Hello,

You all people always help me thought my struggle with my fish.

However I think I am almost on the edge to loose my last fish. Maybe someone can help if a hope is there....:(

The fungus which I was battling for a very long time disappear for some time but suddenly my fish from a happy one became very unhappy.
For the last 3 weeks she is staying only on the bottom of the fish tank just moving from one place to another from time to time but never comes to swim properly. Since then she received on her body a small kind of a whole quite red one and then appears something like a cotton one around that place. The edge of her fins became slightly black,I guess is ammonia but when I check was 0. I treat the water with Esha for 3 days then I did water change 50% and run a carbon for 24 hours then changed water again. On the very next morning what was healed while this few day again was red and cottony so I did again Esha and today just put to run a carbon to clear the medicine. Not sure if she is better in terms of the wound but I notice that she almost doesn't eat and it seems she hasn't got any force to do anything. she tries but looks like she cant keep herself in the water properly and she breads quite quick.
No idea what to think or do but looks like I am loosing her. I see she tries not to give up but any suggestions how to help......please ....

Hi baibalin

Oh my, your fish keeping issues/problems have stemmed from 2009 it seems (just going back and checking on other posts), lets see if we can help again though

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Did you up upgrade the tank to the recommended 140 litres and an external filter (as suggested early on) as required by fancies?

Or is the fish still in 96 litres as indicated in 2010 with internal filteration? Issues have probally stemmed from there thruthfully and there very bad start in life!

From earlier posts this was not fungus, but likely Lymphocystis as posted.

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Bottom sitting is usually a sign of poor water quality. Fish has grown in the interim, filter can't cope with waste = poor water = ill fish.

What's the tank readings for pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?

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Sounds like an ulcer, can be very nasty. Triggered by stress when immunity goes down and poor water quality - then bacterial.

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Highly likely, ammonia spike may have been missed, not sure how often you test the tank.

To be truthful, this fish has done uber well for now. It carries health issues from initially being in 45 litre tank with another fish (who did not survive the process).

To save this fish (if possible) given what he has gone through for 3 years min, he needs more water volume and uber filtration ASAP to give safe water and possibly vetinary care in the line of some anti-biotic jabs.

Hi,

Thanks for taking the time to answer every time.
I have not upgraded as i do not have this opportunity to do that :( so I try to stay on the top with 2 water changes a week. Having said that i have problems with my knee and it happens that tho following weeks i did only once a week change and since then the problems with her staying on the bottom started.
Filtration is internal, I have two Fluval U filters and a air pump.
Unfortunately with the space we have we can not afford a bigger tank:(
She defiantly want to eat so if a flake come
across her she will take but will not go and chase them. Something else I notice is that now she sits slightly one side like she is "drank" and if want to move she can not coordinate her swimming movements.
I do not have readings at the moment but will try later tonight. I have ammonia alert but always shows that nothing is wrong.
Probably my answer is not much help...:((
Thank you for taking the time to read and reply!!

Hi,

This are the results before I am about to do the water change.

ammonia: is a bit difficult, but is between 0ppm and 0.25ppm
nitrite: 0ppm
nitrate: 20ppm
high range ph: 8.4

I am not quite sure something can be gone anymore for my fish. For sure she is not eating,i guess she cant go like that for very long time. While i was cleaning the tank she turn with her tummy up :( now again she is staying in one place. I can not see at the moment if the probable ulcer is gone as she never turn on that side but buy tomorrow i will try and see and if possible will post a pic too but rather than that is s sad story.

I guess as no one reply the only solution is bigger tank.
She is feeling so poorly :( I will do water change again but don’t seem to help her much:(I wish I have found this forum before I decide to purchase the fish so I would have known what to expect in terms of expense/ time/ commitment and so on.

Please don't be angry with me:( I just back home and she still struggling and just break my heart:( i just did 40% water change with a hope that might help. would you recommend to use some salt? i am on my way now to buy some peas with the idea that she might eat them after i boiled and crush for her.no use of the flakes as she doesn't touch them and thy just pollute the water.

Hello ,

I don't think people are angry, just not sure what to say. I'm so sorry this is happening and it's obvious you're very upset.

I think the best thing is to make sure she has nice clean water - maybe change a little each day, around 10% and see if you can tempt her to eat by getting some frozen bloodworm or daphnia or brineshrimp. Those sorts of foods may tempt her. If you can manage to persuade her to eat, and keep her water very, very clean then maybe she'll be able to stand some more medication for the fungus in a few days, when she's recovered some sstrength.

Although the tank is a little small, as long as you can keep the water quality up and she improves enough to be treated for the fungus then she could still return to health, and though not ideal, the tank will be OK for a while longer once she's healthy if well-maintained.

You can try a treatment of Melafix/Pimafix again right away if you like as it's gentle enough to not make her worse.

I'm sorry if you thought we were angry - I'll keep my fingers crossed for her

Thank you so much...i guess i am desperate, i am sorry to keep posting ....

I will keep the water clean/change a bit every day as long as she survives that.

Tomorrow i try to get her the food you recommend and another air stone and a few live plants and get this medicine so hopefully in a day or so can try with them.

My initial idea since i knew i cant provide her a proper home was to get her healthy and try to re home her and even if she gets through that I will look for someone who can give her a better quality and potentially longer life.

Thanks i assume the salt at this stage in not good idea?

Thank you for all of you that spare your time to read and comment.

Salt is quite a gentle treatment too and you could use that instead of Melafix/Pimafix, but don't use both together. If you decide to try salt, use proper aquarium salt from an LFS and dose according to the instructions on the pack. I di think a mild anti-bacterial/anti-fungal like Melafix and Pimafix together is a better option for her though, or even eSHa 2000, though I'm concerned that with that it would be complicated getting the dose right while still keeping up water changes. I hope she improves soon