Hello...I have a blood parrot fish that I rescued about 4 weeks ago and she is not doing well. I purchased a 37 gallon tank and had to put her in it before it had a chance to cycle. I can not get the nitrite levels below 1ppm. Nitrates are between 0 and 20. Ammonia is at 0. The tank also got ick which I have been treating for 4 days now with temperature elevation (86-88°) and aquarium salt. I have 2 mystery snails in with her that are doing great and also had a zebra catfish which died yesterday. I am doing daily water changes and adding stress coat, a water conditioner and aquarium salt for only the water which is changed out. She pretty much stays in one corner at the top of the tank and I have never seen her eat since I have got her. Now, today, she has some white on her left gill and fin area which I will post a pic of. Desperately needing some help here.
Sick blood parrot
- Thread starter Flinda
- Start date
Hi and welcome to the forum 
All fish are covered in a thin layer of mucous. This helps them slip through the water easier and acts as the first line of defence against disease organisms attacking them. If the water quality is not good or the fish is sick, they produce more mucous and it can appear as a cream or white film over the body and fins. Some protozoan infections (Costia, Chilodonella & Trichodina) also cause cream, white or grey patches over the body.
The fish in the picture either has excess mucous or a fungal infection on the gill cover. Probably excess mucous.
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If you don't have an established filter on the tank, reduce feeding to 2 times a week and do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate 4-8 hours after feeding.
Do not worry about the fish starving. Unlike mammals that use most of the food they eat to keep warm, most fish take their body temperature from the surrounding environment (the water). This means any food they eat gets used for movement and growth. Because of this, fish can go for weeks or even months without food and not die form starvation.
Feeding the fish 2 times a week for a month or so while the filter establishes, is not going to harm it. And the less food going into the tank, the lower the ammonia & nitrite levels will be, and the fish will be better for having cleaner water.
You should also do a 75% water change and gravel clean on any day there is an ammonia or nitrite reading above 0.
*NB* Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.
---------------------
Make sure you increase aeration/ surface turbulence when using salt, medications or heat because these will reduce the oxygen levels in the water.
Make sure the tank has a thin layer of substrate, some ornaments, plants or hiding places for the fish. Have a picture or something covering the back of the tank to make the fish feel more secure.
---------------------
How much salt are you adding?
You don't normally need salt to treat white spot. Heat works pretty well and you keep the tank at 86F for 2 weeks and then lower the temperature.
If you want to add salt to treat fungus or some protozoans then you can add rock salt (often sold as aquarium salt), sea salt or swimming pool salt to the aquarium at the dose rate of 1 heaped tablespoon per 20 litres (5 gallons) of water. If there is no improvement after 48 hours you can double that dose rate so there is 2 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.
If you only have livebearers (guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies), goldfish or rainbowfish in the tank you can double that dose rate, so you would add 2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres and if there is no improvement after 48 hours, then increase it so there is a total of 4 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.
Keep the salt level like this for at least 2 weeks but no longer than 4 weeks otherwise kidney damage can occur. Kidney damage is more likely to occur in fish from soft water (tetras, Corydoras, angelfish, gouramis, loaches) that are exposed to high levels of salt for an extended period of time, and is not an issue with livebearers, rainbowfish or other salt tolerant species.
The salt will not affect the beneficial filter bacteria but the higher dose rate will affect some plants. The lower dose rate will not affect plants.
After you use salt and the fish have recovered, you do a 10% water change each day for a week. Then do a 20% water change each day for a week. Then you can do bigger water changes after that.
If you are doing big daily water changes to keep ammonia and nitrite down, then add some salt to the new water before it is added to the tank.
eg: you change 5 gallons of water each day so you add salt to the new 5 gallons and let it dissolve before adding it 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.
When you measure the height, measure from the top of the substrate to the top of the water level.
There is a calculator/ converter in the "How To Tips" at the top of this page that will let you convert litres to gallons if you need it.
All fish are covered in a thin layer of mucous. This helps them slip through the water easier and acts as the first line of defence against disease organisms attacking them. If the water quality is not good or the fish is sick, they produce more mucous and it can appear as a cream or white film over the body and fins. Some protozoan infections (Costia, Chilodonella & Trichodina) also cause cream, white or grey patches over the body.
The fish in the picture either has excess mucous or a fungal infection on the gill cover. Probably excess mucous.
---------------------
If you don't have an established filter on the tank, reduce feeding to 2 times a week and do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate 4-8 hours after feeding.
Do not worry about the fish starving. Unlike mammals that use most of the food they eat to keep warm, most fish take their body temperature from the surrounding environment (the water). This means any food they eat gets used for movement and growth. Because of this, fish can go for weeks or even months without food and not die form starvation.
Feeding the fish 2 times a week for a month or so while the filter establishes, is not going to harm it. And the less food going into the tank, the lower the ammonia & nitrite levels will be, and the fish will be better for having cleaner water.
You should also do a 75% water change and gravel clean on any day there is an ammonia or nitrite reading above 0.
*NB* Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.
---------------------
Make sure you increase aeration/ surface turbulence when using salt, medications or heat because these will reduce the oxygen levels in the water.
Make sure the tank has a thin layer of substrate, some ornaments, plants or hiding places for the fish. Have a picture or something covering the back of the tank to make the fish feel more secure.
---------------------
How much salt are you adding?
You don't normally need salt to treat white spot. Heat works pretty well and you keep the tank at 86F for 2 weeks and then lower the temperature.
If you want to add salt to treat fungus or some protozoans then you can add rock salt (often sold as aquarium salt), sea salt or swimming pool salt to the aquarium at the dose rate of 1 heaped tablespoon per 20 litres (5 gallons) of water. If there is no improvement after 48 hours you can double that dose rate so there is 2 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.
If you only have livebearers (guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies), goldfish or rainbowfish in the tank you can double that dose rate, so you would add 2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres and if there is no improvement after 48 hours, then increase it so there is a total of 4 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.
Keep the salt level like this for at least 2 weeks but no longer than 4 weeks otherwise kidney damage can occur. Kidney damage is more likely to occur in fish from soft water (tetras, Corydoras, angelfish, gouramis, loaches) that are exposed to high levels of salt for an extended period of time, and is not an issue with livebearers, rainbowfish or other salt tolerant species.
The salt will not affect the beneficial filter bacteria but the higher dose rate will affect some plants. The lower dose rate will not affect plants.
After you use salt and the fish have recovered, you do a 10% water change each day for a week. Then do a 20% water change each day for a week. Then you can do bigger water changes after that.
If you are doing big daily water changes to keep ammonia and nitrite down, then add some salt to the new water before it is added to the tank.
eg: you change 5 gallons of water each day so you add salt to the new 5 gallons and let it dissolve before adding it 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.
When you measure the height, measure from the top of the substrate to the top of the water level.
There is a calculator/ converter in the "How To Tips" at the top of this page that will let you convert litres to gallons if you need it.
Thank you so much! The 75% water change was very helpful and my tank is definitely coming around. Flinda seems back to normal as well and is finally eating when I feed her. This was the most trouble I have ever had with a tank and I am grateful for the advice and all the threads here.
I am only doing water changes every other day now, and only about 25%. The nitrite levels are minimal, but still slightly registering. I still have the temperature elevated, but have stopped the salt.
I am only doing water changes every other day now, and only about 25%. The nitrite levels are minimal, but still slightly registering. I still have the temperature elevated, but have stopped the salt.
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