Angelfish bloated, possibly constipated?

[Vladka]

My angelfish has been bloated for about 2-3 months now... it’s been about 5-6 weeks in quarantine and nothing seems to be working. Any advice?

What I’ve tried:
Peas
4 tbs salt (I read max is 6)
Metroplex and kanaplex
Prazipro
Paragaurd
Not feeding for a few days
Soaking food first
Large water changes

His wound on the side is starting to heal up, that happened after the salt and then prazi pro. It looks like there’s a piece of poo wanting to come out but it isn’t, been there for a while.

He misses his 90 and looks so sad in the 10!
My plan is to try salt again with 6tbs this time on Monday once it’s been a week since the second prazi treatment.

Pics are most recent to oldest.

 

[Autumnsky]

You can try Epsom salts. It isn't actually salt, but Magnesium Sulfate and can help with constipation in fish and in people used for acute kidney problems. Has healing properties as well. Might be able to help.

If you would like more information on it I can give you the details.

 

[Vladka]

You can try Epsom salts. It isn't actually salt, but Magnesium Sulfate and can help with constipation in fish and in people used for acute kidney problems. Has healing properties as well. Might be able to help.

If you would like more information on it I can give you the details.

Actually that’s what I did try, Epsom salts and not regular salt. Didn’t think about it long enough to realize it wasn’t aquarium salt!

I’m always open for more details if you have the time! But that’s what I was thinking, of f it can help with constipation then maybe it can at least relief him.

At this point I’m thinking it has to be the hole in the head parasites hexamita. I read it often causes constipation and can make them unable to poop so it fits. Plus I had an angel die from hole in the head mid last year so maybe those darn things are living in my 90 and I should treat the whole tank.

However. If this is the case I’m wondering why metroplex isn’t killing them. He’s been trying to eat the food I give him usually, and I try and soak it in metroplex and focus. But sometimes he reacts really weird to it and starts spazzing out a bit and spits it out.

 

[Autumnsky]

It tastes nasty.

You might try Kanaplex which is absorbed through the body of the fish.

https://www.seachem.com/kanaplex.php

You can use one tablespoon Epsom Salts per gallon without any negative effects. This is the ES staying in the tank water for full therapeutic effect for appx. 14 days. For serious case it could be longer.

But usually if fish is regaining wellness, then after the 14 days begin using a ONE TEASPOON per gallon amount for an additional week or 2 then letting the amount be exchanged /eliminated using normal pwc's.

Dissolve ES in warm water/ always make the ES water dechlorinated and tank temp.

You can calculate up an amount in a concentrate of dissolved ES for doing pwc's with the ES so that you don't have do the dissolving step every day if that makes it easier. I have used a pitcher or gallon water jug.

My Imported Thai Betta which I had a big issue with, did not improve completely just using the ES and huge pwc daily. So if the fish does not seem to be getting better after a 2-3 day period, using ES 1 TBL per gallon, I would use Kanaplex.

 

[Vladka]

It tastes nasty.

You might try Kanaplex which is absorbed through the body of the fish.

https://www.seachem.com/kanaplex.php

You can use one tablespoon Epsom Salts per gallon without any negative effects. This is the ES staying in the tank water for full therapeutic effect for appx. 14 days. For serious case it could be longer.

But usually if fish is regaining wellness, then after the 14 days begin using a ONE TEASPOON per gallon amount for an additional week or 2 then letting the amount be exchanged /eliminated using normal pwc's.

Dissolve ES in warm water/ always make the ES water dechlorinated and tank temp.

You can calculate up an amount in a concentrate of dissolved ES for doing pwc's with the ES so that you don't have do the dissolving step every day if that makes it easier. I have used a pitcher or gallon water jug.

My Imported Thai Betta which I had a big issue with, did not improve completely just using the ES and huge pwc daily. So if the fish does not seem to be getting better after a 2-3 day period, using ES 1 TBL per gallon, I would use Kanaplex.

Thank you. I will add salt today with a water change. I didn’t know about the de chlorinating and dissolving step prior to adding it to the tank! I always just throw it in there but this would make more sense. Previously the ES helped heal his side wound.

I’ve tried using kanaplex and metroplex already with him. It didn’t solve the problem but I think I’m going to try again with both. They’re safe to mix with the ES, correct? Kanaplex doesn’t have metronidazole in it like metroplex, which is the drug that’s supposed to kill the hexamita worms. But if it tastes gross I can see his point. The fish in the 90 didn’t seem to mind their pellets!

 

[Autumnsky]

My fish would not eat any of the soaked food. I did use actual medicated flakes and they ate them up just fine. Also only guessing it tastes nasty by the way they spit it out! LOL.

I would try one medication at a time. Kanaplex is okay with ES. Make sure you have extra aeration air pump/ stone or lower the water to allow for more splash aeration.

 

[Vladka]

So my guy really isn’t doing so well... a day or two before I added the Epsom salts he started gasping at the surface more, but not as extreme as I’ve seen other fish do in the past. So after the water change and adding the salts he continued this behavior. I’ve also been doing metroplex into the water collumn every 2 days, today was day 3. He no longer seems interested in food, he’s too busy gasping. His bloating looks worse, and seems to have expanded forward. Some of his fins are now a little torn. I just took a tube off one of the sponge filters to hopefully increase aeration. Pictures from today attached.
Water parameters:
Ph: 8.3
Ammoni, Nitrite, and Nitrate: 0

 

[Autumnsky]

Can you see if his gills are brownish or ?

You can lower the water level in the tank if you have a HOB and it will create more splash and help with aeration.

 

[Vladka]

Can you see if his gills are brownish or ?

You can lower the water level in the tank if you have a HOB and it will create more splash and help with aeration.

The gills don’t appear to be an abnormal color, but they do look like they’re bulging a little, just because the area under them is puffy now.

I don’t have an hob filter, there are 2 sponge filters with air pumps attached instead.

 

[Autumnsky]

Kanaplex contains Kanamycin, it can be absorbed by the body. I would try it.

 

[Vladka]

Kanaplex contains Kanamycin, it can be absorbed by the body. I would try it.

Dosed kanaplex today. I also took another look at his gills and now they do look a little red.

Somebody mentioned that it could be iridovirus, which is common in gouramis but others can get it too. Does anyone have experience with it?
Today I found him pressed against the heater and some of that green hair algae has started growing into him and clinging him to the heater... I separated them and he’s swimming fine again but that can’t be a good sign. He has also stopped eating.