someone please help me

[lovemyfishxo]

sick firemouth. help.
hey there can someone help me with my female firemouth, she's about 4 yrs old and has stoped eating about 3 weeks ago and is sitting at the bottom of my tank, she is very swollen. i put her in a hospital tank about two weeks ago and thinking it was dropesy or a bacterial infection, tryed her on peas but she wont eat them. i got some liquid metro and have treated her with that and a couple of 10-15 min epsom salt baths, but nothing has helped. i dont know what is wrong and dont know what else to try. her scales and eyes are normal, shes just really swollen and has rapid breathing, cannot swim properly and wont eat. please can someone help me, please

 

[mrvincent]

Any ammonia/nitrites readings ? Put him a airstone for optimal care in hospital tank.

 

[lovemyfishxo]

thanks for reply, i've got an airstone in their and a heater the temp is at 27 degres cel. the ph is about 7.4. any other thoughts???

 

[Mifsud]

These are the symptoms of malawi bloat, a cichlid disease. It is strange because Malawi bloat is a disease that predominantly affects African cichlids and the firemouth is an American species.

 

[lovemyfishxo]

thanks. yeah i've read that too, i think ive done all i can and still no signs of recovery. thinking i may have to put her to sleep, she must be uncomfortable being bloated for so long. do you know anything else i could try as a last effort. love my lil lisa and her mate, bart is missing her

 

[Mifsud]

For infections, penicillin is always a good bet. I recommend a regiment of Maracyn by Mardel, a brand of erythromycin.

 

[lovemyfishxo]

is that the same as metronidazole???

 

[Mifsud]

No, they are considerably different. Penicillin is pretty well known, a nobel prize was awarded in 1928 for the discovery of its antibiotic properties.

 

[lovemyfishxo]

thanks for the history leason but i know what it is! didnt know wether it was the same as metro cause that is used for infections aswell and you cant get it over the counter in australia you have to get it from the vet so just wasnt sure wether it was the same but with a differant name. but thanks anyway i think if it was any infection the metronidazole would have worked. cheers.