Redlight. Help me save Boss!

[FINWIN]

I'm gonna cut to the chase. Boss has what looks to me like nitrate poisoning. This is 100 percent on me and I feel lousy. I made a 40 percent water change in the 225 last week and realized tonight I foolishly forgot to add Prime. This morning I noticed he was at the back of the tank behind plants and headstanding against the back wall. I had to go to work, but when I got back he was in the exact same spot doing the same thing. Took him out. Looked awful.

Red inflamed gills swollen
Head nearly white
small red line on tail slight red tip on top fin
mostly on his back or side
breathing is strong

positives

in the last 6 hours his body color has improved. Gills seem to be lightening from the center out.

Boss is holding his gills against the aeration so it must feel good to do that. I brought him upstairs where its warmer. He is in a bucket with a bit of salt, prime, and a large piece of water lettuce. Temp is 70 degrees. I have him in front of a space heater on the floor. I'm sitting next to him right now but I gotta get up later. Two air hoses are providing aeration. I will keep changing small portions of the bucket water with prime.

Could that no prime water change have caused a mini crash with the filters? Boss was fine the other day, swimming and eating. The other fish were ok as well.

WHAT. While I was typing this Boss flipped over! He's been in a normal position for about 30+ minutes now. He's relaxed near the top and is holding his face into the bubbles. He doesn't seem in distress but I'll leave the lamp on to keep an eye on him. Probably will cat nap.

I need a new test kit. Is there anything else I should be doing? I won't put him back until I'm certain he's okay. The 225 had a 80 percent change with heavy prime. Will do another smaller change.

Also, is it possible large tanks very understocked are prone to crashes if say the bio media "adjusts down" to support a smaller bioload?

signing off now.

 

[duanes]

This is not nitrate poisoning.
It is from Chlorine or Chloramine, it burns gill membtane, and destroys the gills abilty to process dissolved oxygen from the water.
If the Chlorine was heavy enough to totally destroy most gill membrane, it may be beyond help.
Some sensitivve fish can be killed by a concentration of 0.10 residual.

 

[FINWIN]

This is not nitrate poisoning.
It is from Chlorine or Chloramine, it burns gill membtane, and destroys the gills abilty to process dissolved oxygen from the water.
If the Chlorine was heavy enough to totally destroy most gill membrane, it may be beyond help.
Some sensitivve fish can be killed by a concentration of 0.10 residual.

Damn, can I do anything? Boss swims when he wants to but clearly turns/flips to get the aeration to his gills. He positions his head exactly to 'breathe" over the bubbles.

 

[duanes]

Redirect Notice

 

[duanes]

As said in the link above, its all about Chlorine residual conscentration.
When I lived in Milwaukee, the average chloramine residual was 1.5 ppm, plenty enough to damge gills, but if there was enough organic matter in the tank, that residual was quickly taken care of.

But if there was a main break in the area, sometimes a slug of chlorine could overwhelm the dechlorinator.
Especially in winter when Chlorine and chloramine are strongest (warm water reduces chlorine residual faster than cold water)
So along with using a dechlorinator like sodium thiosulfae, I always added replacement water to my sumps first, instead of tanks with fish.

Because sumps always contain enough organic matter to reduce any residual not detoxified by the dechlorinator very quicky.

I know it may not save boss, today but something to consider in the future.

 

[phreeflow]

Damn, can I do anything? Boss swims when he wants to but clearly turns/flips to get the aeration to his gills. He positions his head exactly to 'breathe" over the bubbles.

Duane is right about the possibility the chlorine caused too much gill damage to reverse, depending on the length of exposure and concentration. But you can try to help Boss by adding a bit of methylene blue which will help with oxygen uptake and some salt to reduce the osmotic pressure. Neither are treatments for the chlorine exposure but can ease the recovery

 

[RD.]

Agree with Duane. As I recall, DC uses chloramine at a relatively high concentration.

Edited to add

Chlorine Provides your Water with Protection from Contamination | DC Water

The drinking water delivered by DC Water contains chloramines, chemical compounds made from ammonia and chlorine. Chloramine is added to drinking water to kill bacteria and microorganisms in the treatment plant and the distribution system.

www.dcwater.com

 

[FINWIN]

Duane is right about the possibility the chlorine caused too much gill damage to reverse, depending on the length of exposure and concentration. But you can try to help Boss by adding a bit of methylene blue which will help with oxygen uptake and some salt to reduce the osmotic pressure. Neither are treatments for the chlorine exposure but can ease the recovery

I started using salt earlier yesterday. He goes back and forth between swimming/floating/laying at the bottom. I don't have straight methylene blue, would ichx-ex work as a substitute?

I added fish protector also. It's not a med but an enhancer that allows medicine to take better. Supposedly it reduces stress/shock and aids slime coat and tissues. Doesn't interfere with breathing.

I went to a vet site. No specific cure for ammonia burn but oxygen is key for healing the tissues. Supposedly gills heal like livers in humans and the site said it could take weeks. Clean water, aeration and time (blue was mentioned). My biggest concern is if the damage is too severe as mentioned.

 

[RD.]

Good luck, hope he pulls through.

 

[phreeflow]

I started using salt earlier yesterday. He goes back and forth between swimming/floating/laying at the bottom. I don't have straight methylene blue, would ichx-ex work as a substitute?

I added fish protector also. It's not a med but an enhancer that allows medicine to take better. Supposedly it reduces stress/shock and aids slime coat and tissues. Doesn't interfere with breathing.

I went to a vet site. No specific cure for ammonia burn but oxygen is key for healing the tissues. Supposedly gills heal like livers in humans and the site said it could take weeks. Clean water, aeration and time (blue was mentioned). My biggest concern is if the damage is too severe as mentioned.

Don’t use Ich-X because that’s malachite green, completely different from methylene blue.

It’s a bit complicated but methylene blue helps fish better use more oxygen at a cellular, mitochondrial level. It’s used a lot for nitrite or pesticide poisoning but also helps when fish get damage gills from chlorine or chloramine.

Hope Boss recovers