Nitrate poisoning and I'm desperate to save my fish!!!! Please help...

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This is why people euthanize pets, to end their "suffering" ( but who the "their" is is the question. :( The person or the pet? ) . I can't really tell you why it's taking this long. Her weakness may be from hunger, from what is causing the lump or some other unknown reason. Unfortunately, the only way to rule out the last possibility is way beyond most Vet's capabilities. You can rule out a tank water issue because the other fish in the tank are not suffering. She obviously has/had a strong constitution. In the wild, she would have already been some other animal's meal.
All I can suggest is for you to do whatever you are comfortable doing.

Hi. This is torture. I don't know what's going on. She's still alive. Not able to swim apparently, but almost constantly moving her tail. Or anal fin. Whatever it's called. I stay away from the tank because my heart is breaking.

Now I'm wondering, for discussion or clarity sake; if she's this strong does this mean I could have done something to give her nourishment when she stopped eating.....? Could I have given her vitamin baths maybe...? To strengthen her? Could there have been a way to make her eat? It's not like she had a sudden injury and suddenly couldn't eat. It was kind of her gradual choice to either not take the food, or to spit it out. Even once the bully was out of the tank, first she came running for food.. but she spit it out. Perhaps it was due to something bothering her, like the bump, I don't know. But my question is, did I do absolutely everything to save her..?? and not just letting her die.....?? I'm asking because I've never had this. For a fish to struggle for this long??? I'm so confused, horrified and sad.

I don't know what to expect next. I don't know what to do anymore. I feel horrible for her. At least I know the tank is peaceful. It doesn't appear like my other 2 dollars are bothering her. Although one of them seemed to be curious last night and may have wanted to nip on her anal fin, so I gently got him to go away and I don't think he went back there. Bumpy is on the bottom, between a plant and the wall, in the center of the tank. I keep the light closed so she's as peaceful as possible. But as of yesterday, she keeps moving. And it's sickening to see it. Ughhhhhh!! I hope you can shed some clarity my way, so at least I don't have guilt. I keep in mind what you said, that she would have been food for other fish by now. Sigh. This is tough.

I need to do a water change because the last one I did was last Thursday (a week ago). But I don't want to disturb her..

Gosh. My heart hurts.

UGGGGGHHHHHH --- I just checked my tank ---- that dollar did nip on her anal fin 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 and at off most of it !!!! 😭😭😭 WHAT DO I DO NOW??????? I don't have a hospital tank because my parrot is in there now -- I don't have a divider because I couldn't find one for this bow-front -- I am absolutely HORRIFIED!!!!! What do I dooooo -- please help Omg

Another update a whole hour later --- I created a VERY makeshift partition.. and the reason I say very is because it's not even attached to the walls, it's just kind of "there" to surround Bumpy and hopefully keep the others away. But there's the risk of them getting into the area by swimming (or squeezing) between the edge and the wall, and I pray that doesn't happen....!!

What's gonna be here???? How much longer is this torture gonna be..... 😭 💔 😭
 
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Hi. This is torture. I don't know what's going on. She's still alive. Not able to swim apparently, but almost constantly moving her tail. Or anal fin. Whatever it's called. I stay away from the tank because my heart is breaking.

Now I'm wondering, for discussion or clarity sake; if she's this strong does this mean I could have done something to give her nourishment when she stopped eating....
The only way I know of is through injection and that's not a reasonable way of forcing a fish or any animal to live.
.? Could I have given her vitamin baths maybe...?
You can't give vitamins through a bath, you would have had to use them in the whole tank. That however, would be a short term resolve and not a long term solution if she stopped eating.
To strengthen her? Could there have been a way to make her eat?
No.
It's not like she had a sudden injury and suddenly couldn't eat. It was kind of her gradual choice to either not take the food, or to spit it out. Even once the bully was out of the tank, first she came running for food.. but she spit it out. Perhaps it was due to something bothering her, like the bump, I don't know. But my question is, did I do absolutely everything to save her..??
Yes, you did. Disease or injury would have been a quicker resolution.
and not just letting her die.....?? I'm asking because I've never had this. For a fish to struggle for this long??? I'm so confused, horrified and sad.
I can only relate this to what I went through with my Mother. 2 days after I left visiting her after she moved to Maryland, she was sickly with many parts of her body but her heart, which was very strong according to her Dr. I had had a nice week long visit before leaving. She was spry, with it and very cognizant. On day 2 of my drive back to Florida, I get a call from my Sister who said that she was going under hospice care and her Dr. said it would most likely be soon. The choice was I could turn around, drive through the night to get there in 24 hours or continue home ( which was only about 3 hours away from where I was. ) My Sister and I agreed that it didn't make sense for me to come back as there was no guarantee I would be in time and she was being buried in Florida anyway so I continued home. It became a daily struggle because I waited impatiently for "That Call" that it was over. A week went by then 2 weeks went by and my Sister and I couldn't figure out what was keeping her alive. Another week went by and then we had to have the discussion on whether I should have stayed or turned around and came back. In the end, it took her a total of 3 1/2 weeks when the Dr said it should be " soon." So there is no way of knowing the when, especially when it's a natural death. It will happen when it happens. It's out of your hands if you can't euthanize.
I don't know what to expect next. I don't know what to do anymore. I feel horrible for her. At least I know the tank is peaceful. It doesn't appear like my other 2 dollars are bothering her. Although one of them seemed to be curious last night and may have wanted to nip on her anal fin, so I gently got him to go away and I don't think he went back there. Bumpy is on the bottom, between a plant and the wall, in the center of the tank. I keep the light closed so she's as peaceful as possible. But as of yesterday, she keeps moving. And it's sickening to see it. Ughhhhhh!! I hope you can shed some clarity my way, so at least I don't have guilt. I keep in mind what you said, that she would have been food for other fish by now. Sigh. This is tough.

I need to do a water change because the last one I did was last Thursday (a week ago). But I don't want to disturb her.


Gosh. My heart hurts.

UGGGGGHHHHHH --- I just checked my tank ---- that dollar did nip on her anal fin 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 and at off most of it !!!! 😭😭😭 WHAT DO I DO NOW???????
That is what healthy fish do to dying fish. It's natural. You do need to do the water change to keep the tank healthy for the other 2 Dollars so I suggest you net her and place her in a bucket while you do the water change and when that's done, you can either leave her in the bucket with an air stone or place her back in the tank with the barrier around her.
I don't have a hospital tank because my parrot is in there now -- I don't have a divider because I couldn't find one for this bow-front -- I am absolutely HORRIFIED!!!!! What do I dooooo -- please help Omg

Another update a whole hour later --- I created a VERY makeshift partition.. and the reason I say very is because it's not even attached to the walls, it's just kind of "there" to surround Bumpy and hopefully keep the others away. But there's the risk of them getting into the area by swimming (or squeezing) between the edge and the wall, and I pray that doesn't happen....!!

