GreenGiant
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Here's the scoop:
About 6 months ago I received 2 very young koi from a friend (they spawned in his pond, and had more than he knew what to do with). Right now I live in an apartment, so I don't have a pond. The koi are residing in a small 6 gallon tank at the moment, although I am in the process of setting up a 75 gallon for them (until I move and get a pond). The 6 gallon has been inhabited for about 1.5 years - before the koi, 5 barbs lived in the tank. I have a small power filter on the tank (not sure what model), and an air stone. I usually do a ~40% water change and gravel vacuum every 2 weeks. Last change was Sunday (3 days ago). I've been feeding the koi flake food, as they are too small for most pelleted types. The koi are currently about 4" long total (about 3" without fins). I haven't added any new gravel, decorations, etc for the last year. When I got them, the koi had a mild case of ick, but I cleared that up in a couple weeks with a 3-4 g/L salt treatment. Now for the tank parameters:
Temp 68 degrees F
Ph 7.6
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate unknown
Now the symptoms:
One of the koi is perfectly healthy, and acting normally. The other has a bloated stomach area, and it seems one side is slightly larger than the other. There is no sign of raised scales at this time. I can see no discolorations, masses, or external signs of fungus or parasites. The koi does have trouble staying upright, and has been spending more and more time resting on the bottom of the tank (often tilted to one side). He seems alert. At first he seemed only slightly troubled by his tilting, and swam almost normally. The last couple days he has been slowing down, and he has been less interested in food. I noticed he was slightly fatter than his brother about a month ago, but until the end of last week, he seemed perfectly healthy. In the last 36 hours, I've gradually added salt to the tank to get the concentration up to 3g/L. I have no idea what is wrong with the fish, and I don't know what else I can do.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
About 6 months ago I received 2 very young koi from a friend (they spawned in his pond, and had more than he knew what to do with). Right now I live in an apartment, so I don't have a pond. The koi are residing in a small 6 gallon tank at the moment, although I am in the process of setting up a 75 gallon for them (until I move and get a pond). The 6 gallon has been inhabited for about 1.5 years - before the koi, 5 barbs lived in the tank. I have a small power filter on the tank (not sure what model), and an air stone. I usually do a ~40% water change and gravel vacuum every 2 weeks. Last change was Sunday (3 days ago). I've been feeding the koi flake food, as they are too small for most pelleted types. The koi are currently about 4" long total (about 3" without fins). I haven't added any new gravel, decorations, etc for the last year. When I got them, the koi had a mild case of ick, but I cleared that up in a couple weeks with a 3-4 g/L salt treatment. Now for the tank parameters:
Temp 68 degrees F
Ph 7.6
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate unknown
Now the symptoms:
One of the koi is perfectly healthy, and acting normally. The other has a bloated stomach area, and it seems one side is slightly larger than the other. There is no sign of raised scales at this time. I can see no discolorations, masses, or external signs of fungus or parasites. The koi does have trouble staying upright, and has been spending more and more time resting on the bottom of the tank (often tilted to one side). He seems alert. At first he seemed only slightly troubled by his tilting, and swam almost normally. The last couple days he has been slowing down, and he has been less interested in food. I noticed he was slightly fatter than his brother about a month ago, but until the end of last week, he seemed perfectly healthy. In the last 36 hours, I've gradually added salt to the tank to get the concentration up to 3g/L. I have no idea what is wrong with the fish, and I don't know what else I can do.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!