Sick Fish. Near Death! Help!

[Tyler Maul]

Hi I have a longear sunfish (Bluegill Cousin) hence my name lol. This is my first post here too. Anyways... my ammonia got too high. So the first symptoms were not eating. I didn't have time to change the water so I did it the next day. What I saw? My fish swimming upside down and couldn't right himself. DId a 80% water change... and cleaned all the filters... and added new carbon. He mellowed out and stayed upright the rest of the night. The next day... he's upside down again. Another 80% water change. Today he's upside down and when I looked at him he "played dead" no breathing for about a minute then started breathing again and can't right himself. When he fell to his other side I noticed where the flesh is along the spine... it's a bright white (normally orange). HELP!!!

 

[Culprit]

How big is your aquarium? Do you know what the nitrogen cycle is? How high was your ammonia?

I would be doing 50% water changes with heavily Prime treated water daily. Do not change out filter media.

 

[The Lonely King]

Hi I have a longear sunfish (Bluegill Cousin) hence my name lol. This is my first post here too. Anyways... my ammonia got too high. So the first symptoms were not eating. I didn't have time to change the water so I did it the next day. What I saw? My fish swimming upside down and couldn't right himself. DId a 80% water change... and cleaned all the filters... and added new carbon. He mellowed out and stayed upright the rest of the night. The next day... he's upside down again. Another 80% water change. Today he's upside down and when I looked at him he "played dead" no breathing for about a minute then started breathing again and can't right himself. When he fell to his other side I noticed where the flesh is along the spine... it's a bright white (normally orange). HELP!!!

upside down?
sound like swim bladder to me
change the water and add prime as mentioned above and try to make him/her eat a pea ONLY ONE
just put a pea in a microwave for 20 sec
and remove the outer layer

 

[Tyler Maul]

How big is your aquarium? Do you know what the nitrogen cycle is? How high was your ammonia?

I would be doing 50% water changes with heavily Prime treated water daily. Do not change out filter media.

Yes I know what the nitrogen cycle is. It's a 40gal with a 4in longear sunfish and a 7in bluegill and a pleco. I didn't have any testers but he showed all the signs of ammonia poisoning. I'll check out Prime

 

[Tyler Maul]

upside down?
sound like swim bladder to me
change the water and add prime as mentioned above and try to make him/her eat a pea ONLY ONE
just put a pea in a microwave for 20 sec
and remove the outer layer

The fish will not eat the pea. Second I don't think so because he hasn't eaten In 4 days... and his bladder area isn't enlarged.


I forgot to say this... I also have a filter in the 40gal for a 110gallon tank so it's crystal clear. Along with two separate sponge filters.

 

[Tyler Maul]

Help!

 

[The Lonely King]

Help!

ok then i would recommend this
Change the water 25% every day and add prime and general cure and attach a flake with a rope and try to lure the fish to eat
if that didn't work mix garlic with your flakes or pellets and try again
it's really really rare for a fish to die from starving
and don't worry about the filter as long as the fish not having trouble to swim
i also use a 30 gal filter in my 15 gallons tank

 

[Tyler Maul]

Dude... the fish doesn't eat flakes. These fish are sport fish they don't eat that stuff. 2. He died today. 3. I never said he was starving. 4. Nobody on this forum helped me.