sudden mystery illness to a newly introduced

[dsun]

I had to exchange a yellow female lab for a male today, I also picked up a Black Fin

I get home and i acclimate and introduce both the yellow lab and black fin.

The yellow lab was at home right away, making friends and exploring. No problems at all
The Black Fin started to breath rapdily, was sitting on bottom and hiding at every spot he can get to. I noticed his belly swelled up a little, and he pooped stringy white poo. This fish looked perfectly fine at the LFS. I acclimated him as I did with my whole stock and no one else had problems

I removed him and put him in my hospital bucket with heater. I dont have another tank so this is next best thing as I do not want him to jeopardize the health of the rest of my stock.

Anyone have any idea what is wrong with him? Has anyone experienced this before when they introduced a new fish? Did I do the right thing to isolate him even though it could stress him out more?

 

[dsun]

I think its bloat...very thin white poop, slightly buldging stomach on side.
I tried feeding him this morning and he would take it and spit it back out...after 3-4 attempts he swallows it.

I just dosed his bucket with metro and soaked some pellets in metro. He ate the pellets! Hopefully after 3-4 days he will recover

 

[shepz]

It will be bloat/constipation most likely. Peas and Epsom salt baths work the best for when my fish have been like this in the past!

If the fish doesn't recover within a week id advise trying the Epsom bath, just make sure their eating.

If this doesn't work then it might be internal parasites/worms, but hopefully it should just be a little bloat,

all the best and let us know how the little fish gets on!

 

[BBradbury]

Your New Fish

I had to exchange a yellow female lab for a male today, I also picked up a Black Fin

I get home and i acclimate and introduce both the yellow lab and black fin.

The yellow lab was at home right away, making friends and exploring. No problems at all
The Black Fin started to breath rapdily, was sitting on bottom and hiding at every spot he can get to. I noticed his belly swelled up a little, and he pooped stringy white poo. This fish looked perfectly fine at the LFS. I acclimated him as I did with my whole stock and no one else had problems

I removed him and put him in my hospital bucket with heater. I dont have another tank so this is next best thing as I do not want him to jeopardize the health of the rest of my stock.

Anyone have any idea what is wrong with him? Has anyone experienced this before when they introduced a new fish? Did I do the right thing to isolate him even though it could stress him out more?

Hello d...

Unless you have experience in fish biology, it's difficult to know if your fish is sick or not. The fish was in the main tank, so it was a little late to isolate him and netting fish and moving them is stressful. Don't fret over it. If you've been removing and replacing half the tank water every week and feeding a balanced diet, then the fish in the main tank should be fit and healthy. The chances of a healthy fish being infected with a parasite or virus are remote.

I would observe the new fish for a couple of days and add an airstone to the bucket for an oxygen source. If there's no change, then put the new fish back into the main tank and up the water changes to half the tank's volume every 4 to five days and make the new, treated tap water a bit warmer than what's already in the tank. Feed a bit of frozen food. It's high nutrition and add a bit of minced garlic too. Garlic is high vitamin and contains natural antibiotics.

A lot of pure water and nutrient rich food will often speed recovery.

Just one reporter's opinion, though. You're the head tank keeper.

B

 

[dsun]

It will be bloat/constipation most likely. Peas and Epsom salt baths work the best for when my fish have been like this in the past!

If the fish doesn't recover within a week id advise trying the Epsom bath, just make sure their eating.

If this doesn't work then it might be internal parasites/worms, but hopefully it should just be a little bloat,

all the best and let us know how the little fish gets on!

Ok ill feed him some peas today
How often can i feed cichlid peas?

 

[dsun]

Hello d...

Unless you have experience in fish biology, it's difficult to know if your fish is sick or not. The fish was in the main tank, so it was a little late to isolate him and netting fish and moving them is stressful. Don't fret over it. If you've been removing and replacing half the tank water every week and feeding a balanced diet, then the fish in the main tank should be fit and healthy. The chances of a healthy fish being infected with a parasite or virus are remote.

I would observe the new fish for a couple of days and add an airstone to the bucket for an oxygen source. If there's no change, then put the new fish back into the main tank and up the water changes to half the tank's volume every 4 to five days and make the new, treated tap water a bit warmer than what's already in the tank. Feed a bit of frozen food. It's high nutrition and add a bit of minced garlic too. Garlic is high vitamin and contains natural antibiotics.

A lot of pure water and nutrient rich food will often speed recovery.

Just one reporter's opinion, though. You're the head tank keeper.

B

Thanks B
Ill get a airstone for him

I got scared and paraniod because no other fish that i introduced and acclimated behaved like this one. White long string poo, rapid breathing, slightly rounded belly, hiding on bottom. All led for me to believe it was bloat. Like you said, if nothing changes in next few days i will put him back. If it bad if i do water changes every 3-4 days? I can match water temp perfectly and use Prime everytime.

What kind of frozen food do you suggest?

 

[dsun]

he lost his interest in food. I tried peas and pellets and he eats then spits them out. however he did eat a small piece of the tetra parasite guard that wasnt disolved at the bottom....

 

[Bichir Bro]

White stringy poop is not an indicator of bloat, that points towards internal parasites. You can feed him peas but that will not fix the parasite issue.

 

[dsun]

White stringy poop is not an indicator of bloat, that points towards internal parasites. You can feed him peas but that will not fix the parasite issue.

but if he is breathing rapdily, no interet in food and spits it out, hides and rest on substrate, lethargic, a rounded stomach...then all these could potentially point to bloat right? Its what i been observing the whole time.

He is a bit more active now, but still breathing rapidly and today started to avoid food

 

[dsun]

I did a 90% WC for him today, and afterwards he seemed pretty happy, his breathing slowed down considerably from the last two days. I discontinued treatment today as he has been in Parasite Guard treated water for the last 48 hours but he is still ignoring food. Hes more active and swimming around in his bucket. Id like to put him back in the main tank and see how he does but fear that he might have a turn for the worst.

What do you guys suggest?

 

[dsun]

took a turn for the worse, i put him in my main tank to see how he would do...he was the same as before, sinks to the substrate and sits there, while he was sitting and under the LED light, i noticed a ICH spot. Took him out immediate and went back into his hospital bucket. Now i guess ill have to deal with two illnesses. Not sure how to proceed...if he gets worse maybe i should euthanize him?