SICK PARADISE

[SHANTYMAID]

For the last three days my male paradise has not being eating so i knew something was up straight away. He had a bad bacterial infection for sometime so i have treated him with a broard spectrum anti biotic. Salt also was added this was last week, now he's bloated and staying at the bottom of the tank sometimes he will venture to the top and hang around the filter for a while. I have an awful feeling that this could be dropsy i'm praying it's not because as i understand it there is no cure for that.
The water quality is fine everything checked out normal, so what can it be ? and what can i do for him? i am at a total loss. I dont wont him to suffer at all and it just puts me into misery looking at him, he had become quite tame to me and i love the little thing. So please anybody come back to me and give me an idea on what to do. Many thanks for reading this.

 

[endilliteracy]

Fish with dropsy tend to have their scales sort of sticking out, like a pine cone. Does yours?

 

[SHANTYMAID]

Thank you for answering i understand what you are saying about the scales i cant really tell they are not sticking right out and my freind and partner say they are ok but to me they are slightly raised.

 

[gadazobe]

Coould he be constipated?

 

[SHANTYMAID]

No hes losing normal motions but if he was how would i cure that? thank you for the reply

 

[WILDER]

When fish stop eating it's not a good sign, you could try antibiotics if there is no pinecombing.

 

[SRC]

He very well could be constipated. If he hasn't eaten anything in several days..try giving him half of a boiled english pea (fresh or frozen only..don't use canned, they have sodium in them).

If you can use salt with these type fish, and If he won't eat you can also try giving him a salt bath, that can relieve constipation as well. Use 1 teaspoon of Aquarium salt to 1 gallon of water, and see if that doesn't help him some. You can leave him in the salt bath for several days.


Good luck with your fishie.

 

[SHANTYMAID]

Thank you all for replying he has been on a broad spectrum anti bioctic, looking at him i dont think now that he has a pine comb affect (dropsy). i think there is the good possibilty that he is consipated , he has being trying to do his motion but very little is coming out so i will try the salt bath and see if it will give him relief. How long do u recomend that i dont feed him for? just 24 hours while he is in the salt bath?.

 

[SRC]

If he will eat I would try giving him half of a pea, then fast him for a day afterwards..to let it work through his system. You can do this while he is in the salt bath.

 

[SHANTYMAID]

SRC Thats the problem he is not eating he hasnt for the last 3 days

 

[SRC]

Then I would go ahead and give him the salt bath...if it is constipation..he's prolly so full he can't squeeze anything else down...the salt bath should help...but it may take a few days...depending on how stopped up he is.

And even though he won't eat..I woudl offer him the pea anyways...just take it out after about 5-7 minutes if he hasn't touched it..so it doesn't pollute your water.

 

[SHANTYMAID]

: Thank you so much for all the advice i will give it a try, anything really to help him hate to think he's in misery

 

[SHANTYMAID]

Update well i looked at my fish last night and he was still trying to poo poor thing he is getting rid of some and it is coming out in a tiny and i do mean tiny black thread. He was exactly the same this morning the more i look the more i think it is constipation. He's still bloated the size has'nt gone down at all but hopfully that will change over time, he also was very pale understandably. I'm going to do what you surgested SRC and try him in the salt bath hopfully that will shift the problem. Thank you all for your input

 

[WILDER]

If you have been using antibiotics it could of be them that's made him constipated, as it can happens with humans when you use antibiotics, also try some daphnia.

 

[SHANTYMAID]

Thank you Wilder for the in put will try anything but he's not eating this the 4th day now. I know that fish can go a little while without food and they will scavinge the bottom anyway, but he's sp bloated and pale. The bloated look has got a bit worse he is definatly bigger, which i'm surprised about because he has being pooing a little on and off since yesterday morning. It seemed like everytime i went to the tank he was doing it very tiny amounts though but i thought better than nothing.One thing i did notice is that u can see where the motion is under him and it seems a hell of a lot there. I have turned up my tempreture and added the salt which SRC kindly sugested so i'm hoping that will do it. What more can i do? have i got the worry that he can pass away with this? silly question you might think but i have never had a fish constipated before and that's if it is constipation. . Anyway will keep close eye on him tonight then i will let you know of any changes.