Flowerhorn lying on its side and trying to get up. But its unable to do so.

VAV

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 28, 2017
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All I see is a powerhead with just a long tube to keep the water well circulated. If he had an aqua clear filter it would have been a different story.
The aquarium does have a filter with sponge. The column you are seeing there is attached to a motor pump which pumps and recirculates the water. There is a sponge to absorb the waste collected when the water is recirculated. And there are lights too and a heater. I read it on one of the threads to turn off the lights while the fish recovers.

Meanwhile I have used API Stress Coat + each time i did the water change. When there were not much replies here I had to visit a local petshop and he advised me to use paracidol and metrogyl instead of tetracycline. Anyways fingers crossed and I hope that the fish bounces back to normal.
 

VAV

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 28, 2017
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Update: Showed my fish to the vet doctor. He said its a head injury to the fish as the fish has crashed to one of the pebbles in the night and chances of survival are bleak. He has given few medicines and wishes the fish to respond.

Thank you everyone for sharing your opinions. I will provide an update if it survives.
 

The bass keeper

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 28, 2017
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Take out the pebbles and a 80% water change stop all treatment immediately it will weaken him and kill him the big fish stores are just trying to make money lower the heat 2 degrees and add an air pump and the air stone next to his mouth be careful and may be tb witch can be transmitted to humans with fatal results if it is tb then there is no hope i have been in a situation like this sevaral times and the let stores advice killed my fish where as when i did what i am telling you to do worked better i have more experience then when i asked the pet store and now know better . You made the right decisions by posting this on mfk good luck
 

The bass keeper

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 28, 2017
8
6
3
56
Take out the pebbles and a 80% water change stop all treatment immediately it will weaken him and kill him the big fish stores are just trying to make money lower the heat 2 degrees and add an air pump and the air stone next to his mouth be careful and may be tb witch can be transmitted to humans with fatal results if it is tb then there is no hope i have been in a situation like this sevaral times and the let stores advice killed my fish where as when i did what i am telling you to do worked better i have more experience then when i asked the pet store and now know better . You made the right decisions by posting this on mfk good luck
 
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kelman

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Jul 14, 2009
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New York, NY
I suggest you to fully learn how to cycle an aquarium before keeping any fish. Any investment you make on upgrading a tank size or a filter. It won't change the end result of the fish outcome if it's improperly cycled.

Good luck and be patient
 
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VAV

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 28, 2017
12
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I suggest you to fully learn how to cycle an aquarium before keeping any fish. Any investment you make on upgrading a tank size or a filter. It won't change the end result of the fish outcome if it's improperly cycled.

Good luck and be patient
Good news is that the activity of the fish and its breathing has improved. But bad news is that the fish tries very hard to regain balance and come up but ultimately loses control and falls on the side. Its now taking the help of the filter stick to balance itself and either rests on its tummy or it rests on its head inverted. Will the fish ever recover from a nerve injury picked up by crashing to a stone?
 

kelman

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Jul 14, 2009
248
50
61
New York, NY
Good news is that the activity of the fish and its breathing has improved. But bad news is that the fish tries very hard to regain balance and come up but ultimately loses control and falls on the side. Its now taking the help of the filter stick to balance itself and either rests on its tummy or it rests on its head inverted. Will the fish ever recover from a nerve injury picked up by crashing to a stone?
Flowerhorn will never crash to a stone by itself. It has to do with water quality.
 

biguebs

Dovii
MFK Member
Mar 5, 2011
568
376
102
Fort Wayne, IN
Have the pebbles been removed? Everyone can harp on whether his tank is cycled or filtered but it seems to me that these pebbles at least need to disappear if he went into this state once they appeared. Injury or water quality related aside... have to at least yank those out of there
 

VAV

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 28, 2017
12
0
1
33
Have the pebbles been removed? Everyone can harp on whether his tank is cycled or filtered but it seems to me that these pebbles at least need to disappear if he went into this state once they appeared. Injury or water quality related aside... have to at least yank those out of there
Yes, I shifted the fish from the tank to a bucket according to the suggestions given by the veternary doc and added a filter to the bucket. I also sunk one flake food today to check whether the fish eats. And it gobbled up quickly. However, it still doesn't maintain balance. It takes the support of the filter to lie upright on its belly. Everytime it moves away from the filter it comes back near the filter and goes behind it.

Unlike yesterday its not lying inverted with its head down. Also, the lower lips are turning a little pinkish. Should I be concerned about this or is it just because of medication? Also, given the recovery do you believe that the fish can start to swim again like before?

By the way the medicines prescribed by the vet were 5ml of cephelexin and 5ml of a vitamin syrup (morning and night).
 
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