What's gonna be here???? How much longer is this torture gonna be..... 😭 💔 😭
As I said, you can never tell with situations like this. :(
 
The only way I know of is through injection and that's not a reasonable way of forcing a fish or any animal to live.

You can't give vitamins through a bath, you would have had to use them in the whole tank. That however, would be a short term resolve and not a long term solution if she stopped eating.

No.

Yes, you did. Disease or injury would have been a quicker resolution.

I can only relate this to what I went through with my Mother. 2 days after I left visiting her after she moved to Maryland, she was sickly with many parts of her body but her heart, which was very strong according to her Dr. I had had a nice week long visit before leaving. She was spry, with it and very cognizant. On day 2 of my drive back to Florida, I get a call from my Sister who said that she was going under hospice care and her Dr. said it would most likely be soon. The choice was I could turn around, drive through the night to get there in 24 hours or continue home ( which was only about 3 hours away from where I was. ) My Sister and I agreed that it didn't make sense for me to come back as there was no guarantee I would be in time and she was being buried in Florida anyway so I continued home. It became a daily struggle because I waited impatiently for "That Call" that it was over. A week went by then 2 weeks went by and my Sister and I couldn't figure out what was keeping her alive. Another week went by and then we had to have the discussion on whether I should have stayed or turned around and came back. In the end, it took her a total of 3 1/2 weeks when the Dr said it should be " soon." So there is no way of knowing the when, especially when it's a natural death. It will happen when it happens. It's out of your hands if you can't euthanize.

That is what healthy fish do to dying fish. It's natural. You do need to do the water change to keep the tank healthy for the other 2 Dollars so I suggest you net her and place her in a bucket while you do the water change and when that's done, you can either leave her in the bucket with an air stone or place her back in the tank with the barrier around her.

As I said, you can never tell with situations like this. :(
Wow.
First, so sorry about your mother. Those details are gutwrenching. And then waiting for "that call", and the question of whether you should have gone back.. but at least you had that week with her. Thank you for sharing and for giving me more clarity on the aspect of how long it could take..

Also, thank you for clearly stating the yes's and no's to my questions, so that I can feel reassured about having done everything I could. I needed that peace of mind. So thank you.

Do you think I can do the water change with the barrier there...? Which means I can't vacuum that area and I'd have to be gentle.... but I'd do as much as I can in the surrounding areas.... I just don't know if I have the guts to bother her and move her around while she's in this state. Also, the temperature of a bucket's water would probably cool down and they like a temperature of approx 80 degrees (my tank is at 80 or 82)
 
Wow.
First, so sorry about your mother. Those details are gutwrenching. And then waiting for "that call", and the question of whether you should have gone back.. but at least you had that week with her. Thank you for sharing and for giving me more clarity on the aspect of how long it could take..

Also, thank you for clearly stating the yes's and no's to my questions, so that I can feel reassured about having done everything I could. I needed that peace of mind. So thank you.

Do you think I can do the water change with the barrier there...? Which means I can't vacuum that area and I'd have to be gentle.... but I'd do as much as I can in the surrounding areas.... I just don't know if I have the guts to bother her and move her around while she's in this state. Also, the temperature of a bucket's water would probably cool down and they like a temperature of approx 80 degrees (my tank is at 80 or 82)
MY OPINION is that right now, the tank is more important. Doing the water change with her in there will probably be more stressful than putting her in the bucket even if the temp goes down for the few minutes she will be in there. You can gently net her since she's hardly moving and now has no tail and place her in the bucket of water.
 
MY OPINION is that right now, the tank is more important. Doing the water change with her in there will probably be more stressful than putting her in the bucket even if the temp goes down for the few minutes she will be in there. You can gently net her since she's hardly moving and now has no tail and place her in the bucket of water.
So I did a 30% water change this morning. She is still alive 😭 barely, but then again, still breathing. Breaks my heart. At least my other fish aren't able to bother her now...

Question is... I'm very worried because if she does pass in the next number of hours, I wouldn't be able to do a water change for the next 27-28 hours (I might not even know she passed since I mostly will not be home) so I won't be able to remove her till tomorrow night at approx 8:30pm... do I have to worry about water contamination..?? I really hope not. Basically it probably wouldn't be more than a 24-hr period (since she's still alive) but maybe less because who knows when she's actually gonna pass... Sigh. So I'm just checking with you in case. Any insight on this? Thanks

P.s. this process is insanely sad. Ughhh
 
So I did a 30% water change this morning. She is still alive 😭 barely, but then again, still breathing. Breaks my heart. At least my other fish aren't able to bother her now...

Question is... I'm very worried because if she does pass in the next number of hours, I wouldn't be able to do a water change for the next 27-28 hours (I might not even know she passed since I mostly will not be home) so I won't be able to remove her till tomorrow night at approx 8:30pm... do I have to worry about water contamination..?? I really hope not. Basically it probably wouldn't be more than a 24-hr period (since she's still alive) but maybe less because who knows when she's actually gonna pass... Sigh. So I'm just checking with you in case. Any insight on this? Thanks

P.s. this process is insanely sad. Ughhh
You shouldn't need to worry. A fish that big will not usually decompose in just one day. You will want to remove her remains as soon as possible to help reduce any ammonia buildup that comes from decomposition. If it's not an easy removal, you may want to do a water change after removal to clean up what you couldn't net out. (y)
 
You shouldn't need to worry. A fish that big will not usually decompose in just one day. You will want to remove her remains as soon as possible to help reduce any ammonia buildup that comes from decomposition. If it's not an easy removal, you may want to do a water change after removal to clean up what you couldn't net out. (y)
......She finally passed.... 💔 😭 💔 😭
Must have been this morning or today by day; she was still very flexible.... I buried her in my backyard just now. I am literally bawling my eyes out like a kid which I guess is what I should do for a little bit. I loved her; she was a fighter and a survivor. And fought a terribly long and difficult death. This was sheer torture to watch. I don't understand it and it's haunting me.

Now my tank is void of her and it's hard to see it. I wish aquarium-keeping were simpler so I could just throw my parrot back in there and bring liveliness back because he's so feisty.

😭😭😭😭💔💔💔💔💔😭😭😭😭

I am so, so, so deeply sad.
 
......She finally passed.... 💔 😭 💔 😭
Must have been this morning or today by day; she was still very flexible.... I buried her in my backyard just now. I am literally bawling my eyes out like a kid which I guess is what I should do for a little bit. I loved her; she was a fighter and a survivor. And fought a terribly long and difficult death. This was sheer torture to watch. I don't understand it and it's haunting me.

Now my tank is void of her and it's hard to see it. I wish aquarium-keeping were simpler so I could just throw my parrot back in there and bring liveliness back because he's so feisty.

😭😭😭😭💔💔💔💔💔😭😭😭😭

I am so, so, so deeply sad.
Well, sorry to hear but glad for you it's over. Yeah, she was a fighter for sure. I sure hope you realize that you should not put the parrot back into the tank with the Dollars.

