Flowerhorn issue

[xxAlexxx23]

Hey there my flowerhorn is losing its color and started to get a hole in his tail, not eating now as well. Fish is still active when you approach the tank and all that but just doesnt eat and is always swimming at the top of the tank. I do a water every two weeks and he has been fine up until now.

 

[Colin_T]

Need a clear picture of the fish from both sides so we can see the hole in the tail.
Need a picture showing the entire aquarium.
Need a video of the fish to see how it's breathing. Upload videos to YouTube, then copy & paste the link here. If you use a mobile phone to film the fish, hold the phone horizontally (landscape mode) so the footage fills the entire screen and doesn't have black bars on either end.

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?
How long has the aquarium been set up for?

How long have you had the fish for?
How long has it been acting like this?
Have you added anything to the tank in the 2 weeks before this started?

What is the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH of the water (in numbers)?
What sort of filter is on the tank?
How often and how do you clean the filter?

How much water do you change when you do the water change?
Do you gravel clean the substrate when you do a water change?
Do you dechlorinate the new water before adding it to the aquarium?
Did you do a water change on the day this started?

 

[xxAlexxx23]

Tank - is a 37 Gal. Topfin kit been set up since 2020
Filter - AquaClear 50
Tester do not have with me ATM

He has been in this aquarium for 3.5 years now never had any issues. Acting like this for about a week and a half, haven't added anything new. Change Foam and Carbon every two weeks with water change. Water change is 10 gals, use a water conditioner for water change as well same one for the last 3 years.

Need a clear picture of the fish from both sides so we can see the hole in the tail.
Need a picture showing the entire aquarium.
Need a video of the fish to see how it's breathing. Upload videos to YouTube, then copy & paste the link here. If you use a mobile phone to film the fish, hold the phone horizontally (landscape mode) so the footage fills the entire screen and doesn't have black bars on either end.

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?
How long has the aquarium been set up for?

How long have you had the fish for?
How long has it been acting like this?
Have you added anything to the tank in the 2 weeks before this started?

What is the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH of the water (in numbers)?
What sort of filter is on the tank?
How often and how do you clean the filter?

How much water do you change when you do the water change?
Do you gravel clean the substrate when you do a water change?
Do you dechlorinate the new water before adding it to the aquarium?
Did you do a water change on the day this started?

 

[xxAlexxx23]

 

[Sir Guppy]

Change Foam and Carbon every two weeks with water change

By foam do you mean you sponge?
I cannot help you with the fish as my knowledge is limited in fish diseases.
I do know however that sponges should only be replaced if falling apart. They collect good filtering bacteria, and by throwing out the sponge, you throw out a good filter.
With the carbon replaced every two weeks-expensive, but with it I doubt the water quality will be bad.

 

[Colin_T]

As mentioned by Sir Guppy, don't replace the sponge in the filter. Just squeeze it out in a bucket of tank water and re-use the sponge. Tip the bucket of dirty water on the lawn outside.

You don't need carbon in the filter unless there is chemicals or heavy metals in the water. If you want to keep using it you can but it only needs to be replaced once a month, or replace it with another sponge.

-------------------

The damage to the tail could be from getting it caught on something in the tank, although there isn't much there to catch it on. It could also be related to the breathing and not eating issue.

Any idea what its poop looks like?
If it is coloured and normal that is a good sign and would indicate an infection in the mouth/ throat. A broad spectrum medication that treats fungus and bacteria should help.

Is it sunken in at the belly now?
If he has sunken in at the belly that is an internal protozoan infection and Metronidazole might help.

Has it gotten fat at all since this started?
If he got fat rapidly when this started, that is usually an internal bacterial infection and there's not normally a cure.

 

[Fishfunn]

It looks like the start of tail rot. He looks big for that tank too, so you need to do more frequent water changes than two weeks. Ammonia and nitrite will deteriorate his fins.

