Synodontis Ocellifer Catfish - pop eye and ?

Hi guys,

Have uploaded photos - took them off a video which I couldn't upload so colour looks green even though the water is clear (plus wall behind is yellow!). Synodontis comes up to the surface for air maybe once every 10-15 - not so often that it took a huge amount of time to get him on film! One gill looks wavy on the outside and is going fast and obviously eyes are bulging. He's at least 13 years old if not a few more.

Odd thing is I don't think it is water quality, although I needed to do a water change (and did one at the weekend), as my clown loaches are all fine.

I did a larger change - maybe 30-40% on the weekend as expected the nitrate was getting a bit higher didn't do a reading - it was just time to do it a change, I had time to do it, and I'm going away for a couple of weeks so did a larger one. Changed out the fine filter pad for a new one and rinsed media in tank water. Have a higher filter than needed - eheim pro 4.

Nitrite currently 0, nitrate somewhere between 10 and 20. Nitrate in my water means I never go right down much lower than that.
Temp running at 25 but has gone up to 27 in the recent heat
Spray bar at top currently positioned higher to get more air into the tank given the situation, also have an air pump. =

Any thoughts on what I do - I've got clown loaches so I want to ensure I know what to treat with before putting anything in. I'm trying to get my hands on a quarantine tank but not arriving until tomorrow.

ALL HELP VASTLY APPRECIATED!

Thanks






Details of tank:
Tank: 225lt, 60 US gal, 50 UK gal, eheim professional 4 ext filter, sand, mix live and plastic plants. Tank been running in current location for 7 years.
Water parameters: all ok. GH is generally higher
Mates: Now 4 clowns, 1 dwarf plec, 1 syndontis ocellifer, mixed range of larger tetras e.g. a few black widows.

Do a 75% water change and complete gravel clean each day for a week. Also wipe down the inside of the glass. After that do a 75% water change and complete gravel clean each week.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it gets added to the tank.

If there is no improvement after 3 water changes and gravel cleans then add some triple sulpha/ tri sulfa to the tank.

To work out the volume of water in the tank:
measure length x width x height in cm.
divide by 1000.
= volume in litres.

There is a calculator/ converter in the "How To Tips" at the top of this page that will let you convert litres to gallons.

Remove carbon before treating.

Make sure you treat for at least 1 week. Preferably continue treatment for 1 week after the fish has no more symptoms.

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How often do you normally clean the filter?
Power filters should be cleaned at least once a month.

You do not need to replace filter pads in filters. Just wash them in a bucket of tank water and put them back in the filter. If you have carbon (black granules) or ammonia absorbing granules in the filter then take them out and throw them away. Put a sponge in their place.

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Older fish are more prone to illness and infection, which could explain why the loaches are fine but the Synodontis is unwell.

Is the fish normally that fat or has that happened with the bulging eyes?

Do you feed the fish a varied diet?

Hi,

Thanks for your reply. I should have said I've already done 2 water changes so will do another one tonight. Quarantine tank arrived late last night so been setup and run overnight - she unfortunately can't go in it till I get home tonight as it'll need two people to get her in there.

In terms of my filter - eheim 4 - I wash out the sponges in tank water each water change. Only changed out the fine filter as it was looking old and a new one better covers the whole section (i.e from edge to edge) I'm also over filtered which is useful. Water change given the size of the tank is done via a large bin next to it with Prime added and water temp matching the tank. I don't have carbon or ammonia granules. Filter media is eheim plus some seachem. Chlorine is 0 in tank.

As mentioned tank is sand. Sand surface cleaning is done on water change. I included the litre value on the post as well.

I think she's got fatter with this - she was always a bit fat but hard to tell, used to watch her a lot with my blue light on but haven't replaced it since the bulb went given it wasn't a necessity and I don't have the same time to sit and watch her with a toddler!

A varied diet goes in - difficult to tell what she's eating compared to everyone else. A small amount of 3 different sinking goes in given clowns don't like what she had and vitalis flakes. Live bloodworms every so often, recently some peas, dried krill, dried bloodworms as examples. She did revolt when terra tab changed its formula a year or so ago by eating a couple of smaller fish but nothing gone now. Put in a few peas soaked in garlic last night to see if she'll touch - no sign this morning but no guarantee she had any.

Other fish look fine this morning although the clown as usual are hiding at this point.

Do I treat just her in quarantine- potentially for dropsy ? Or whole tank. Do you recommend the Epsom salt option?

Thanks for your post.

Big water changes are better than small ones so if you only do a 30-40% water change, increase it to 75% because you will remove more harmful disease organisms with a bigger water change.

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Depending on how deep the sand is, I would try to give it a proper gravel clean if its only an inch or two deep.

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You mention live Bloodworm, are you talking about the small red Chirominid midge larvae sold in frozen and freeze dry form, or blackworms/ tubifex worms that are about 2 inches long and live in balls in water?
When was the last time you fed live Bloodworms?

Do you give them frozen (but defrosted) prawn/ shrimp or is it mainly dry food?
You can buy frozen prawn and keep them in the freezer. Then take one out, defrost it and remove the head, shell and gut (thin black tube). Then use a pair of scissors to cut the remaining bit of prawn into small bite size pieces and offer a few bits at a time. Remove any uneaten food.

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Depending on how big the quarantine tank is, I would set the tank up using half old tank water (from her current tank) and half clean water. Then add a very thin layer of sand and some plastic plants or pvc pipe for the fish to hide in, as well as a filter, heater and air stone. Then treat the quarantine tank with the Triple sulpha.
Don't bother using Epsom salts.

If you don't have an established filter on the quarantine tank then only feed her a small amount once every couple of days. Then do a 75% water change about 4 hours after feeding her. And monitor the ammonia and nitrite levels in the quarantine tank. If you get any ammonia or nitrite readings, do a 75% water change to dilute it.

Thanks. Quarantine already setup as your advice though with an empty bottom as per the usual recommendations. Filter using current filter media and half old / half new water. We will extract her in her pipe for ease and so she's at home. It's a 30l so relatively small so aware of water changes on it. Unfortuantely could only do another 40-50% change last night as bin holds 110l) and added some to quarantine - once I'd done all that it was 1am so couldn't run up another bin full. Will do much larger one tonight.

Live bloodworm (red) - live as in living! I get these from a trusted aquarium shop but probably havent put any in for a least 6 weeks thinking about it as this was the last time I went. tubifex I give as square frozen cubes defrosted in tank water. Yes to prawns and mussels etc. Yes to pulling out anything not eaten.

I've had tanks for 17 years so well versed - just not had any medical issues to deal with other than an ich issue in 2013 when I added the clowns.

Slightly concerned about doing a full sand clean in case of any pockets being disturbed given I'm on holiday for two weeks tomorrow and having to leave my beloved syno in the hands of non fish keepers to get through this.

Just working how to pick up triple sulphur today! Thanks for your responses.

If you are going away for 2 weeks do you have someone who can monitor the water quality in the quarantine tank and treat the fish for you?
If not you might be better off leaving the fish in the main tank and treating that due to the larger water volume.

And if you don't have an experienced person looking after them while you are away, measure out 2 serves of food and give directions to put in 1 serve per week and no more. The fish won't starve over the 2 weeks and more fish die from being over fed by well intentioned babysitters than starving.

Yeah they will monitor the water quality and medicate and they can do that on a daily basis. To be honest given the size of the tank it will be much easier for them to change the water in the smaller tank than the industrial job of changing the water in the large one which requires a huge bin and long hoses across the house!

And yes I give very clear instructions on feeding which they usually do a couple of times a week when I'm away. they're pretty seasoned at that just not something like this!