Urgent Help Required!

[Atkin]

For the last 2 months my lung (WAL, age 2+ yrs, length just under 2 feet) has not eaten anything but a couple of small prawns.

As of saturday he started sitting on his tail vertically up the side of the tank for hours on end and moved very little. He also spent a good portion of monday lying on his back with his fins limp at the side.

Today he is floating at the surface and is struggling to stay at the bottom of the tank. When i nudged him to see if he was alive he felt bloated and full of air.

Has anyone got any ideas whats happening to him as i think i will loose him if i dont do something. Unfortunately all of the aquatics in my area have not heard of these symptomns before and could not help.

Please reply asap

Thankyou

 

[E_americanus]

how big is the tank, and what are your water parameters? how often do you do water changes?
i would suggest doing a 50% water change and adding 2 tbsp of non-iodized salt per 20g of water. increase the temp to 82F and monitor the fish's condition. often times these things will work themselves out without need for major medications. again, check your water quality parameters. are there any tankmates with the fish? good luck--
--solomon

 

[Atkin]

Ive done a 1/3 water change but i will do another asap, he's in a 4.5 foot tank by himself and when i last checked on saturday the water quality was fine.

i'm planning on adding some live food for him when i get chance to pick them up. i thought that might perk him up and encourage him to eat and by doing so perhaps loose some of the air thats causing him problems?

 

[Atkin]

ok so i have done a couple more water changes and changed his diet to bloodworm which he ate. unfortunately today when i came home he was floating at the surface of the tank lifeless. he moved when i touched him but he doesnt look good. ive tried everything and im not sure what else to do for him now. any suggestions?

 

[Atkin]

well looks like there was nothing i could do, he's died now

 

[E_americanus]

very sorry to hear about your fish, and my apologies for my lack of response (i was out of state for over a week). if the water changes and other basic measures did not help, it was likely there was little that could be done for the fish...lungfishes are highly durable creatures, and its described condition sounds like something i have seen before in a couple specimens from which they did not recover.

again, sorry for your loss; hopefully you will be able to get a new lungfish in the future--
--solomon

 

[Atkin]

thankyou, i did enjoy keeping a lung, he was my first monster and i'll always remember him. I think i will look into freshwater lionfish for the future