Hey everyone,
A few weeks ago (3) I had to move my GT out of the tank that I kept him in with a female Jack Dempsey (for 8 months or so) because his fins were getting torn up and he wasn't allowing the Jack to eat. I have put him in a smaller tank for the time being hoping that he could start to heal. He has been sulking the entire time I have had him in there. I think it's the first time he has been alone. So three days ago I noticed he was hiding in his cave a lot, which isn't normal because he always greets me and is social. Yesterday I woke up and he was breathing hard, his dorsal and anal fins were pinned, and he seemed restless ans spaced out. He still ate, but didn't show the normal interest he has for food. His poop was normal, thick and brown. Later in the day I noticed he tried to rub/scrape against the substrate. This made me believe it was a parasite issue, so I promptly changed 50% of the water and added FMG. Prior to this I also removed some water so the spray bar would pound down into the water and tested the water parameters.
Today I woke to the same thing- labored breathing and clamped fins except today he isn't moving around the tank, he is just sitting in one spot, oblivious to my presence. He also had some brown stringy poop that changed into white as it was exiting his body and I just observed him attempt to rub again.
This seems like it could me more than one issue going on, but I am not sure. The Jack that he was with does have some health issue that we haven't been able to solve, but it has been three weeks, so that would seem strange to have affected the GT at this point. We also took a tray from that canister to put in his filter to cycle it faster. I believe based on testing it is indeed cycled. The only thing I can come up with is that recently in cleaning tanks I shared a gravel vacuum between the Jack and GT tanks. But Jack isn't acting the same way that GT is.
The results are: Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 20, pH 7.4, temp 76 inline heater. Used API freshwater test kit. Well water treated with Prime. Water changes 2x/week 30-50%. Gravel bottom vacuumed 1x/week. I have not tested GH and KH lately, last time KH was 19 drops. Recently koi pond was at 14 drops. Usually extremely high due to water source. He has a few large rocks on bottom to make a cave and a few plastic plants. Small 29 gal hospital tank (best we could do). Have not added salt, do not as normal practice. I do have some medicines on hand.
Thank you for any help, I really like him and would like to save him
A few weeks ago (3) I had to move my GT out of the tank that I kept him in with a female Jack Dempsey (for 8 months or so) because his fins were getting torn up and he wasn't allowing the Jack to eat. I have put him in a smaller tank for the time being hoping that he could start to heal. He has been sulking the entire time I have had him in there. I think it's the first time he has been alone. So three days ago I noticed he was hiding in his cave a lot, which isn't normal because he always greets me and is social. Yesterday I woke up and he was breathing hard, his dorsal and anal fins were pinned, and he seemed restless ans spaced out. He still ate, but didn't show the normal interest he has for food. His poop was normal, thick and brown. Later in the day I noticed he tried to rub/scrape against the substrate. This made me believe it was a parasite issue, so I promptly changed 50% of the water and added FMG. Prior to this I also removed some water so the spray bar would pound down into the water and tested the water parameters.
Today I woke to the same thing- labored breathing and clamped fins except today he isn't moving around the tank, he is just sitting in one spot, oblivious to my presence. He also had some brown stringy poop that changed into white as it was exiting his body and I just observed him attempt to rub again.
This seems like it could me more than one issue going on, but I am not sure. The Jack that he was with does have some health issue that we haven't been able to solve, but it has been three weeks, so that would seem strange to have affected the GT at this point. We also took a tray from that canister to put in his filter to cycle it faster. I believe based on testing it is indeed cycled. The only thing I can come up with is that recently in cleaning tanks I shared a gravel vacuum between the Jack and GT tanks. But Jack isn't acting the same way that GT is.
The results are: Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 20, pH 7.4, temp 76 inline heater. Used API freshwater test kit. Well water treated with Prime. Water changes 2x/week 30-50%. Gravel bottom vacuumed 1x/week. I have not tested GH and KH lately, last time KH was 19 drops. Recently koi pond was at 14 drops. Usually extremely high due to water source. He has a few large rocks on bottom to make a cave and a few plastic plants. Small 29 gal hospital tank (best we could do). Have not added salt, do not as normal practice. I do have some medicines on hand.
Thank you for any help, I really like him and would like to save him