No, fish and all pet keeping actually is not simple. This is why it's not for everybody. 🤔
 
Hiiiiii. So yeah, it's been a while. It was rough to see my Burny/Bumpy Fish go the way she did. I've wanted to write, but just needed to take a moment to process, and been insanely busy with life in general. But here I am, and unfortunately I've got a problem (Yes, I know the "told-you-so" is about to come my way... :( But please be gentle :cry:)

I know I need to either transfer my blood parrot to a larger tank (should have happened by now :cry: or give him away which makes me miserable to think about. 😭) But first, can I please explain what's happening so we can troubleshoot.....

I've been maintaining my large tank with the 2 remaining dollars and they're doing fine. I've also been following your instructions of at least 2 water changes per week for my Blood Parrot until I figure out a next solution. Everything had been going perfectly well, he had bright red color, was busy and active in the tank, came to eat and interact, etc.

Until I had to leave home for a week in mid-April. My Mom took care of the fish but doesn't know how to do a water change. She did not feed him daily and added some fresh water here and there. When I returned he was fine, but I saw his color had started fading which is an indication. I immediately did water change, and another 2 that week, and his color basically returned. Everything seemed fine and I might have gotten too comfortable feeding him (I'm careful how much I give him, but maybe I upped it a drop.) So this past Friday (0r maybe thursday) I noticed his color had faded again, and he's hanging out in one spot near the surface of the water (not gasping or anything, just kind of like he wants to rest and chose that spot) near the heater. And showed other signs of stress like rubbing against things.

My parameters on Friday were 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 40 nitrate, approx 6.2 ph. So I did approx 40% water change on Friday. (before I realized, I had fed him a bit. I wouldn't have.) On Sunday he was doing the same and looking the same. So I did another 40% water change... (was that too much stress on him?) On Tuesday I did approx 25% water change.. the nitrate went down to 30. Yesterday I added crushed coral so the PH went up to approx 6.6. I haven't fed him till now, and did not do a water change today. I just checked my parameters: 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrite, 30 Nitrate, 6.6 PH. I added a little bit more crushed coral to bring the PH higher, but I probably should add more; I don't think it will bring it higher than 6.8, if at all. But i'm afraid to go too fast. Should I be doing another 20% water change today? Or rather not stress him more?

Another question. I have not rinsed the white filter pad at all since I installed it. At which point do I need to do that? It's become brown in color, obviously with the tank stuff it's sucking in. but I don't want to stir it up if not necessary. So would you be able to guide me on that please? Thanks

So to sum it up, the water parameters seem fine at this point. I'm not sure how long the nitrate had been at 40ppm but probably not for too long. Whatttt is the problem 😭 ??? Could it be he just needs time to get better..?? I thought it only takes a couple of days..??? I know he needs a bigger tank. Is that possibly the sole problem??? I want him to be fine. I love this little crazy guy. What do I do first for the moment, to take away his stress. And then to discuss next moves.

I don't see a specific reason to treat him with API General Cure, but what are your thoughts on that....?

His tank is by a window.. so in the winter i had placed a blanket between the tank and window so the cold doesn't affect the water drastically. So that side of his tank was dark and cozy. I recently removed the blanket and put a cardboard there for privacy.. so the light is still kind of blocked, but not the way the blanket blocked it. Could that be making him feel uncomfortable and causing this??

Realistically, I should give him away. My life is so hectic, I don't see how I can set up a whole new huge tank and maintain 2 large tanks. Even one is a lot at this time. Oh how I wishhhhh I could just join him back into the old tank!!!! He was happy there. The thought of giving him away is making me extremely sad. I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. In a way, I'm more connected to him than my 2 dollars at this point. Sigh.

I hope we can somehow figure this out :cry:😭 Please tell me what to do until I can either rehome him or replace the tank.

Thank you so much for your time.
 
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Hiiiiii. So yeah, it's been a while. It was rough to see my Burny/Bumpy Fish go the way she did. I've wanted to write, but just needed to take a moment to process, and been insanely busy with life in general. But here I am, and unfortunately I've got a problem (Yes, I know the "told-you-so" is about to come my way... :( But please be gentle :cry:)
If you insist on fighting a losing battle, who am I to say " Told you so"? :whistle:
I know I need to either transfer my blood parrot to a larger tank (should have happened by now :cry: or give him away which makes me miserable to think about. 😭) But first, can I please explain what's happening so we can troubleshoot.....

I've been maintaining my large tank with the 2 remaining dollars and they're doing fine. I've also been following your instructions of at least 2 water changes per week for my Blood Parrot until I figure out a next solution. Everything had been going perfectly well, he had bright red color, was busy and active in the tank, came to eat and interact, etc.

Until I had to leave home for a week in mid-April. My Mom took care of the fish but doesn't know how to do a water change. She did not feed him daily and added some fresh water here and there. When I returned he was fine, but I saw his color had started fading which is an indication. I immediately did water change, and another 2 that week, and his color basically returned. Everything seemed fine and I might have gotten too comfortable feeding him (I'm careful how much I give him, but maybe I upped it a drop.) So this past Friday (0r maybe thursday) I noticed his color had faded again, and he's hanging out in one spot near the surface of the water (not gasping or anything, just kind of like he wants to rest and chose that spot) near the heater.
Did you check the water parameters?
And showed other signs of stress like rubbing against things.
Rubbing can be caused by a number of things: An itch, from a parasite, as a sign of dislike of a situation.... Have you looked closely to see if he has any parasites? Changing too much water too fast can cause ick to become active.
My parameters on Friday were 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 40 nitrate, approx 6.2 ph. So I did approx 40% water change on Friday. (before I realized, I had fed him a bit. I wouldn't have.) On Sunday he was doing the same and looking the same. So I did another 40% water change... (was that too much stress on him?)
Possibly.
On Tuesday I did approx 25% water change.. the nitrate went down to 30. Yesterday I added crushed coral so the PH went up to approx 6.6. I haven't fed him till now, and did not do a water change today. I just checked my parameters: 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrite, 30 Nitrate, 6.6 PH. I added a little bit more crushed coral to bring the PH higher, but I probably should add more;
Crushed coral can help with raising pH but it does nothing about reducing nitrates and it's the nitrates that most likely are causing your pH to be falling. Water changes would be a better option. Getting him the h*ll out of that little tank would be the best option. ( Just sayin' ;) )
I don't think it will bring it higher than 6.8, if at all.
If you use enough of it. it will stop melting when the pH gets in the alkaline range so more than 7.0.
But i'm afraid to go too fast. Should I be doing another 20% water change today? Or rather not stress him more?

