[aamjohns]

Hi,
First of all thank you for reading my post.

I have a 55 gallons freshwater tank with 6 Silver Dollars, a glass fish, and a Pleco. About a week and a half ago one of my Silver Dollars started rotating forward like he was doing a front flip whenever he stopped swimming. The problem has progressed. He still flips forward but now he will also flip sideways.

I read and thought that maybe he was constipated. So I have been feeding them peas every other day for a week. That has not helped him. I've also done 2 25% water changes.

Sunday I started treating with Maracyn 2. It has been 48 hours and I see no improvement.

I should add all of my fish are at least 5 years old. Some of the Silver Dollars and the Pleco may be more like 7. Everybody else seems to be healthy. I have not done anything different recently.

Any suggestions on what might be going on or how I can help him get better?

 

[aamjohns]

I'll have to pick up a test kit tomorrow. I recently finished off my test strips so I cannot report that to you tonight.

Are you thinking it might be high and causing this? As in promoting infection? Or something else?

 

[ladyonyx]

It is possible that one of the WQ parameters is a bit off and inducing some sort of stress-related illness. If it's a swim bladder infection, it can usually be treated effectively with Erythromycin, but you'd need to quarantine the fish. None of the other fish are effected though?? It might just be getting old too...

 

[Shotgun]

could it be swim-bladder related?

 

[aamjohns]

So the Maracyn 2 won't help if it is a swim bladder infection?

According to the test strip last time I checked the ammonia was low, as in zero. That was probably 2 weeks ago. My Nitrates were high, 40ppm.

I am a bit concerned about doing a hospital tank. I don't want to kill him because it has not cycled (I don't have a hospital tank setup). If I set one up and put in some gravel from the tank, and water from the tank, will there be enough bacteria that it won't spike and kill him or make him sicker?

 

[aamjohns]

Hi,
I ordered the testing supplies you linked. Thanks.

He's palm size. Yes, I have a 5 gallon bucket. I may have a 10 gallon aquarium out in the garage. My concern was killing him by not cycling the hospital tank.

Yes, I cleaned my filter and replaced the carbon about 2 weeks ago.

So get him into a separate tank, and treat with a different antibiotic than I am already treating with?

 

[aamjohns]

ok, thanks.