OMG what just happened to my bowfin?! Someone please help!

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bahamaqt00

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 7, 2009
765
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kirkland wa
So About 4 hours ago I was just heading out the door to go run some errands. I look over at the tank he is in and he is acting really weird. (Just swimming kind of funny) All of a sudden he starts THRASHING everywhere, I mean I have never seen a fish do this, ever. Like he would have come out of the tank if there wasn't a lid and canopy. This lasts about 10 seconds and then he starts to float around (he was looking like he was taking his last few breaths) He started floating on his back and I figured it was over...I left knowing that I would come back to fish out the dead bowfin. I come back home about 2 hours later and he is stuck to the intake of the canister (something that he is done since I got him) and he is still breathing normally?! He was swimming around like normal for the past hour and now is just resting on the bottom of the tank which is pretty normal for him. Also, he has gotten a lot lighter in color so I know he isn't completely back to normal.

Can anyone tell me what in the world just happened? I thought for sure he was dead and he is not. I don't know what to do at all :confused:
He is my new favorite fish and I already lost one out of the two bowfin. My tank parameters are as follows:

Temp: Pretty cool to the touch, about 78-80 degrees maybe cooler
Ph: 7.2 ish
Nitrate: 30ppm
Nitrite: 0
Ammonia: 0
 
Because that is the temp they were keeping him at, at the LFS and they were doing great. What do you think I can do? We just tried feeding blood worms and he wont touch them. Usually he will eat 3x per day and just pig out until they're all gone. He isn't going to make it through the night if I don't do something.
 
He has been eating earthworms for the past week or so and since this freak out accident he won't eat anything and is getting skinnier by the day :(
 
the water does seem a little warm for a native cold water fish, maybe the tanks too small or something cuz if he was bashing his brains out on the glass he is stressed or not liking his enclosure, the loss of color is definitely a result from that but good luck
 
szymon328;4082299; said:
the water does seem a little warm for a native cold water fish, maybe the tanks too small or something cuz if he was bashing his brains out on the glass he is stressed or not liking his enclosure, the loss of color is definitely a result from that but good luck
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The tank is definitely not too small. I was even told to put him in a smaller tank so he could find his food easier. He is about 2" in a 55gal. Thanks for the reply. But it is almost like he seriously went psycho for about 10 seconds and then almost went uncontious.
 
That's crazy, both of mine have been acting weird too. Guess a lot just isn't known about bowfin in the hobby yet?
 
D12DetroitD12;4082318; said:
That's crazy, both of mine have been acting weird too. Guess a lot just isn't known about bowfin in the hobby yet?
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How big are they? Did they just suddenly freak out and then stop eating? What are you feeding?
 
Both are about 2'' one is a little bigger then the other. Unfortinitly I'm expecting the little one to die soon because he is very skinny, won't eat, and just sits in the corner behind the heater. I feed them blood worms mainly and the one has tried to eat some canivore pellets. Also tried beef heart and brine shrimp. They both don't freak out like yours but they both tend to just float around by the surface not moving, not like there dead, just weak. I may get some parasite clear since they have been rubbing up against the sides a lot and that's a sign of parasites.
 
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