I am at odds about Mr. Red

I am afraid that Mr. Red is not doing to good. :-[ I don't know what more I could do. I moved him into a 5 gallon tank thinking it would be better for him. Even though he loves it, I am having more problems with him now then I was when he lived in the 1 gallon. I started treating him with Melafix about a week and half ago to help his tail grow back. After a week of him being on the meds I noticed that he was starting to develop popeye and cloud eye. So last Sunday I started putting Pimafix in along with melafix. I got another filter in place of the carbon filter because I thought that was the reason he had gotten popeye and cloudeye because I didn't replace the carbon filter with a non carbon filter and the water was getting cloudy. So, figured that was the reason he got the popeye and cloudeye. There hasn't been many changes at all since I started him on the both meds. The water is being kept clean and levels are good too. I just don't know what else I can do to help him. His tail hasn't shown any improvement either. In fact it's starting to look worse then it was.

 

Okay, I am sorry the little guy is not doing too well. First of all, any time you use medication in your tank the carbon has to come out of the tank filter or it just removes the medication from the water as fast as you put it in. So probably while you had the carbon filter in there he was really not being medicated at all.

Now for the Pop Eye. The usual cause is poor water quality or high nitrates, so be sure and test your water daily and do water changes of at least 50% every time the ammonia goes above 0, nitrites are over 0, and nitrates are over 10 and the water changes may be best daily for the next week or so until his eye gets better with Melafix and Pimafix being used also. I know it says to not change the water for 7 days when you use the medicines but this is a special condition. The eye should take a while to show improvement but don't give up it is a condition not a disease. The most important thing is to keep the water as perfect as possible.

Let me know how it goes and don't give up on him. This is not a death sentence just a lot of work.

Rose

 

I actually removed the carbon fliter as soon as I started using the Melafix the first week I had him in there. I just replaced it with a non-carbon filter, so that the water wouldn't get so cloudy like it did the first week I had it out. Then when I noticed the other conditions he was getting I started using the Pimafix. What about his tail. How long can it take for his tail to start growing back? One part of his tail actually looks like it deteriorating. I could be wrong. He may have bitten it again sometime today, but he hasn't done that since he was moved into the 5 gallon. He's been eating well, so I guess that's big plus. Natalie

 

I just tested the water. Everything is at 0. I'll just keep an eye on it. I think I'm going to change the water tomorrow and clean the gravel. I finally got my gravel vacuum from Dr's.foster and Smith so I'll be using that for the first time. Thanks for your help. I'm glad that it's nothing too serious. I was studying him a little while ago and his cloud eye doesn't look nearly as bad as it was. I at least can see the blacks of his eyes. Natalie

 

It will take quite a while (like weeks) for his the tail to show regrowth and may never be the same or as long as before. It is important to continue the Pimafix and Melafix until he is regenerated because until it is regenerated he has the chance to develop bacterial fin rot. Pimafix kills the bacteria and Melafix helps the tissue regenerate.

Rose

 

Mr. Red's Popeye and cloudeye look much better today. ;D I am so glad that it is finally looking better. I felt bad tonight because I couldn't feed him the way that I have been feeding him since he came down with these conditions. I've been feeding bloodworms at night for dinner and only feeding him one at a time, so I can spend some quality time with him. I also want him to know that I'm there for him. He seems to be so much more content knowing that I'm there with him while he eats, but tonight I had to just feed him some flakes and run because my husband and I thought we had a serious emergency with my father-in-law. It turned out that it's serious, but not so serious that we had to rush him to the hospital. : I can't tell you one thing that little guy sure does have his appetite back!! Natalie

 

Glad to hear that! ;D

 

That is really good news. As long as they eat and swim like usual they do not know they are sick and it cannot be too bad. It is really to be worried about when they quit eating or swimming or heaven forbid both.

Rose