Swimbladder Rainbowshark?

I recently was given a rainbow shark in a 45gal hex, he's roughly a year and a half old. I was planning on moving him to a 55 long, but when I got up to check on him this morning he was laying on his side on the bottom of the tank! He darted up and away as soon as I tried to net him, I've put him in a small qt tank with his original tank water and added epsom salt and a small touch of prime, the water is safe on ammonia and nitrates, and the ph is at 7.0, but I'm still not actually sure if it's his swim bladder, please help! I love my new little guy!

 

He looks extremely thin... or is it just the picture? His body may be giving up due to starvation...

Here's a photo I just took of mine (he was willing to cooperate) as you can see he looks a lot fuller, and honestly I hardly feed him separately

 

He looks extremely thin... or is it just the picture? His body may be giving up due to starvation...

He does look thin to me as well he was given to me in this state, in the 45gal Ive been feeding him algae wafers and sinking shrimp pellets the few days I've had him, but he doesn't seem very eager, I tried giving him a wafer in his qt tank also but he still doesn't seem to want it

 

Just to confirm, when he's laying on his side, does it look like he's sucking on the substrate, or on the glass or anything? Had these guys for awhile, and they are like little acrobats when they're eating algae off plants and other stuff. They have no issues swimming upside down and what not to get to that algae!

I will say tho, is he/ was he in a tank with allot of aggression? His fins look a bit torn up, could he have gotten into a fight and lost? He could be bleeding internally.

I've never seen swim bladder on a rainbow shark... But in other fish, like goldfish who are prone, swim bladder usually causes them to float to the surface and they can't get down or balance themselves. Causes them to do allot of flips and what not, not laying at the bottom.

 

Shame poor baby... like Rattler11 said, it could be him trying to eat algae off something. I've also never seen/heard of a rainbow shark with swim bladder... And yes he does have appeared to be in a fight. Wonder if he was previously housed with another shark, that would also explain his weight...

How big is the wafer? With mine I feed Ocean Nutrition algae wafers, and o have to break that down in to tiny pieces as sharks seem to have a very small mouth

 

Just to confirm, when he's laying on his side, does it look like he's sucking on the substrate, or on the glass or anything? Had these guys for awhile, and they are like little acrobats when they're eating algae off plants and other stuff. They have no issues swimming upside down and what not to get to that algae!

I will say tho, is he/ was he in a tank with allot of aggression? His fins look a bit torn up, could he have gotten into a fight and lost? He could be bleeding internally.

I've never seen swim bladder on a rainbow shark... But in other fish, like goldfish who are prone, swim bladder usually causes them to float to the surface and they can't get down or balance themselves. Causes them to do allot of flips and what not, not laying at the bottom.

I read about them being acrobatic, but I don't think that's the case. To give a little background, I had a woman looking to get rid of a 45gal hex with (brace yourselves for this) two angelfish one pleco 2 xray tetras 3 neon tetras and the rainbow shark, I removed all the tetras to a 40gal community tank and the pleco to a outside pond, leaving just the angels and the shark.

He swims about in the plants in the back usually and unfortunately hasn't been seen at the bottom of the tank since I got him, seeing as he doesn't have enough space to do his bottom feeder thing, I feed the angels tropical flakes and ocassionally brine shrimp, and I drop in alge wafers and sinking shrimp pellets for the shark.

I'm treating it like its a swim bladder and did a epsom salt dip and now I have him in qt, but I'm worried it could be a plethora of other things from internal parasites to being bullied by the angelfish seeing as he's swimming in barrel rolls.

Sorry for so much info in one post! Just trying to give as much insight as possible

How big is the wafer? With mine I feed Ocean Nutrition algae wafers, and o have to break that down in to tiny pieces as sharks seem to have a very small mouth

They're very tiny tetra min bran

 

Hmmm have you seen the angels bully him at all? I'd be surprised as mine is also housed with two angels and they pay him no attention. Is there any sort of hiding space for him? They feel comfy if they have a territory of their own where they can hide. Does the tank have any algae growing in it? It would be great if it did...

Also what temperature is the tank at?

And it might have been the pleco bullying him... do you know what kind of pleco?

 

It was a common pleco but I moved him out quickly due to his size, I've never seen the angels show agression, but I've also never noticed the little tears in his fins that are there now.
The tank is kept at 75, I'm pretty sure it's a tetra brand heater but I can't be positive as it came with the tank.
There is decently dense plantage in the back, and a arched rock that he seems to stay in alot, and their is alge growing in the back of the glass, when I do tank cleaning I usually scrub down the front, but leave the back for him to munch on.

The community tank that the 3 tetras were moved to also houses a rubberlip pleco 5 albino cory cats and 8 white clouds, do you think it would be safe for everyfish involved to move him there until I was able to put him in his own tank? I worry about him attacking my cory cats or eating my minnows

 

Okay well it sounds like you're doing everything right then, that's great if you have contact with the lady that you got the tank from I'd ask her if she ever fed the shark wafers, as he looks like he's been hungry for a while. It might be internal parasites but I'm not sure... I don't think it's swim bladder though.

If there's adequate hiding space I'm sure those fish will be fine. Mine lives peacefully among my corys. And the minnows stay more at the top of the tank I think? He shouldn't bother them.

DoubleDutch TexasDomer chromedome52 any ideas on how to help this poor little guy? or know anyone who might?

 

Okay well it sounds like you're doing everything right then, that's great if you have contact with the lady that you got the tank from I'd ask her if she ever fed the shark wafers, as he looks like he's been hungry for a while. It might be internal parasites but I'm not sure... I don't think it's swim bladder though.

The handy little select-a-food came from her, I spoke to my lfs aquatic specialist and he's suggesting internal parasites due to his thinness and barrel rolling I'm about to leave to buy a 10day treatment that is supposed to treat parasites full circle, I hope it saves my little guy

 

Wait before you put him in the other tank, what size is it? With all the other inhabitants it might stress him out more.

Also 75 IS completely fine for rainbow sharks, but higher temps do promote healing faster so if you can slowly up it to 78 it'll help.

 

Wait before you put him in the other tank, what size is it? With all the other inhabitants it might stress him out more.

Also 75 IS completely fine for rainbow sharks, but higher temps do promote healing faster so if you can slowly up it to 78 it'll help.

It is also a 45gal but its a 45 long as opposed to a hex

 

Yeah think the new tank would be better shape wise. Since she was feeding him it does sound like it might be parasites you're dealing with, not the fact that he was starved from lack of feeding.

 

But if it is parasites, like flukes or something that's easily transmitted fish to fish, I don't think it's a good idea to put him in the otherwise healthy tank. Quarantining is done to reduce stress, make it easier to treat, and avoid other fish from getting sick.

Since you're not positive what it is, I think it's best to keep him on his own for now... But that's just my opinion!

 

But if it is parasites, like flukes or something that's easily transmitted fish to fish, I don't think it's a good idea to put him in the otherwise healthy tank. Quarantining is done to reduce stress, make it easier to treat, and avoid other fish from getting sick.

Since you're not positive what it is, I think it's best to keep him on his own for now... But that's just my opinion!

I just got back from the fish store and finished setting him up, I set up a 10gal with an airstone and no substrate, but I put his favorite rock in with him, I got general cure for parasites as it was the best thing my nearest pet store had to offer, and it's supposed to treat malnutrition parasites, the tank is in the warmest room of my house along with a little heater, now I guess all I can do is wait and hope for the best