Iridsecent Shark With White Film... Not Looking Good! :/

[ChiefBrody]

He looks better overall, staying oriented the right way, but he's still not eating and is emaciated.  I have also been giving him the pellets you mentioned, but he wouldn't eat one placed right in front of him, soaked in garlic first.  I'll try the prawn, but I'm really worried.  His tail fin is all but a stub now, though he still swam (awkwardly) with it.  His eyes are bulgey, and he has a split on one side.    Every day, I expect he'll be dead, and every day he's still fighting for life.  As long as he keeps fighting, I will too.  I'm checking his ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, and pH levels 3x a day, They're all in normal ranges now.  His temperature is good (about 76 - 77), aeration is great...   now...  what?  wait?  I've given him some SeaChem Stressguard earlier today (can I give that daily??) in hopes it will help him heal now that his water quality is on par.  My LFS didn't have any duckweed to add, so I didn't get anything.  They had Anubis...  would that help?

This is breaking my heart. 

 

[star4]

When a fish is not eating it is really really difficult. The only thing you can do is keep doing water changes so you syphon out uneaten food and keep trying different "tasty" foods to tempt him. Try the prawn, some soaked in garlic some without just in case.  I am not sure what you mean he is split on one side, has he injured himself? If he has a wound I (personally) wouldnt add any live plants from a shop just in case there is anything on the plant that could infect the wound, unless you can wash the plant thoroughly first.
 
Are you feeding him at night or during the day? I am not sure if these guys prefer night feeding.
 
As for the seachem stressguard, sorry I cant answer that one I dont use it myself.

 

[DoubleDutch]

Sorry guys, but in my opinion even a 30 gallon is farrrrrrrrrr to small for there Giants (to be) Or am I wrong.

 

[sawickib]

Yes I'd agree, this catfish has pretty much no place in the hobby, requiring HUGE tanks as proper housing for them, pretty sure in the 300 gallon+ range, but if you get it healthy again I'd suggest rehousing it. This fish gets about 3ft long.

 

[star4]

If you read post 3, the fish is only 1 1/2" at the moment and was put in a 4g cycled holding tank (thought to be cycled)  WHILE the 30g tank is cycling (post 6)  and it is a grow out tank and the OP is planning a tropical pond for the fish. The fish was in a small bowl when the op bought it (see post 6) and the op is doing their best for the fish. It is bad luck that the 4g tank started having problems, nothing to do with a 1 1/2" fish.
 
Please refrain from jumping on the band wagon of complaining that the tank is too small for a 1 1/2" fish when the op is actually doing the right thing by the fish, by trying to save it! The OP has NOT put a 3ft fish in a 30g tank and is not planning on keeping a 3ft fish in a 30g tank.

 

[ChiefBrody]

When a fish is not eating it is really really difficult. The only thing you can do is keep doing water changes so you syphon out uneaten food and keep trying different "tasty" foods to tempt him. Try the prawn, some soaked in garlic some without just in case.  I am not sure what you mean he is split on one side, has he injured himself? If he has a wound I (personally) wouldnt add any live plants from a shop just in case there is anything on the plant that could infect the wound, unless you can wash the plant thoroughly first.
 
Are you feeding him at night or during the day? I am not sure if these guys prefer night feeding.
 
As for the seachem stressguard, sorry I cant answer that one I dont use it myself.

I was feeding him at night initially. Now I've tried both. He used to nose his pellets around the tank and tear his brine shrimp flakes to pieces before swallowing them down. *sigh* The split on the side is... like a crack? He hadn't moved but it opened up on one side. I don't know... smh...


  

If you read post 3, the fish is only 1 1/2" at the moment and was put in a 4g cycled holding tank (thought to be cycled)  WHILE the 30g tank is cycling (post 6)  and it is a grow out tank and the OP is planning a tropical pond for the fish. The fish was in a small bowl when the op bought it (see post 6) and the op is doing their best for the fish. It is bad luck that the 4g tank started having problems, nothing to do with a 1 1/2" fish.
 
Please refrain from jumping on the band wagon of complaining that the tank is too small for a 1 1/2" fish when the op is actually doing the right thing by the fish, by trying to save it! The OP has NOT put a 3ft fish in a 30g tank and is not planning on keeping a 3ft fish in a 30g tank.

