Something is wrong with my red tail!

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Aw3s0m3 said:
I will remove the rocks when I get home tonight. Also I am going to pick up some melafix and prazipro after work. How long should I try these meds before trying out others if these don't work? I don't want to just mix a bunch of different meds
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Please, read the instructions and follow them. They will specify the length of treatment, and follow-up treatment. Treat at least for a minimum time the instructions say and note fish's condition.

Please, never mix meds unless you know for certain they can be mixed safely for your fish. Have you started reading the stickies in the Deseases Forum? A short list of compatible and non-compatible meds can be found here on the bottom, post #4: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...5289-List-of-Treatments-and-Contraindications
 
I picked up the prazipro and melafix and went by what the people at the lfs told me, for a bath, 1 capful of prazipro per gal for a 30-45 min bath. Then i removed all carbon from the tank and treated the tank with the melafix to help with the slime coat and possibly help the other fish in case they caught something from it.

Well, filled up a rubbermaid with about 10g of tank water and placed an airstone in it for about 30 min, then put the medication in, then placed the fish in. Splashed me like crazy and got me soaked and was kind of a pain to catch so at least I know he still has a lot of energy. He was in there for about 15 min, then started splashing trying to get out. 5 min later, I checked on him and he had his head out of the water and was gasping for air. I poked him a little to see if there would be a reaction. None at all so I freaked out and picked him up with my hands, he didn't splash or move or anything which scared me, and I placed him right back into the tank. He completely freaked out and started swimming into the tank walls then floated upside down gasping for air. I thought I was going to lose him right there, but now 20 min later, he's swimming around the tank again. I will try another bath in a few days because I feel a daily bath would just stress him out way too much. I will also continue to dose the tank with melafix everyday like on the instructions so hopefully that will help as well.
 
God I love this kind of wrong information. First off, catfish are and will always be scaleless fish, so 1/2 the dosage is a must if anything. Second, water changes and clean water would have fixed this problem in no time. Looking at you catfish it looks like is was hitting stuff in your tank. Clean out everything in your tank and frequent water changes would of helped. Now that you have the cat in a qt tank, reduce the meds.... Do a 50% water change in that tub and keep the temp at 86 with a lot of air and water movement. Forget about pimafix and melafix, that meds reduces air in tank by 50%. Keep the tub with 1 cup and clean water.


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So today the catfish is doing much better, activity wise. He's swimming around the tank all the time like he used to and is eating again. Not as much as he used to but at least he started eating which is definitely a good sign. The sores haven't improved which I don't expect in one day, but at least he's acting like a normal catfish again. I will give him another bath on Sunday since the directions state to treat every 3 days. Hopefully his condition starts improving at this rate so he could go into a much more suitable sized pond at my friend's where he can stay his entire life.
 
Glad to hear the improvement. Let's all remember that we are all here to learn and help each other. :) Hopefully improvement will continue.
 
Update: I gave him another bath last night. Handled it pretty well, way better than the first time and gave him the entire 30 min. He's still not eating as much as before, but he's still very active. The flesh wounds haven't gotten worse, but I still don't see any healing. How long do you guys think these type of sores should take to heal? The prazipro definitely helped him with something internally, but I can't tell yet if the prazipro is actually helping the wounds. I will give him another bath in a few days and continue with the melafix just in case the other fish have caught something from it.
 
Catfish are incredibly fast healers, particularly if you raised the temp. If the cause of the wounds is resolved you should be able to notice improvement. take lots of photos and you should easily see the difference if you compare pics that are a few days apart.
 
A: Update: I gave him another bath last night. Handled it pretty well, way better than the first time and gave him the entire 30 min.
TBTB: What was different this time? 1/2 a dose?

A: He's still not eating as much as before, but he's still very active. The flesh wounds haven't gotten worse, but I still don't see any healing. How long do you guys think these type of sores should take to heal?
TBTB: Depends on a diagnosis, which, as evident from above, differs greatly between those who replied... and also your LFS lady.

A: The prazipro definitely helped him with something internally, but I can't tell yet if the prazipro is actually helping the wounds.
TBTB: Prazi is a broad de-wormer. I'd not expect it to help heal the wounds.

A: I will give him another bath in a few days and continue with the melafix just in case the other fish have caught something from it.
TBTB: Melafix is a very mild, natural anticeptic, used to help heal superficial wounds.

Good luck.
 
thebiggerthebetter said:
TBTB: What was different this time? 1/2 a dose?

TBTB: Prazi is a broad de-wormer. I'd not expect it to help heal the wounds.
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It was the same dose but I used a bigger container this time. I put about 5 capfuls and used about 8 gal this time instead of 5 and I let it aerate all day this time because last time I only did it for about an hour.

What is a good med to help the wounds? I read the thread you showed me, but it was a lot to take in.






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A: It was the same dose but I used a bigger container this time. I put about 5 capfuls and used about 8 gal this time instead of 5
TBTB: I see. It would be better to say "it was the same quantity of the med" because you dissolved it in ~1.5 times more water, hence your dose was ~1.5 times lower because the dose (in this case) = concentration when talking about baths.

A: and I let it aerate all day this time because last time I only did it for about an hour.
TBTB: I don't follow this. Maybe I am not reading it right... When you pour your water in your bath container, it gets fully aerated (unless you start off with water totally lacking oxygen... but even then, most usually as you pour it in and it gets in contact with air and is vigorously stirred, it gets fully aerated). It cannot be aerated any more. I'd just keep a nice strong bubbler in it DURING the bath so oxygen concentration does not decrease.

A: What is a good med to help the wounds?
TBTB: My guess, as expressed above, has not changed yet: I'd try bifiran with food for internal treatment and pottasium permanganate for baths. It's a weak guess though too, I must stress again, because, as I said, IDK what deasease is eating your fish away. What you are doing on your LFS lady's advice is not unreasonable in my eyes, just not the first thing I'd try but I have been wrong plenty before.

A: I read the thread you showed me, but it was a lot to take in.
TBTB: Understood. It's a good start. You could just focus on the meds/diagnoses being discussed in this case for now... and keep reading here and other places too. This is, I believe, how we learn the best and the most - during trying times with our own pets.
 
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