Another question. I have not rinsed the white filter pad at all since I installed it. At which point do I need to do that? It's become brown in color, obviously with the tank stuff it's sucking in. but I don't want to stir it up if not necessary. So would you be able to guide me on that please? Thanks
What you need to do is take the filter pad and scrape off whatever gunk is on the surface in some of the tank water you are changing or dechlorinated water out of the tap. If it's a sponge like pad, also give it a squeeze or 2 to help remove some of the stuff inside that may be clogging the sponge. I'd give that a day or two to see if that helps the fish's situation and demeaner.
So to sum it up, the water parameters seem fine at this point. I'm not sure how long the nitrate had been at 40ppm but probably not for too long. Whatttt is the problem 😭 ???
You know what the problem is.
Could it be he just needs time to get better..?? I thought it only takes a couple of days..??? I know he needs a bigger tank. Is that possibly the sole problem??? I want him to be fine. I love this little crazy guy. What do I do first for the moment, to take away his stress. And then to discuss next moves.

I don't see a specific reason to treat him with API General Cure, but what are your thoughts on that....?
Don't blindly treat fish. If you don't see any parasites, don't treat.
His tank is by a window.. so in the winter i had placed a blanket between the tank and window so the cold doesn't affect the water drastically. So that side of his tank was dark and cozy. I recently removed the blanket and put a cardboard there for privacy.. so the light is still kind of blocked, but not the way the blanket blocked it. Could that be making him feel uncomfortable and causing this??
I'd experiment with putting the blanket back up and see if that calms him down.
Realistically, I should give him away. My life is so hectic, I don't see how I can set up a whole new huge tank and maintain 2 large tanks. Even one is a lot at this time. Oh how I wishhhhh I could just join him back into the old tank!!!! He was happy there. The thought of giving him away is making me extremely sad. I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. In a way, I'm more connected to him than my 2 dollars at this point. Sigh.
Well, here's an option that poses some risk: there's a 50/50 chance that putting him back in the big tank will work out. That's even money it won't work long term as it is will work. Since you know the Dollars are doing well without him, if you add him back into the big tank, after making sure the parrot is healthy, and the Dollars decline, you know what you have to do and do it fast. My personal opinion is that it will work for a short amount of time and then he will find a place to call home and give the Dollars what for if they come too close. This then exposes the Dollars to getting sick.
I hope we can somehow figure this out :cry:😭 Please tell me what to do until I can either rehome him or replace the tank.

Thank you so much for your time.
So now you have choices.
 
If you insist on fighting a losing battle, who am I to say " Told you so"? :whistle:
There is someone who is ready to take him. What I'm struggling with is trying to decide if I should take him to that guy tomorrow and give him up 😭 or switch out my silver dollars and have him back in the big tank since parrots are so much more interesting than dollars (which means, though, that I'd have to give up my dollars!) This whole situation sucks. I wish he'd just agree to have my fish till I'm ready to take him back.

Did you check the water parameters?
This morning it was 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 6.6 ph, 30 nitrate.

Rubbing can be caused by a number of things: An itch, from a parasite, as a sign of dislike of a situation.... Have you looked closely to see if he has any parasites? Changing too much water too fast can cause ick to become active.
I am suspicious of the rubbing, and of the fact that he's not getting better after I had done the water changes. I did not do one since Tuesday morning but had done the large ones on Friday and Sunday. He's also not acting like himself. Usually he's spunky, now he's just in one spot and when he comes to the glass to me, he's not very actively doing so.

My gut is telling me maybe I should treat with general cure. But I want to follow your advice not to medicate for nothing. But his rubbing when he does swim is very suspicious. His color is quite faded, and I don't know if his skin looks kind of soft or something. Should I treat with General Cure? I've read that it's safe to do so even if in a question.. but again that's online reading.

Possibly.

Crushed coral can help with raising pH but it does nothing about reducing nitrates and it's the nitrates that most likely are causing your pH to be falling. Water changes would be a better option.
Should I be doing a water change now...?
Also, parrots like high PH, like close to 8 or something. So 6.6 is quite low, no? Can that be causing this, or not too likely?

Getting him the h*ll out of that little tank would be the best option. ( Just sayin' ;) )
I know.. I could take him there tomorrow 😭💔 The next opportunity will only be Sunday or Monday.
Or if I could heal him I then need to decide if I should switch him into my large tank.
Any thoughts on this...? I'm so lost 😭
What you need to do is take the filter pad and scrape off whatever gunk is on the surface in some of the tank water you are changing or dechlorinated water out of the tap. If it's a sponge like pad, also give it a squeeze or 2 to help remove some of the stuff inside that may be clogging the sponge. I'd give that a day or two to see if that helps the fish's situation and demeaner.
So even if the water parameters seem fine, this sponge could be a problem?

Don't blindly treat fish. If you don't see any parasites, don't treat.
How does one "see" parasites..?
Also, the erratic swimming (rubbing)... how much of an indication is that..? Something clearly doesn't seem right.

I'd experiment with putting the blanket back up and see if that calms him down.

Well, here's an option that poses some risk: there's a 50/50 chance that putting him back in the big tank will work out. That's even money it won't work long term as it is will work. Since you know the Dollars are doing well without him, if you add him back into the big tank, after making sure the parrot is healthy, and the Dollars decline, you know what you have to do and do it fast. My personal opinion is that it will work for a short amount of time and then he will find a place to call home and give the Dollars what for if they come too close. This then exposes the Dollars to getting sick.

So now you have choices.
Yeah I don't want to harm the dollars. But now I'm wondering if I should have switched them up to begin with once my Bumpy Fish died. Because my parrot was strong and healthy and entertaining. The last thing I wanted was for this to be happening. Sigh!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT NOW!?

Also:
If I do treat with General Cure (my gut is telling me something is up) what's the safest way to do it..? I don't think I have a carbon pad in my filter. Just the bio-media, a black pad which I believe has to do with the whole bio building system, and the white sponge which is also a thick one.

I am attaching a few pictures and a short video clip. Take note, his color in the pictures looks better than it actually is. His color is actually very faded. He is normally bright red. The way you see him in the pictures is how he's mostly just "standing" around by the filter near the top of the water. I don't know what's going on. This is so upsetting Omg.

 

