Large Texas Cichlid Is Not Gud

[peachlids]

not anymore it seems to have subsided, the only thing looking swollen now is his gills when he breaths, but he has lightened from his really shadowy stage when i think he was about to die to his normal silvery self with his couple of black spots.

 

[WILDER]

Just make sure his gills don't look red and inflamed, with excess slime.
Hows the fish breathing?

 

[peachlids]

the gills if anything are pale, activity has increased, but with the constant close proximity aeration i think the breathing has been helped.

i currently have my venustus in the iso tank as well as he has a skin lesion on the top of his head, which i noticed on the other venustus at the LFS where i bought it.

if anything ill save 10+ fish and lose these two :[

im not giving up hope, just being reasonable with my current lack of funds for extracurricular spending

 

[WILDER]

I think I would check your water stats in ammonia, nitrite. As some medication can knock your water stats.
With the fish gills being pale, swollen.

 

[peachlids]

my ammonia is < .25 since i did a 30% water change yesterday, but thats the only liquid test we have right now

also did my first sand/gravel syphon yesterday which has seemed to help the activity of the other fish

 

[peachlids]

none are hovering at the top so my dissolved oxygen is alright, i have a bubble strip and an aeration stone under gravel for circulation, a box external filter stacked with carbon, floss, topped with ceramic pieces in a bag, then another EF for 75g with 2 cartridge spaces i have a penguin cartridge in it lol and another carbon bag, thinking of switching the second carbon bag with a sponge after the penguin has been in there a couple more weeks.

i rarely change my box filter as i have the 75g filter for most of my mechanical filtering

 

[peachlids]

im pretty sure hes about to die

 

[peachlids]

oh poop hes flopped on his side sad

 

[WILDER]

How is the fish now?
Bless Him.

Black carbon only effective for 2 to 6 days. It a waste of money using it all the time. You only need black carbon to remove medications.
When you added the medication did you remove black carbon from filter?
How long has the black carbon been in your tank filter?

 

[peachlids]

he died last night, i did an autopsy and found a piece of carbon in his stomach, he couldnt pass anything.


im going to switch from carbon to ceramics when i get the money and a couple months of settling in my tank, now most of my fish are the same size and doing great so im going to try and maintain and watch them grow as fast as they have been!

 

[WILDER]

Bless Him.
So sad.


I would remove the black carbon if it has been in the filter over 8 weeks.

Good Luck.

 

[peachlids]

if hasnt, i have one month of cartridge and one like a week old that my dad gave me with a gravel vac.

everything is doing wonderfully and i still have my venustus in iso and his spot on his head is looking better, about to put in a carbon filter to removed the fungus cure and hope for the best.

if he doesnt straighten up im going to take him to the LFS and see if she can treat him.

 

[WILDER]

Can you describe the spot on the head please.
Might be able to help.

 

[peachlids]

its raw looking, pink, looks like someone took a bite out of his head.

without him and the texas int he tank the fish have been super active today, my aceis have picked up color(now showing their light blue bottom fin)


i put some really nice anacharis (sp) from my bfs tank in mine and my green terror immediately started playing with it and pulling it to the bottom of my tank with his mouth.

so sad i may lose one more fish but the rest are doing so great now im afraid to introduce the venustus back, even if i treat him.

 

[WILDER]

Does the pink sore have a circling of dead white tissue around the edges?
Does the pink sore look like it making a deep hole?

It sounds like the fish were stressed before removing the sick fish to another tank,. If there colour have now come back, there more active.