Algae Wafers, sinking Carnivore pellets and fresh Prawns....

Maintanance, 50 gal changed weekly; 2 x 25 gal changes. I use Seachem Prime as water conditioner

As I say he had been sleeping on his side for around 6 weeks; but would get up at lights on as usual, and eat/behave normally. Last night however would not get up, and breathing was heavier than normal. Swollen abdomen, I managed to feel the enlarged abdomen and it is very hard, not 'mushy' which would have indicated fluid. So I assumed he was impacted or constipated. This morning he appeared much worse the eye covering is slimy not like the opaque look an eye gets when scratched he also has similar slimy white blob at his anus.
This is the third fish I have lost in this tank over the last 3 weeks all three 5 year vetrans, but all different circumstances my Blackbelt was definitely obese, she was ok one day dead next morning she also had the white eyes I noticed on her body. My Salvini looked like he had a run in with someone looked very beat up, laying on his side, he loved another 3 days in my hospital tank.
I have no way of isolating the Oscar he is at least 12" long and my hospital tank is a 2 footer 15 gal plus I think the stress of moving him would kill him anyway.....

HTH

 

[scarysdad]

forgot to add...no 'pineconing' raising of scales......I have dealt with dropsy(ascites) before and this is not the same, which is why I thought constipation originally.....its the white blob on the eye that worries me especially having been present on 2 fish so close together.....

 

[Lupin]

Do you have photos of the eyes? It could be a parasitic problem.