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There is someone who is ready to take him. What I'm struggling with is trying to decide if I should take him to that guy tomorrow and give him up 😭 or switch out my silver dollars and have him back in the big tank since parrots are so much more interesting than dollars (which means, though, that I'd have to give up my dollars!) This whole situation sucks. I wish he'd just agree to have my fish till I'm ready to take him back.
AS I said before, the person who sold you these fish did not do you a good service. This was totally avoidable if you had the correct fish in that size tank. Now YOU are paying for their mistake.
This morning it was 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 6.6 ph, 30 nitrate.
No, I meant did you test the water when you first noticed the problem and before you did the water changes.
I am suspicious of the rubbing, and of the fact that he's not getting better after I had done the water changes. I did not do one since Tuesday morning but had done the large ones on Friday and Sunday. He's also not acting like himself. Usually he's spunky, now he's just in one spot and when he comes to the glass to me, he's not very actively doing so.
A 6 second video is not that long and so I didn't see any rubbing. Videos should be at least a minute or longer if an action in question isn't in the first minute.
My gut is telling me maybe I should treat with general cure. But I want to follow your advice not to medicate for nothing. But his rubbing when he does swim is very suspicious. His color is quite faded, and I don't know if his skin looks kind of soft or something. Should I treat with General Cure? I've read that it's safe to do so even if in a question.. but again that's online reading.
Like I said, I couldn't see anything in a 6 second video but when in doubt, trust your gut. Any issues for doing it unnecessarily is down the road, not usually immediately.
Should I be doing a water change now...?
Also, parrots like high PH, like close to 8 or something. So 6.6 is quite low, no? Can that be causing this, or not too likely?
Yes, the low pH and the high nitrate could be causing this. Either do a 30% water change at one time or do 2 20% water changes over 2 days.
I know.. I could take him there tomorrow 😭💔 The next opportunity will only be Sunday or Monday.
Or if I could heal him I then need to decide if I should switch him into my large tank.
Any thoughts on this...? I'm so lost 😭
It's your gamble. I can't make your mind up for you. I gave you my thoughts on what I suspect will happen. The fish may have other plans.
So even if the water parameters seem fine, this sponge could be a problem?
Yes, sponges get clogged internally from all the stuff it's filtering out of the water so they need to be squeezed out to remove any blockage. You don't want to over clean them because that is where your nitrifying microbe bed is. You do it just 2 or 3 times ( depending on how black the water is coming out) which is usually enough to open up the internal holes in the sponge.
How does one "see" parasites..?
Also, the erratic swimming (rubbing)... how much of an indication is that..? Something clearly doesn't seem right.
Parasites like Ick will look like the fish was dipped in salt. Epistylus is white bumps. Flukes look like pill bugs attached to the fish. Lice are attached to the outside of the fish. All these can be seen with the naked eye. Parasites like oodinium / velvet sometimes need to be magnified to see them which is why any good hobbyist has a good magnifying glass in their tool box. ( I get mine at the dollar store. )
Yeah I don't want to harm the dollars. But now I'm wondering if I should have switched them up to begin with once my Bumpy Fish died. Because my parrot was strong and healthy and entertaining. The last thing I wanted was for this to be happening. Sigh!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT NOW!?
"If" is a terrible word because you have no idea whether your "IF" would actually be the correct move. As the saying goes, " IF my Aunt had balls, she'd be my Uncle. " See how useless "IF" is? ;)
Also:
If I do treat with General Cure (my gut is telling me something is up) what's the safest way to do it..? I don't think I have a carbon pad in my filter. Just the bio-media, a black pad which I believe has to do with the whole bio building system, and the white sponge which is also a thick one.
Follow the directions on the package That's how you do it. Do your water changes and filter cleaning first tho
I am attaching a few pictures and a short video clip. Take note, his color in the pictures looks better than it actually is. His color is actually very faded. He is normally bright red. The way you see him in the pictures is how he's mostly just "standing" around by the filter near the top of the water. I don't know what's going on. This is so upsetting Omg.
They weren't any help.
 
AS I said before, the person who sold you these fish did not do you a good service. This was totally avoidable if you had the correct fish in that size tank. Now YOU are paying for their mistake.

No, I meant did you test the water when you first noticed the problem and before you did the water changes.

A 6 second video is not that long and so I didn't see any rubbing. Videos should be at least a minute or longer if an action in question isn't in the first minute.

Like I said, I couldn't see anything in a 6 second video but when in doubt, trust your gut. Any issues for doing it unnecessarily is down the road, not usually immediately.

Yes, the low pH and the high nitrate could be causing this. Either do a 30% water change at one time or do 2 20% water changes over 2 days.

It's your gamble. I can't make your mind up for you. I gave you my thoughts on what I suspect will happen. The fish may have other plans.

Yes, sponges get clogged internally from all the stuff it's filtering out of the water so they need to be squeezed out to remove any blockage. You don't want to over clean them because that is where your nitrifying microbe bed is. You do it just 2 or 3 times ( depending on how black the water is coming out) which is usually enough to open up the internal holes in the sponge.

Parasites like Ick will look like the fish was dipped in salt. Epistylus is white bumps. Flukes look like pill bugs attached to the fish. Lice are attached to the outside of the fish. All these can be seen with the naked eye. Parasites like oodinium / velvet sometimes need to be magnified to see them which is why any good hobbyist has a good magnifying glass in their tool box. ( I get mine at the dollar store. )

"If" is a terrible word because you have no idea whether your "IF" would actually be the correct move. As the saying goes, " IF my Aunt had balls, she'd be my Uncle. " See how useless "IF" is? ;)

Follow the directions on the package That's how you do it. Do your water changes and filter cleaning first tho

They weren't any help.
Okay I wonder if I may have found the diagnosis. But obviously you would be the one to know. Especially since I'm confused after checking photos on the internet. I'll explain:

I'm thinking he might have hole-in-the-head syndrome. In the attached photos you could see some tiny "holes" in his forehead which I didn't notice when he was in my main tank, so when I noticed it I thought maybe I just couldn't see it till I was able to see him closer in the small tank. But I'm confused,
Because When I searched photos of parrots with this disease on the internet I saw these spots in the same placement. But I also saw bigger white spots in the photos, but my parrot doesn't have that.

I never knew about checking with a magnifying glass. So I did take a magnifying glass to check, and to look at his skin in general; it doesn't seem abnormal although how do I know if any slight texture is the natural scales of it..?

In the photos I'm attaching you should be able to see a few of the "holes" I'm talking about. The tank wall is also dirty so it might be hard to know if certain spots are actually on the fish or the wall..
In the video he doesn't really rub against things. Maybe he's rubbing a bit less, I'm not sure. But when he rubs, it's mostly forhead/head rubbing. Is it possible it's that??? He's also not been lively at all.

Please note that his color is a bit darker in the video and photos..

Also note: In one of the photos he looks like he has white spots on his head but it's not white in real life. It's the flash I used for that one photo, reflecting off his skin.

The video is still uploading to YouTube so I'll add it shortly. But first I wanna send you this msg so you could see it soonest.

My water parameters this morning:

Ammonia 0
Nitrate 30/35
Nitrite 0
Ph still standing at 6.6 despite adding more crushed coral last night.

Did a 20-25% water change about 3 hours ago. I also gently rinsed my white filter pad.

I have not fed him since last Friday.. so it's been a week. I'm afraid to feed him if he's not well. But I will follow what you tell me to do about that.

So . What do I do now. General cure is supposed to cure hole-in-the-head disease, from what I understand. Are you able to determine if it's that..?

Oh - another thing I noticed which might not be anything alarming but wanna tell you just in case: his upper fin the one that is pointy and the point is in the direction towards the back.. I noticed a tiny, feathery string extending out of that tip; as if it's just a hair growing out of the tippiest tip of that fin. And it's grown longer. You can't see it in the photos, maybe a drop in the video. It's very thin, white, a bit long, and it's just that.

