Sick black moor

[Amanda92]

Hi there, I joined this site to get help on how to cure my blackmoor. He has had a white slime coat for about a month now and his fins look sticky and instead of sticking up normally they are always flat against his body. Recently i've noticed him flashing but he doesnt appear to have white spot. Last night I seen he was swimming upside down so I fed him some peas incase it was a swim bladder problem. He is swimming correctly today. He is in the tank with an oranda and it looks perfectly healthy. What could be wrong?

 

[blert]

Likely stemming from the tank (bowl) they are in. Your other fish will probably start having issues soon enough.
12L = ~2.5 gallons (us)
Those two fish need 30 gallons (us), ~113L.
They are messy fish that produce a lot of waste and they grow quite large (6-10 inches?).
You will need to do daily water changes to remove toxins and give them a lot of fresh water.
Best of luck and I hope he pulls through.

 

[Amanda92]

Im unsure of the size of bowl I just gussed its about 12 litres. I water change very regularly.

As much as every day?
I was too afraid to change daily.
I'll try this, hope it works. Thanks

 

[blert]

Daily water changes won't hurt them at all. Just make sure to temp match and treat the fresh water with a good dechlorinator. Preferably something that can detoxify ammonia, nitrites and nitrates for a while, like Prime.
Sorry to say that, in that small of an environment, they will have issues and will likely suffer from stunting. It's going to be an uphill battle for you and your fish. Could look at it this way... Gives you a good reason to get a larger tank.

 

[jlk]

Hi Amanda! Welcome to AA!! You really need to upgrade these guys to a bigger home as soon as possible (min 30gal with 300gph filter). 12litres is only @3gals & is too small for even a single goldfish. Moors are VERY sensitive to their water conditions. He should heal up on his own with LOTS of healthy water. I would change 100% of their water daily with temperature matched, properly conditioned water until you can upgrade their home. You can add 1/2 teaspoon of aquarium/kosher salt after the water change (mix in some tank water to dissolve & slowly add over a hr) to help with the slime coat issues. Please ask if you have any questions!!

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/guide-to-starting-a-freshwater-aquarium-186089.html

 

[Amanda92]

Yeah totally going to get a big big tank soon. The moor is only about an inch at the moment, just need to keep him healthy untill we get a bigger tank. Iv added some aquarium salt for his slimecoat since you recommended. Will that be whats making his fins droop? I found out its a 15 gallon bowl... So yous think its defo just a case of need to move to a bigger tank and stronger filter?

 

[jlk]

Healthy water is the best option here for him & your other fish. Do you have an API fw test kit? If you do not, i strongly recommend investing in one so you will be able to monitor your levels of ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, & ph. You have me a bit confused here- are they in a 12litre tank or a 15gallon tank? Theres a big difference betw 12l & 15g!

 

[jlk]

Also- what type of salt did you use & exactly how much?

 

[Amanda92]

I know haha it takin me a while to get used to the us and uk difference I mean 12 - 15 gallons approx Sorry. I used half a teaspoon disolved in the tank water as suggested earlier. It was deionised aquarium salt for the pet shop. It what the guy told me in the shop.

 

[jlk]

Ok- this is a relief to hear! Still far too small but much better than 3gal! I am glad you used the correct type of salt, too. Please disregard the 100% water changes i suggested thinking this was a 3g tank- lets aim for 50% daily until you can upgrade their home. Make sure you temperature-match & properly condition the new water. And get yourself an API test kit so you can monitor their water & act accordingly with water changes. Hopefully, he will improve with healthy water but keep us posted!

 

[Amanda92]

Great! So glad to hear hes not got a disease or parasite I was fearing the worst. thanks for the help. Hopefully he'll get better soon. And grow big in his new tank.

 

[jlk]

If he does not seem to improve over the next few days, def let us know! Also, in respect to the salt, you can increase the dose for an amount appropriate for a 12-15g tank (theraputic dose for this size tank @1 tablespoon). Because you mentioned your moor having droppy fins after adding the 1/2tsp, lets not increase the amount yet. After a water change tommorrow, add another 1/2 teaspoon (pre-dissolved) slowly. Add a little bit each hour over a few hrs. This will bring the salt amount up to 3/4th teaspoon. The next day (after 50% water change), slowly add another 1/2tsp. If you notice any strange behavior after adding the salt, stop adding it immediately & do a 50% water change. Let us know how things are going in a few days!

 

[Amanda92]

One more question actually.. I took the carbon out of the filter before adding the salt, is that nessesary if hea definitely not got ich and its purely water cindition related?

 

[jlk]

Did you keep the actual filter media & just dumped out the carbon or did you remove the filter all together?

 

[Amanda92]

Everythings in just took out the carbon

 

[jlk]

The carbon really isnt necessary in any filter unless you are removing meds or odors. It actually has no effect on salt at all. You can add some additional media to your filter for more room for your bacteria to grow on- stuff the empty filter holder/bag with some polyfill or stick a piece of filter foam/sponge in with the old filter. This is really all you need.