White lobster help!

[Mysticalkitten]

Question, I've never used aquarium salt only in my tropical tank, but when I was buying a new fancy tail gold fish to replace the one that died they told me I should add aquarium salt to the tank to help with slime coat and stress. I was afraid for my lobster but the fish guy said he would be fine.
Now he's been curling his tail and grooming it almost like he's scratching him self on the back. I've never seen him do this before and I'm worried. He's still eating, digging up a storm exploring and climbing every were.
Second how can I tell if he's a boy or girl? We just been calling him digger and just call him a he. He's very frendly,when he sees any one he comes up to you in the tank and Beggs for food. He will even take food from us. He's almost dog like.

 

[Toad]

Aquarium salt should only be used to treat illness, not as a constant addition. It can actually kill some fish. I'd do a massive water change and see if he gets better. What kind of setup do you have, size, stock etc?

 

[Autumnsky]

How much salt, confirming aquarium salt, not iodized was used, for what sized tank?

Did you dissolve it first?

Use water that was dechlorinated?

Adding a large amount of salt all at once could possibly cause some stress.

But I would do as Toad said and do a couple pwc, 30% now and maybe 30% in 8-12 hours. You could always do them back to back -one and then another immediately, as well if the Cray is still not seeming to act normal.

 

[Autumnsky]

Also guess the first questions should have been what are the tank parameters, is the tank cycled and for how long, and why did the other GF die?

High Ammonia, Nitrites, and Nitrates can cause irritation to the critters.

 

[Mysticalkitten]

I have a 55 gallon long tank with a hanging filter that has two filters one with a bio and the other the filter. It's a whisper I got the extra larger one. I also have toward the back along half the tank a bubbler to add more air in. The bubbles are fine and the fish seem to love to what I call surf the bubbles. I'm planing soon to add a lot of live plants.night now I have a big log were the lobster likes to hide as well as when he's not in it the gold fish swing through. I also have a lot of rock caves he likes to dig and use.

 

[Mysticalkitten]

I got a small box and the fish guy at the store who is known to take care of them told me for my size tank to just less than half the box and mix it with water than put it in your tank. He said to leave it in there while in adding new fish to the tank since it's new and to help with the stress and any illness the fish might have than in a month do a water change

 

[Mysticalkitten]

It is a new tank and I cycled it for a couple of days. I used stuff to treat the water and than added the fish two days after the water tested good. My big gold fish died we were told because she was eating the wrong food, they said no flake food she should be on pellets and because she was eating the seanking lobster food that's what killed her I really don't know. The other fish that was in the smaller tank with her is doing fine but he's a lot smaller than she was

 

[Toad]

Okay, I think the problem is that the tank isn't cycled. Cycling a tank takes around a month without fish. What you are in now is called a fish-in cycling (you'll want to google this for full steps) which means you'll need to keep an eye on the levels of ammonia/nitrates/nitrites and do water changes quite a bit (not just every week) to keep things within safe levels till the tank actually cycles. Do not add more fish, and do NOT change/clean any filter media.

Exactly what kind and how many fish are in this tank?

 

[Mysticalkitten]

The rocks are from my old tank mixed with new. I added a bottle of something he told me to put to bring up the bio and the old logs were from the old tank mixed with new. I have one small lobster he's not full grown yet and has moled twice and three one medium fancy tail goldfish he's from my old tank and two about a quarter size fancy tail gold fish so theyes three counting the lobster. That's all I was adding I know they get big and want room. I'm holding off on adding live plants till I get the salt out of the water

 

[Autumnsky]

Fish-in Cycling: Step over into the dark side - Aquarium Advice

I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?! - Aquarium Advice

 

[Mysticalkitten]

Up date...did second water change aquarium salt is down and water is looking good. No deaths at all and fish as well as lobster doing very good. I think in a nether two weeks were going to add two live plants and see how it goes.

 

[Autumnsky]

Edward Scissorhands depending on plants. A big strong Anubias tied to a DW branch or floating plant too maybe. Amazon Sword with substrate ferts to grow fast. Maybe. Mine would trim leaves off the Sword. Sometimes things would be askew, I would replant them. Not too bad with the one I had.