Here's the video link:

I will be away from home starting around 8:00pm tonight, and arriving back tomorrow night at 10pm. I really hope and pray I can do the right thing towards healing him before I need to leave today..

Thanks loads for your help

Oh, I wanted to ask you about the PH. I never used chemicals like "PH Up" in my tank. But I'm wondering if you'd suggest i should buy it and raise the PH that way? I'm guessing your answer will be no, and I'd rather not put the stuff in my tank, but then how can I raise the PH enough, in case this is part of the problem..? How likely is it that this might be a strong cause?
 

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@Andy Sager I really hope you get to see my above post and able to respond in the next couple of hours so I can see your response before i need to leave. Because I really feel like I should probably dose the tank with General Cure but I want to make sure I'm doing the right thing... I hope the pictures and video help. Some spots in the video aren't clear, but you'll get to see parts that are sharp enough that you even see the stringy thing at the end of his top fin. Also I don't want to starve him - he hasn't eaten since a week ago Friday. But is it safe to feed when he's clearly not doing well, and also if I might treat him with General Cure...?
 
Okay I have a quick update and a couple of questions. But I would appreciate if you could still read posts 173 & 174 because a lot of it is probably still relevant, and there are pictures and a video. Thanks a lot

I ended up dosing the tank with a treatment of General Cure. My gut kept screaming to me to do it. My fish is clearly not doing okay and my water parameters are not bad enough for him to just remain like that and not get better, day after day, and I should just leave him status quo. At least this way I know I'm giving him a chance to heal, should this be a parasite of sorts. I'm hoping I did the right thing and he should start healing..

Also, the things I described in posts 173 & 174.. when I look at his head, it looks like it's just filled with holes. It's odd. It doesn't have any color (just same color shade as the skin of the fish) and doesn't look like infection or wound or anything. But just odd, round holes or grooves. Also, I can't decide if I'm seeing something on the underbelly of his anal fin area (not the fin, the body but right before the fin) so I decided that whatever it is, hopefully the General Cure will target it and get rid of it. Upon reading reviews from users on Amazon, they are raving about the product. I don't misuse meds; I hate ever dosing with any stuff. But somehow I feel I did the right thing, and I hope I did, and I also hope you agree.. would love to hear your thoughts.

Questions:

1) From what I understand, you shouldn't feed fish when treating them. Or at least not the first day or two. I haven't fed him in a week for fear of his digestive system being too week... when I poured in the water with diluted General Cure just now, he came to the top searching for food thinking I'm feeding him. Should I give him some food.....?? Or hold off, and how long?

2) What about the PH.. should I do something like the PH Up I mentioned...? Or rather leave it for now...?

3) I'm so anxious to know he could heal properly.. if it is indeed hole-in-the-head disease, or something similar or whatever, these things are curable when treated, yes..?

4) I did not add any salt (the kind you told me to buy last time, I forgot what it's called; NOT the "aquarium" salt. The other thing.) Should I be adding? And if yes, how much?

5) Anything else I can do to help the healing?

Obviously, once he's healed, I will act as quickly as possible to either rehome him, switch out my dollars so he could be in the big tank, or take the chance to put him back in my tank (yikes, I know it's 50/50 and I will be consulting with you first and during...... just to be sure)

Thank you so much.
 
I doubt that's hole in the head. This is what hole in the head would look like: 1747430792835.png
As you can see in this close up, these manmade hybridized fish have all kinds of dents and dings in them. The hole in the head in this pic are the white areas. Even the smaller areas on the side of this fish are white. There is more proof that this is caused by poor water quality and improper diet than it is the hexamita parasite. The general cure may help what ails him but it's just going to be an unknown for now.

If the fish is looking for food, that's a good sign and I suggest you try a light feeding. If he eats, great. If he doesn't, the food need to be removed from the tank.

As for using crushed coral for pH adjustments, this a "slow boat to China" method for raising pH. More is not going to make it change faster. The pH changes as the coral dissolves from the acids in the water. That is not an overnight process. The only way adding more would help is if the previous coral was all dissolved.

After watching the video, the thread on his top fin ( a.k.a. The Dorsal fin) appears to just be an elongation of a couple of fin rays. That or just a bit of slimecoat sloughing off. Nothing to worry about. After watching 2:25 of the video, this fish is not rubbing against anything on his skin so unlikely anything parasitic is going on.

The salt you are asking about is Epsom salt. Epsom salt can be used to increase alkalinity but you really need to get the nitrates down because it will just eat up the epsom salt at it's current level.

I should have watched the video before answering all the above but I didn't. Now for the bad news: What I saw in the video is a scared fish, not a sick fish. It's not that he's not doing well, he looks like he has no sense of security. I would decorate with something he can go into or be surrounded by. A large cave or Larger pieces of flat rocks arranged for him to go in between or underneath or even a large piece of PVC pipe may solve the whole problem. Why is the fish scared? It could be as simple as your Mom being a stranger taking care of him or as complex as not liking being alone and everything in between. Fish are habitual beings. They recognize people and things. They can anticipate habitual things ( i.e feeding time at a certain side of the tank. If you feed your fish at the same time every day and the same spot every day, you can see fish going to that spot even a couple minutes before you get there looking for the food. ) Maybe your Mom did something unintentional and it scared him? Maybe he just missed you and is making you pay for leaving? Fish are not stupid and they can hold a grudge. This is very common with Larger Cichlid species. I had it with my Oscars at my house. ( The breeders at the pet shop had my Mentor to care for them and he was there all the time so not a stranger. )
So bottom line, the general cure was probably a waste but you might as well finish the whole treatment as directed. If you are considering placing him back in the bigger tank, I'd do it after you complete the general cure treatment. If not, get him something better to hide in.
 
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Oh, wow. I'm shocked to hear that it's possible he is simply scared. And now I'm very worried about giving him the General Cure for nothing.. or maybe it isn't for nothing? Reviews of users have said it doesn't harm their healthy fish even when they dose the main tank..

Question: I just want to make sure I understood you. You're saying that I may try giving him some food even though I dosed the the tank with meds just a little while ago, yeah..? Because I've read it's not a good idea to do it, but I trust what you say so i just wanna double check. I don't wanna starve him if I don't have to.

Regarding the PH. Should I go out and buy "PH Up"...? I hate to put stuff in my tank. But if you suggest I do, I will. Or if you'd say to wait a few days, etc.

He didn't really rub in the video.. but he had been rubbing the past few days. But maybe he's doing it less now. (What does that indicate..?)

I'm so surprised this may be due to being scared, etc. I am also shocked to learn that he might be paying me back due to him missing me. Wow. Pretty amazing. I need to get hold of a PVC pipe but won't be able to do it before Sunday unfortunately. I think I'll add back the blanket first for now, perhaps it will give him some security back.
 