Thank you, star4. I try not to let that stuff affect me & just take the help that is given, which I appreciate very, very much.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Sorry guys, but in my opinion even a 30 gallon is farrrrrrrrrr to small for there Giants (to be) Or am I wrong.
 

 
In principle you are correct, but it seems you didn't read the entire thread and jumped to a conclusion.  I appreciate your passion, but ask for the future that you make sure to read the entire thread.  Its in the best interest of all that whenever you are trying advise someone with a problem to have as many of the facts as possible for the specific situation.

He's only an inch and a half right now, but yes, I realize he'll eventually be 3 feet long. I plan on having a indoor pond of some sort in the long run .

Of course I'll test the water when I get home & report back.

I've added a pic to the OP as well as here.

 

[star4]

 

I was feeding him at night initially. Now I've tried both. He used to nose his pellets around the tank and tear his brine shrimp flakes to pieces before swallowing them down. *sigh*

The split on the side is... like a crack? He hadn't moved but it opened up on one side. I don't know... smh...
 

 

  hmm, it could just be damage to the body from the ammonia, an ammonia burn which has effectively cracked the skin, which with clean water should heal on its own (I keep cichlids so see odd wounds occasionally), keep a close eye on it for any whiteness or fungus. If any appears you may need to use a medication anti fungal/bacterial. Sorry I cant advise on medications as I dont know US meds . As for feeding you can only keep trying different times and different foods, If he liked brine shrimp flakes, he might go for brine shrimp itself.  Another option would be to try live brine shrimp but I would hatch them yourself so you know the water quality is good. The last thing you need would be to add dodgy live food to the tank,
 
I know its difficult getting a sick fish to eat again. I can only wish you the best of luck that he pulls through.

 

[sawickib]

I never said he wasn't and I didn't actually know he was setting up a pond no idea how I missed that post my apologies.

 

[ChiefBrody]

I took a couple of pics so you can see the severity of the situation & the split on his side.

Ohhhh my poor little guy!!!


His water is between 0 & 0.25 ppm ammonia now (still working on that several times a day! I just added a sachet of ammo-carb to his biowheel filter (it has an extra slot for extra filtration)
0 nitrites, 0 nitrates, pH is up a bit, 7.4, but I just added some API pH down, so hopefully that will help.

I vacuumed out this morning's crumbled attempt to give him a garlic soaked pellet, tried the bloodwoorms (I actually got one in his gasping mouth & he blew it out)

I've added API stress coat each day as well as Seachem Stability.

I just... I just don't know what to do! He's so strong to have lasted this long & in this bad of shape!!

Earlier he actually swam a tiny bit & his gasping slowed. I was so glad to see him move! Then he got caught in the bubbles from the air stone and went blowing up to the surface. My daughter burst into tears and screamed that he'd died. He managed to swim into the plant & I helped him to right himself on the bottom of the tank.
The orange bar in the first pic is the reflection of my phone case, btw.

Here's his better side.

 

[attibones]

Don't worry about changing your pH. As long as it is stable, most fish will be fine with it. For the moment, you just need to work on the ammonia poisoning. Just keep up with the water changes, maybe bump up the temp a little. I'm not sure if the extra heat would help, as I only keep bettas and puffers now and warmer water always makes them happier. It might work for this guy. He probably hasn't eaten yet because of the stress. Unfortunately, I am not sure there is really much to be done.

 

[fluttermoth]

I don't like to say this, but I doubt if he's going to pull through. He looks in a very bad way and it's unlikely that you're going to be able to save him at this point. I think you ought to brace yourself to lose him

 

[star4]

Oh my, he has lost weight awfully quickly since the first picture, bent spine and a open wound on him, personally I would put him to sleep he is not going to make it, I am sorry.
 
The chances are this poor guy was doomed in the shop, especially with the others dying also. Looking at the pictures of him now a possible answer is mycrobacterium marinum, which you could only get a definate answer from a post mortem or growing a bacterial culture. For safety I would recommend you disinfect the 4g he was in, and also (once he has passed) disinfect the tank he is in now, including the filters etc just in case. I wouldnt add other fish to this tank.

 

[fluttermoth]

Agreed, star, I think euthanasia might be the best option
 
Clove oil the kindest way, OP; post if you want details.

 

[ChiefBrody]

Yes, please. Details, please. *sobs*

(I don't know how to disinfect my tanks & filter media either)