Red Sevrum Has Developed A Cough

[robbieswan]

My red sevrum has developed a cough...serious, he is actually coughing..Is this normal (i doubt it), should I be worried? or will it go on its own?

pH: 7
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 17
tank temp

Thanks in advance

Robbie

 

[Athena]

Wow - well you learn something new every day, as they say!

I had never heard of this till now, so have just now been furiously Googling away - and it seems from the few bits of info I found that fish do "cough" (although not the same as a human cough) - it's a reaction they do when trying to remove something stuck in their gill chambers, apparently!

Interesting - but I would have been very spooked if I had heard my fish cough! (erm, can you hear it?). I'm intrigued!

Athena

 

[WILDER]

I've never heard of it before either athena.
Heard of fish making a crackling noise.
Just may sure he nas nothing lodged in his mouth.
Check his gills to see if they look normal. Don't look pale with excess mucas or red and inflamed.

 

[robbieswan]

yes, I can actually hear it...The spits of water are visibile from its mouth. I have checked all visible areas that I can see, and there seems to be no obstructions...I have my phone camera at the ready to video this happening. He swims around no problem, and is feeding great. I have had him from a juvenille, but lately he has been coughing..Soz about the delay in replying

Edit: No inflamations either

 

[WILDER]

Pm colin t to see if he comes across it before.
I thought he might of had something stuck in his mouth. Parasites on the gills making him cough.

 

[FAITHD]

yes, I can actually hear it...The spits of water are visibile from its mouth. I have checked all visible areas that I can see, and there seems to be no obstructions...I have my phone camera at the ready to video this happening. He swims around no problem, and is feeding great. I have had him from a juvenille, but lately he has been coughing..Soz about the delay in replying

Edit: No inflamations either

29 May - Is your fish still suffering from this complaint? My own 2-year-old Nicaraguan Cichlid has the same thing, and I am worried stiff about him. Like yours he's still eating and looks OK. Any advice welcome. Please .... !

 

[WILDER]

Is there plenty of aeration in the tank.
Any excess slime on the body or gills.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing.
Is the mouth wide open.
Any sores in the mouth. Anything lodged in the mouth.
Any whiteness to the mouth or fluffy bits or cotton strands coming from the mouth.
What do the fish gills look like.

 

[FAITHD]

Is there plenty of aeration in the tank.
Any excess slime on the body or gills.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing.
Is the mouth wide open.
Any sores in the mouth. Anything lodged in the mouth.
Any whiteness to the mouth or fluffy bits or cotton strands coming from the mouth.
What do the fish gills look like.

29 May 3.58 He's home-bred and to be quite frank he's never been quite right which is why I've still got him (he got stuck behind something which I think crushed his internal organs somewhat and possibly damaged his swim bladder); but he's always looked fine - achieving adult colour a few months ago - and still does, apart from the coughing which started about ten days ago. The tank has sand, lots of bogwood for the plec) and is very well airated, with an outside water filter. His gills look clear, he eats, he had no funny blemishes or slime ... just keeps doing little jerks and expulsions from his mouth.

 

[WILDER]

What coming from his mouth? Not sure what explusions means. Sorry.

 

[WILDER]

Is he having fits.

 

[FAITHD]

What coming from his mouth? Not sure what explusions means. Sorry.

So sorry, I meant that when he does the coughing thing, it's as if he's expelling water out of his mouth and sort of hiccupping at the same time.

 

[WILDER]

Ok I get you now.
He dson't sound right to me if he's jerking.
Is he laying to oneside and with damaging his swim bladder I suppose he can't maintain balance in water to well.
Hows the fish breathing.

 

[FAITHD]

Is he having fits.

Possibly, I don't know. Am leaving work now, and will monitor him over the weekend. I really don't want him to suffer as he's been such a fighter. will post again on Monday. Thanks so much for your interest.

 

[WILDER]

Done on search and fish do cough but dosn't say why.
Keep us updated on his progress bless him.

 

[WILDER]

Do a search on why do fish cough.
Usually it to clear food that lodged in there mouths.