Oh, wow. I'm shocked to hear that it's possible he is simply scared. And now I'm very worried about giving him the General Cure for nothing.. or maybe it isn't for nothing? Reviews of users have said it doesn't harm their healthy fish even when they dose the main tank..
Well, you didn't really give me all the information to make an accurate diagnosis so I had to leave it up to you. The problem with not following through with full treatments s so that pathogens don't get small enough doses to gain an immunity to the medication so you need to follow the directions for a full treatment in case he does have something internally going on that you or I are missing.
Question: I just want to make sure I understood you. You're saying that I may try giving him some food even though I dosed the the tank with meds just a little while ago, yeah..? Because I've read it's not a good idea to do it, but I trust what you say so i just wanna double check. I don't wanna starve him if I don't have to.
I said to try a LIGHT feeding because you haven't fed him in a week. That was a mistake. Unless you are treating a definitely sick fish with medication that suggests it may make the fish go off feed, you give the fish an opportunity to eat. quite often, a sick fish or a very sick fish will not eat so then you know that you need to wait for the medication schedule to finish before trying again. If you had tried to feed this fish, he may or may not have eaten. It could have been for spite or could have been because he wasn't feeling well. IF he had eaten, that would have answered a lot of questions.
Regarding the PH. Should I go out and buy "PH Up"...? I hate to put stuff in my tank. But if you suggest I do, I will. Or if you'd say to wait a few days, etc.
NO. The fish needs stable water parameters or very gradual changes in parameters. Since you are going away, at 6.6, there is no danger of ammonia poisoning because the ammonia is naturally turned into non toxic ammonium ad nitrification is slowed so a major increase in nitrates should not happen. So eventually, the crushed coral will make the pH at least 7.0 and as long as your tap water is close to that ( I forgot what your reading is and I don't have the tie to reread this hole thread to find it. ;) ) IF you are going to put the fish back into the big tank and that pH is a lot higher than this tank, you should do a slow drip method of acclimation before putting him into the big tank.
He didn't really rub in the video.. but he had been rubbing the past few days. But maybe he's doing it less now. (What does that indicate..?)
He had an itch so he scratched it.
I'm so surprised this may be due to being scared, etc. I am also shocked to learn that he might be paying me back due to him missing me. Wow. Pretty amazing. I need to get hold of a PVC pipe but won't be able to do it before Sunday unfortunately. I think I'll add back the blanket first for now, perhaps it will give him some security back.
I've spent literally decades watching a wide variety of animal's behavior. I could tell when my Monkey's were sick from across the yard. I could tell when my dog was going to vomit hours before she did. I could tell when my birds were going to bite me if I went into their aviary and I can tell pretty well what a fish is thinking by their behavior. ;) Maybe you haven't heard but I truly believe I was a fish in a previous life. ;) :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: I just understand them. (y)(y)
 
Well, you didn't really give me all the information to make an accurate diagnosis so I had to leave it up to you. The problem with not following through with full treatments s so that pathogens don't get small enough doses to gain an immunity to the medication so you need to follow the directions for a full treatment in case he does have something internally going on that you or I are missing.
I would have given you as much information as you need; i wasn't aware there was more i should have given you. Please let me know if any other info is still relevant to provide now.

I just wanna give you a quick update. A couple of hours after I added the medication yesterday, I dared hope I see a difference. It appeared like his demeanor relaxed and he moved around more. I offered a pellet of food and he grabbed it. So i gave him just a few, feeding it one at a time. Less than 4 pieces.

As of tonight, he definitely seems better, although not fully yet. He comes to the glass when I approach, and isn't staying in that one spot by the top of the water near the heater. He may have chosen a different spot. But my point is, he moves around more, and is more actively like himself. It's hard to tell his color because the room is dark.. I really hope it's improving. And I haven't seen him rubbing. (At least not when I check the tank)

Earlier today I was able to stop by and check on him, same as above; he immediately came to the glass to "communicate", etc. I offered food, he grabbed it. But I only gave 4 pellets total (I felt so bad) because I hadn't been able to read your response. Also because if i continue the full treatment I can't do a water change until Tuesday and i don't wanna risk nitrates rising. (Did a 25% water change Friday before administering). He definitely would have kept eating if I continued feeding him. So you're saying that's a great sign, yes?? :)

Right now he's in a different spot near the surface of the water but it's nighttime so he's probably in "sleep" mode. (Right?) When I approach the tank he does come to the glass. I'll let u know tomorrow how he is.

Yesterday when I put the medication I also put back the blanket. I wonder which factor plays a role in him getting better. But perhaps it's a combination?

I need to figure out where to get a PVC pipe. I wish I knew about this idea months ago, actually years ago, because I would have put one in my main tank and that could have possibly helped the territorial problem, right? Im curious to hear your thoughts on that.

From what I understood in your reply, you're saying to continue the full treatment of meds, yes? In that case I need to redose tomorrow at approx 5:00pm. Does it matter if I do it later, around 8:30pm?
I said to try a LIGHT feeding because you haven't fed him in a week. That was a mistake. Unless you are treating a definitely sick fish with medication that suggests it may make the fish go off feed, you give the fish an opportunity to eat. quite often, a sick fish or a very sick fish will not eat so then you know that you need to wait for the medication schedule to finish before trying again. If you had tried to feed this fish, he may or may not have eaten. It could have been for spite or could have been because he wasn't feeling well. IF he had eaten, that would have answered a lot of questions.
Oh. Wow. My mistake. I feel so bad I didn't feed him the whole week. Weird stuff people (fish people supposedly!) have told me in the past made me believe it's a bad idea.to feed him if there's suspicion that he's sick. Okay, so, based on the above information, it is okay for me to feed him tomorrow, yes? But I will feed very little so that my nitrates don't rise before I can change water. Do you agree with that?

NO. The fish needs stable water parameters or very gradual changes in parameters. Since you are going away, at 6.6, there is no danger of ammonia poisoning because the ammonia is naturally turned into non toxic ammonium ad nitrification is slowed so a major increase in nitrates should not happen.
Okay. I'm glad I checked with you. And thank you for this detailed explanation. It's really cool how clearly you understand the way the cycle works. It is so interesting! I checked my PH now (curiosity) it seems to be inching its way towards 6.8
So you're saying that the higher and more regulated the PH is, the easier it is to keep nitrates under control, yes?

So eventually, the crushed coral will make the pH at least 7.0 and as long as your tap water is close to that ( I forgot what your reading is and I don't have the tie to reread this hole thread to find it. ;) ) IF you are going to put the fish back into the big tank and that pH is a lot higher than this tank, you should do a slow drip method of acclimation before putting him into the big tank.
From what you wrote in a previous post, do i understand you correctly that the longer the crushed coral is in there, the more "active" it gets? You said something about it being most active when it is breaking down. At which point does that happen, and does this mean that crushed coral never "uses up"? It's always "active" as long as it's in the water? (Because foolishly, in the past, I've removed the "old" coral lol.. are you laughing at my ignorance? :D)

And yes, once I'm at the point of possibly putting him back in the tank i will first discuss every aspect of the process, including this.

