Crazy rafael cat

[Puffymcstuff]

My Rafael has literally been eating himself sick lately... But over the course of yesterday,,, he grew exponentially and looks as if he ate his weight in something!! It's a task for him to move and he has to stop and rest very few inches... Is this overheating combined with some other sickness or just overrating... His eyes have also always been like a milky blue and they bulged... I think he is blind... He got pecked at this morning... Also, there are red streaks across his belly... I think these to be stretch marks.... Ideas?

[GNarnian]

Do you have a QT tank you could put him in?

What size is your tank and what is your stock?

Also, what are your water parameters?

[Puffymcstuff]

No QT it's too expensive and I don't have space.

Nitrates: 50
Nitrites: .5
pH: 7
GH and KH: 200
Chlorine: 0
Temp: 74-75

60gallon with 4bsts and 1wst
1 platy
1 guppy
5 buenos aires(huge mistake)
4 Cory's
1hiliter skirt tetra
1 blind cave fish
3 danios
3rummynose
7 or 8 neons
5-6 hy5's / hyfins
1 orange Von rio
1 big angelfish (picked on I the extreme by buenos aires)
1 small angel
1 footlong pleco
1 red minor
The Rafael

I realize this is a bit much... But most were adopted by a neighbor who was moving out

[Ljk09]

Originally Posted by Puffymcstuff

No QT it's too expensive and I don't have space.

Nitrates: 50
Nitrites: .5
pH: 7
GH and KH: 200
Chlorine: 0
Temp: 74-75

60gallon with 4bsts and 1wst
1 platy
1 guppy
5 buenos aires(huge mistake)
4 Cory's
1hiliter skirt tetra
1 blind cave fish
3 danios
3rummynose
7 or 8 neons
5-6 hy5's / hyfins
1 orange Von rio
1 big angelfish (picked on I the extreme by buenos aires)
1 small angel
1 footlong pleco
1 red minor
The Rafael

I realize this is a bit much... But most were adopted by a neighbor who was moving out

It is a lot. And a QT wouldn't really be that expensive. A 10 g with a extra filter if you had it would work. The red marks are probably not stretch marks.

[Candiceg]

What's your ammonia reading? Are you sure he didn't eat a bunch of fish he looks so bloated.

[Puffymcstuff]

Originally Posted by Candiceg

What's your ammonia reading? Are you sure he didn't eat a bunch of fish he looks so bloated.

Haha! I'm not missing any... And I keep a pretty close eye... And ammonia isn't part of the test strips I bought... Also, in saying about a QT u still haven't answered my question: what do you think is wrong with him? And u said: "those probably aren't stretch marks" but still haven't suggested what they could be... I think try may be scratch marks because his favorite place is in the castle and right now he might have to squeeze in and out... It's kinda sad actually....PS my tank is a hex tank not a long... It makes everything extra complicated... But it fits better!

[Wiggles24]

That looks really bad actually.....the only suggestion I would have st this point would to try and give him a vegetable like a pea to see if it cleans him out!

[Jeremy S.]

I would definitely invest in accurate tests. Those strip tests are a joke almost. All of your levels could be way off from what the strips say. And I would really consider lightening that bioload

[Puffymcstuff]

Woke up this morning and r had just died by the looks of it... The strips I bought were the "plus" brand... I will probably invest in a master test kit when they are gone(5 more)... He had gotten even bigger(didn't think that was possible) and was stuff as a stick as I tried to get him out.... Then he wouldn't really flush... I had to plunge three times... Wow... That was bad....

Does that count as lightening the bioload?

PS: I put the cup I my net so his spines wouldn't get caught...

[Jeremy S.]

It could have been a bacterial infection in his stomah. Poor fella sorry for your loss