• Also, leave the sponge in HOB alone to build up nitrification bacteria, and occasionally rinse it off in discarded aquarium water to clean up any buildup that impedes water flow through it.
• More frequent water changes and clean water would heal up those fins.
• You might want to treat with an antibiotic to speed up the healing process. For tail rot, in the past I used Erythromycin (maracyn) with great success. Kanaplex would work too.

 

[Ichthys]

The tiny tank is stressing it, and stress allows disease. At 3.5 years it should be a foot long, or more.
Your water change routine also means the nitrates are probably sky high, which will gradually kill fish, usually by making them stop eating. If the nitrates are very high, the internal damage is probably already done. You should be changing at least 50%, at least every week

 

[Fishfunn]

What beautiful fish but he looks like he has out grown that tank. If it were my fish, I have put him in at least a 55 or 75 gallon tank with a powerful canister filter for filtration. A big fish needs room to swim, more water, and a big filter to breakdown its waste. I had large fish like that before and always had them in a 55-gallon tank until they outgrew that one too.

 

[xxAlexxx23]

I have a 55 gallon tank that isnt being used and have been wanting to move him over for a while now just havent found the time to do so along with a canister filter. Will probably move him over to that this weekend.

What beautiful fish but he looks like he has out grown that tank. If it were my fish, I have put him in at least a 55 or 75 gallon tank with a powerful canister filter for filtration. A big fish needs room to swim, more water, and a big filter to breakdown its waste. I had large fish like that before and always had them in a 55-gallon tank until they outgrew that one too.

 

[xxAlexxx23]

As mentioned by Sir Guppy, don't replace the sponge in the filter. Just squeeze it out in a bucket of tank water and re-use the sponge. Tip the bucket of dirty water on the lawn outside.

You don't need carbon in the filter unless there is chemicals or heavy metals in the water. If you want to keep using it you can but it only needs to be replaced once a month, or replace it with another sponge.

-------------------

The damage to the tail could be from getting it caught on something in the tank, although there isn't much there to catch it on. It could also be related to the breathing and not eating issue.

Any idea what its poop looks like?
If it is coloured and normal that is a good sign and would indicate an infection in the mouth/ throat. A broad spectrum medication that treats fungus and bacteria should help.

Is it sunken in at the belly now?
If he has sunken in at the belly that is an internal protozoan infection and Metronidazole might help.

Has it gotten fat at all since this started?
If he got fat rapidly when this started, that is usually an internal bacterial infection and there's not normally a cure.

Poop havent seen to know if it has changed in the recent week or not.

Belly seems to be a bit bigger as if he had just ate hasnt really gone down since this problem started. Just hangs around at the top of the tank breathing until i walk by then moves around like normal

 

[xxAlexxx23]

It looks like the start of tail rot. He looks big for that tank too, so you need to do more frequent water changes than two weeks. Ammonia and nitrite will deteriorate his fins.

• Also, leave the sponge in HOB alone to build up nitrification bacteria, and occasionally rinse it off in discarded aquarium water to clean up any buildup that impedes water flow through it.
• More frequent water changes and clean water would heal up those fins.
• You might want to treat with an antibiotic to speed up the healing process. For tail rot, in the past I used Erythromycin (maracyn) with great success. Kanaplex would work too.

I will look into getting that for the Tail rot thank you

 

[Colin_T]

You can try adding salt (1 heaped tablespoon per 5 gallons of water, keep salt in there for 2 weeks) but it probably needs a broad spectrum medication that treats bacteria.

 

[xxAlexxx23]

Update - Seems to be that he's getting some holes around his face and head they just started to show. Could that be from the rot that he has going on his tail?

 

[Lcc86]

Update - Seems to be that he's getting some holes around his face and head they just started to show. Could that be from the rot that he has going on his tail?

I'm not an expert on fish disease but do you have a picture for others to see? Have you tried increasing water changes or any medication at all since previous post?