Golden Severum problem

[martin_j001]

One of my Severums is looking a bit strange, to say the least. This first happened about a month or two ago. The sides of the fish swelled up quite large, on both sides. At first it made me think it was pregnant, but I never saw any eggs, and the swollen sides disappeared. Now, the swollen sides are back, and larger than ever. Its still swollen on both sides, but not symmetrically. In looking around, I first thought it may be dropsy, but the scales are laying down flat over the swollen areas. Other than the swollen sides, the fish doesn't display any other symptoms at all. Any ideas or suggestions?

(Water parameters: Not sure, will test tomorrow. Tank has been stable for a good long time now. Water changes about every 2 weeks or so. Fish in tank: two severums, two electric yellows, tiger barb, pleco, rainbow, two green cories, 66 gallon total)

Pics aren't clear, but it should give you an idea....

 

[Zagz]

Aside from parameters, have you done anything different, for example fed a specific food before you noticed the swelling?

 

[martin_j001]

No, nothing in their routine has changed since the addition of the electric yellows several months ago.

 

[Zagz]

Try adding some epsom salts to the water, it may be a case of bloat. What do you feed them?

 

[martin_j001]

They are fed the same flakes they have always been fed (Tetramin brand I believe), as well as the occasional sprinkle of blood worms or dried/cubed worms.

As for the epsom salts, will that harm the other fish? This is something I can add directly to the tank with everyone in it? Advice on how much to add, and where to get this product?

Thanks!

 

[QTOFFER]

You can get Epsom salts at the pharmacy in the foot care section. It's just magnesium sulfate. The salt helps draw excess fluid out of the fish tissues.

As for dosage, I've seen recommendations ranging from 1 teaspoon to one tablespoon per gallon. I would start at the lower end and see how it goes. The salt used at this amount won't hurt fish, inverts, or plants.

 

[martin_j001]

Got the epson salts and added just under 50 tsp to the tank. Will see how this works out.

I noticed on my water testing kit, its quite old. May be time for a new kit I think.... Didn't know if the results would be worth anything with chemicals that old, so didn't bother to test.

 

[Zagz]

Good luck with the epsom salts. Try also feeding some frozen peas, blanced and skinned and see if they will eat them. It helps in constipation and if it isn't constipation, variety in diet is a good thing. Test kits last about a year, give or take. Most have an expiry date on them. You can take your water to your lfs to get it tested.

 

[martin_j001]

Update: fish is looking even larger/more bloated today. Should I add some more epsom salts, or wait another day or so before doing that. Going to attempt to get the water tested today or tomorrow if I can.... The water testing kit I have is definitely more than a year old....

 

[Zagz]

Try the peas and up the dosage of the epsom salts a bit. Is the fish eating at all?

 

[martin_j001]

Yes, he is eating, not a whole lot though.

Got the water tested: ph was in the low 6 range (which is what it has almost always tested in this tank). Nitrates were present, but not too high at all. Ammonia was .5 or so.

I've moved the bloated fish out to a quarantine tank--a 5 gallon I keep around just in case of something like this. I used 50% water from the main tank, and 50% new water. Added epsom salt, as well as the neutralizer, a small amount of amquel, and some stress coat. I have a small filter and a heater in that tank, and will plan to keep it in the low 80's while he's quarantined.

In the main tank, I did ~30% water change, adding stress coat, amquel, and neutralizer to the new water that went in.

Anything I should redo, or check out again?



EDIT: Forgot to ask about the peas...will canned peas work? Should I boil them and then take the skins off and just drop it in the tank, a couple peas at a time?

 

[Zagz]

I've never tried canned peas, they don't have the same nutrition but should still work. Nitrates under 20 ppm are fine, good as a matter of fact. Ammonia at any level however is not. Get a new test kit as soon as possible and keep doing water changes to get ammonia to below 0ppm.

 

[martin_j001]

Sad news today....

Yesterday afternoon I fed the fish a bit (still looking very bloated, possibly even more bloated), and also tried to give him some peas (he didn't eat at all, at least while I was watching). Changed out about 24 or so oz of the water he's in (its a small 1-2 gallon tank).

This morning I woke up to find he had passed away overnight.... Still no obvious signs as to what the problem was other than the bloating, which didn't seem to get better with anything I did....

 

[Sicklid]

Sorry to chime in too late, but that did not really look like bloat. I mean, he was "bloated", but not the kind of bloat I would think of in terms of the actual disease "bloat". Bloat happens alot because fish that normally eat underwater get fed at the surface and wind up eating alot of air with their meal, basically because they do not know how to feed at the surface... That is why I feed my fish by holding the flake food in my fingertips and releasing it in the output of the filter and let it "blow" around under the water... it also helps to make sure everyone gets to eat.

Your fish looked like it had something else? What gets me is the speed with which it grew and killed the fish. Really sorry about that, it always sucks to lose a cool fish...

 

[martin_j001]

Yeah, he ballooned up like that and passed in a weeks time, maybe a day or two more. Definitely not normal....

I'll have to remember the feeding tip, I like that idea.