He had an itch so he scratched it.
Hahaha!!! Seriously?? Lol can it really be that simple when it comes to fish scratching or you're just being funny??

I've spent literally decades watching a wide variety of animal's behavior. I could tell when my Monkey's were sick from across the yard. I could tell when my dog was going to vomit hours before she did. I could tell when my birds were going to bite me if I went into their aviary and I can tell pretty well what a fish is thinking by their behavior. ;) Maybe you haven't heard but I truly believe I was a fish in a previous life. ;) :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: I just understand them. (y)(y)
I am AMAZED by that!!! Please tell me stories! It was actually fascinating to me that you pinpointed my fish being "scared" or feeling unsafe or unstable. Incredible. You are an outside-of-the-box thinker and I love that. It enables much greater chances of the right care for your pets or fish that way. I'm glad I found you. Although I sometimes feel bad about the long, detailed posts. But do you mind that? Or do you prefer as much information as possible to help you get the fullest picture possible?
 
I would have given you as much information as you need; i wasn't aware there was more i should have given you. Please let me know if any other info is still relevant to provide now.

I just wanna give you a quick update. A couple of hours after I added the medication yesterday, I dared hope I see a difference. It appeared like his demeanor relaxed and he moved around more. I offered a pellet of food and he grabbed it. So i gave him just a few, feeding it one at a time. Less than 4 pieces.

As of tonight, he definitely seems better, although not fully yet. He comes to the glass when I approach, and isn't staying in that one spot by the top of the water near the heater. He may have chosen a different spot. But my point is, he moves around more, and is more actively like himself. It's hard to tell his color because the room is dark.. I really hope it's improving. And I haven't seen him rubbing. (At least not when I check the tank)

Earlier today I was able to stop by and check on him, same as above; he immediately came to the glass to "communicate", etc. I offered food, he grabbed it. But I only gave 4 pellets total (I felt so bad) because I hadn't been able to read your response. Also because if i continue the full treatment I can't do a water change until Tuesday and i don't wanna risk nitrates rising. (Did a 25% water change Friday before administering). He definitely would have kept eating if I continued feeding him. So you're saying that's a great sign, yes?? :)
Eating is always a good sign but you can't make up for the missed feedings, you have to increase feed slowly.
Right now he's in a different spot near the surface of the water but it's nighttime so he's probably in "sleep" mode. (Right?) When I approach the tank he does come to the glass. I'll let u know tomorrow how he is.
That's encouraging.
Yesterday when I put the medication I also put back the blanket. I wonder which factor plays a role in him getting better. But perhaps it's a combination?
I'd be willing to bet cash money that the blanket has more to do with his recovery than the general cure. Just saying, it may have been his " security blanket".
I need to figure out where to get a PVC pipe.
Home Depot, Lowes, Ace Hardware, Rural king, neighborhood hardware stores.
I wish I knew about this idea months ago, actually years ago, because I would have put one in my main tank and that could have possibly helped the territorial problem, right? Im curious to hear your thoughts on that.
I suspect he would have been even more territorial if you had this in the big tank. Remember, that tank is not really big enough for the 4 fish so having a territorial fish with a territory to defend would have been more chaos sooner. IMO
From what I understood in your reply, you're saying to continue the full treatment of meds, yes? In that case I need to redose tomorrow at approx 5:00pm. Does it matter if I do it later, around 8:30pm?
Shouldn't matter
Oh. Wow. My mistake. I feel so bad I didn't feed him the whole week. Weird stuff people (fish people supposedly!) have told me in the past made me believe it's a bad idea.to feed him if there's suspicion that he's sick. Okay, so, based on the above information, it is okay for me to feed him tomorrow, yes? But I will feed very little so that my nitrates don't rise before I can change water. Do you agree with that?
Yes. You don't want to overfeed when medicating because the water can go foul faster and some meds actually will "attack" the feces vs the fish. I'm not sure whether General Cure will do this but some meds suppress the nitrifying microbes which means there will be no making of nitrates and yes ammonia in the tank. When you have low pH and are using the right med for low pH, all is good with the ammonia because it's ammonium. If you have a smaller tank and higher pH ( above 7.0) and a suppressing medication, tis is a problem because the ammonia is toxic and using those chemicals that " detoxify" ammonia can also make the medication ineffective. This is where not feeding makes more sense.
Okay. I'm glad I checked with you. And thank you for this detailed explanation. It's really cool how clearly you understand the way the cycle works. It is so interesting! I checked my PH now (curiosity) it seems to be inching its way towards 6.8
So you're saying that the higher and more regulated the PH is, the easier it is to keep nitrates under control, yes?
You have it backwards. The lower the pH, the less nitrification is going on thus leading to less nitrates. At this point, the lower pH is actually better so that you don't create nitrates faster. But here's the thing, some meds work better in lower pH and some work better in higher pH and some can be combined but only at certain pH levels.
From what you wrote in a previous post, do i understand you correctly that the longer the crushed coral is in there, the more "active" it gets? You said something about it being most active when it is breaking down. At which point does that happen, and does this mean that crushed coral never "uses up"? It's always "active" as long as it's in the water? (Because foolishly, in the past, I've removed the "old" coral lol.. are you laughing at my ignorance? :D)
Think of crushed coral as a chunk of rock salt. If you drop the chunk into the water, does that mean your water is now saltwater? NO. It doesn't become saltwater until the chunk dissolves. That's what crushed coral is doing only when the pH falls below 7.0. Coral is a skeleton made up of calcium carbonate mostly so the only time it is " used up" is when all the calcium carbonate has been released into the water. The lower the pH, the faster is gets released.
And yes, once I'm at the point of possibly putting him back in the tank i will first discuss every aspect of the process, including this.
Oy!!!! :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
Hahaha!!! Seriously?? Lol can it really be that simple when it comes to fish scratching or you're just being funny??
Dead serious. Fish don't have hands so if there is an irritant or " itch", there only choice is to rub the area on something to scratch it off. It's called " flashing". There is good flashing and bad flashing. Good flashing is an occasional scratch. Bad flashing is constantly scratching.
I am AMAZED by that!!! Please tell me stories! It was actually fascinating to me that you pinpointed my fish being "scared" or feeling unsafe or unstable. Incredible. You are an outside-of-the-box thinker and I love that. It enables much greater chances of the right care for your pets or fish that way.
Like I said, I believe I was a fish in an earlier life. :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO: I just understand them so well.
I'm glad I found you.
That's why I'm on this site, to help people. (y)
Although I sometimes feel bad about the long, detailed posts. But do you mind that? Or do you prefer as much information as possible to help you get the fullest picture possible?
More info is better than less info. Notice how your 20 second video wasn't any help but your 2 1/2 minute one was? That's because it showed the fish longer to observe behavior. You can always tell when something is wrong by a fish's behavior if you know what to look for. I've got 60 years of looking at hundreds of varieties of fish. Ya pick up a few things in all that time. ;)
 
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