Hello everyone,
I hope you can help me. I have a blackmoor who is very unwell and shares a tank with a veiltail. For some time he has been basking at the top of the tank with his lower back sticking out of the water. However, now he is sitting on the bottom of the tank (sometimes upside down or on his side or vertical), and has black marks on his abdomen and on the edges of his fins. He also has white tufts on his back next to black marks (on the part that was previously sticking out of the water). He seems to be having trouble swimming and maintaining balance. I have been treating the tank with a solution for bacteria infections/fin rot. I have also carried out a water change and have not fed him for two days. But he is not responding. Looking at all the information it looks like a salt bath is my only option. I am wondering how to do this exactly. What quantity of salt do I use? Is this added to water taken from the tank? Or treated, or untreated, tap water? I do not have a spare tank, is it ok to use a bucket or will suddenly placing him in a dark place distress him further? Any advice is appreciated.

Hello Samantha and Welcome to fishkeeping It sounds to me like your black moor has swimbladder trouble which can be treated with Interpets swimbladder treatment or similar, and as you haven't got a hospital tank spare a bucket will do, but always use a water conditioner when using water from the tap, you can use some of the mature tank water in the bucket but not if it has a different treatment still in it, if need you can remove this by using carbon in your filter, you can also add aquarium salt in with the treatment to help with the tuffs as you put it, it is normally a teaspoon per gallon, do you have a spare filter at all you can use in the bucket as it would be better for the fish because you will have to leave it in the bucket until the treatment is over unless you treat the whole tank instead.
Let us know how you get on, and good luck

I have a female Black Moore and she swims the same way like that sometimes. My Black Moore also stays at the bottom, its a Black Moore thing. I think it's just his breed, but take the salt bath if it would make you feel a little more comfortable. The only reason why Black Moores go to the top and act agressive is because they don't like being at pet stores... once they are used to being at a house, they'll relax a little bit. Does he lean left or right? Mine leans left.

Taylor black moors and fancies in general are prone to swimbladder trouble it is not just their way, I have a black moor and touch wood it is doing fine so far but they are sensitive to bad water conditions and this can effect them baddly.

yep that right goldy, i have had several black moors and all died from swimbladder problems, they are the most sensitive of all the coldwater fish I think.

Very much agree with you fishy, they are most sensitive, I have heard this time and again and it's why i am too scared to keep any telescopes at all

i have orandas and a shubunkin who seem to be quite strong but i am very aware that the orandas are also prone to swimbladder troubles
I feel my white oranda has coped in poorer water conditions when my 1st tank was relativley new and came through ok, but feel a Moor would not have been able to cope

I hope your Black Moor gets better Samantha, any signs of improvement?
Not sure if your fish has been isolated for treatment but about adding salt, if your fish hasn't had any other treatment, I think i am the biggest fan of Aquarium Salt. I just add it to my tank with all the other fish in, but be careful not to add too much at once-i think the fish have to acclimatise to it
I add about 1 teaspoon to 1 gallon (4.5 litres) in solution with old tank water, i think you can increase this to 2 per gallon but i have never had to do this and some of the salt is removed when i do the weekly 25% water replacement