dying angel fish

[myangel]

I need help! This is my first time to post anything, so please bear with me!

My angel fish is dying, and he looks so pitiful! Is there something I should do to help him with a more "humane" death???

I bought the aquarium ( 55 gallon) almost a year ago and the angel was with the tank, as well as 7 other fish. the gravel, plants everything, came with the tank.

We have had fish die before, but they just died! My angel ( Gill is his name) has been weak and not eating for a week.... getting worse each day! I thought he was dead this morning, but he flopped and slowly swam back to the air stone. His breathing is slow, it appears...

My water is testing o.k..... ph is is a little low, i have been adding ph7.0 daily, but to no avail, it seems... nitrates are running a little high also... i have done daily 25% water changes, have used Maracide ( early last week) then, hex a mit antibiotic day before yesterday!

The other fish seem to be fine, however I did have a gourami drop to his death last week.... no apparent reason.

Gill has no obvious signs of anything except that he just can't seem to swim....

HELP!

 

[Shizat]

I think its probably from you mixing the chemicals like you have been doing. The pH increase/decreasers are really harmful to fish if you mix them with other chemicals. I did a test at work one time and mixing a ph increaser with amquel I think it was turned the water pitch black. So I would advise for you to stop using the ph7.

 

[myangel]

Thank you for your reply! And... I will stop with the chemicals!

I was trying to try everything to make him better and probably just made it worse, huh?
Gosh, I hope I am replying correctly... I am still trying to figure this Forum thing out!

Do you think at this point, I should just let him die? It seems so inhumane...

What would you do?

 

[jams.alaskan]

I would think a 20 percent water change to drop the toxic chemical levels and hope for the best. I'm sorry ths is happening to you.

ALASKA

 

[myangel]

Thank you so much! I just finished the water change!

 

[myangel]

a few more questions... should I put my angelfish in a hospital tank?? which is what? a separate tank??? what size do I need? do i need gravel and plants and stuff? does it need a fiter system? should i do this even though he seems to be in his last days???
thanks a bunch, ya'll!

 

[jams.alaskan]

Hi myangel,
I've never had a hospital tank so can't answer that one. But... to save you time in the future describing the tank and fish go to "my controls" at the top of the page and fill in the information there for your sig. It will come up at the end of your posts like is is for mine. Took me a while to figure that one out.

ALASKA

 

[myangel]

Well... thank you so much, ALASKA!

I just tried to do that.... not sure yet if it worked!

Thanks again for your help!

 

[rykitten]

myangel,

I can sympathize with you, I have 2 sick guys right now, in hospital tanks.

If your angel is struggling and his tank mates are picking on him, it's always good let him rest by putting him in a hospital tank.

I have 2 hospitals in fact. One is 5 gallons and the other is 10. You don't need gravel and plants for it. But you do need to make sure it's cycled.

I set up and cycled my hospital tank by buying a second filter (bio filter without carbon) and letting it build up the good bacteria in my large tank. Then whenever there is an injury or illness I put half orignal tank water, half new water into the hospital. I put the bio filter into the hospital tank and a small heater. Then I add the fish.

If you want to get him out right away and don't have time to wait for a filter to cycle, you can tank some elements from your original tank. I set up my second hospital tank this way.

Take a piece of your original filter and attach it to an airstone. Bring over some gravel from the original tank too. Also, use the water from your original tank. Then do some gradual water changes.

 

[myangel]

Thank you for the info on the hospiatal tank!

I was really clueless!

The others are being very sweet... leaving him alone...he was always the one to pick on others!

 

[infinity587]

Hi, I kind of have the same problem. Does anyone know the proper ph for angel fish? I have 3 marbles, 1 black one and a white one (ghost angel fish??). I keep finding different ph levels for each kind of fish. What should I go with? Thanks.

 

[Cian McLiam]

Anything between pH 6.0 and 7.5 is fine for angels, once it is kept constant. Adding pH up and down products just causes it to shift frequently and stress the fish. Unless it was near 8 or so, I would leave it alone.

As for the sick angel, I would change 25% per day with aged de-chlorinated water, for 3 days, then use quick cure or tetra contra spot as directed until he shows signs of improvement or gets significantly worse.

Ken