AROWANA HELP EMERGENCY

Firenation1254

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 26, 2019
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So I recently got two baby arowana and they weren’t eating but then they started to eat frozen fried blood worms and were both swimming and acting very normal. However I woke up this morning to find my arowana sitting on the bottom of the tank, I quickly changed half of the water from the tank and I noticed that the arowana would just float almost vertical from the top of the tank and swim only somethings but mostly he just looks dead (he’s not) just floating on the top of the tank and swimming. Please if anyone knows what to do any information will help, thank you.
 

tlindsey

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Aug 6, 2011
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So I recently got two baby arowana and they weren’t eating but then they started to eat frozen fried blood worms and were both swimming and acting very normal. However I woke up this morning to find my arowana sitting on the bottom of the tank, I quickly changed half of the water from the tank and I noticed that the arowana would just float almost vertical from the top of the tank and swim only somethings but mostly he just looks dead (he’s not) just floating on the top of the tank and swimming. Please if anyone knows what to do any information will help, thank you.

Is it both of the Arowana or just one not swimming?
 

Firenation1254

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 26, 2019
19
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Is it both of the Arowana or just one not swimming?
I had to separate both of them because one of them kept getting picked on by the other, the one that kept getting picked on died due to the damage it sustained. Now the other one is the one having issues now. He was perfectly fine yesterday, was swimming well and ate perfectly fine.
 

kno4te

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Would move to a qt tank and lower the water level. So the arowana can stay upright. Keep the water clean. Reduce stress and add some floating plants.
 

Firenation1254

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 26, 2019
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Would move to a qt tank and lower the water level. So the arowana can stay upright. Keep the water clean. Reduce stress and add some floating plants.
I just did all of these things, I also threw some aquarium salt in the water, the arowana was the only fish in the tank. Is there anything else that I can do l, I notice anytime he swims near the filter and some water turbulence hits him he swims pretty normal but then starts floating vertically again. He does this periodically swimming normally then floating vertically.
 

kno4te

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I just did all of these things, I also threw some aquarium salt in the water, the arowana was the only fish in the tank. Is there anything else that I can do l, I notice anytime he swims near the filter and some water turbulence hits him he swims pretty normal but then starts floating vertically again. He does this periodically swimming normally then floating vertically.
Not much else. It’s a waiting game. Think it may have had some trauma and now a swimmbladder issue. Hope it recovers.
 
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islandguy11

Redtail Catfish
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Sep 17, 2017
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I'm really not 100% sure but your Arowana might have swim bladder disease, which is caused by:
1. Constipation causing the impingement of the swim bladder.
2. Infection of the swim bladder organ, or both Infection and Constipation.
3. Blunt force injury.

So could be from overfeeding or maybe even an injury sustained while picking on the other fish. Most common initial treatment is with epsom salt and if that doesn't work, medication to treat internal bacterial infection. There are some swim bladder problem specialized meds out there but I don't know what's available easily to you.

Note however the above is only my opinion from a thousand miles away, I would seek further input from more knowledgeable peeps. Likewise Google 'arowana swim bladder problem' and see if the usual symptoms really match your fishes condition as personally observed.

Just out of curiosity, what's your tank temperature?
 
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Firenation1254

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 26, 2019
19
7
8
26
I'm really not 100% sure but your Arowana might have swim bladder disease, which is caused by:
1. Constipation causing the impingement of the swim bladder.
2. Infection of the swim bladder organ, or both Infection and Constipation.
3. Blunt force injury.

So could be from overfeeding or maybe even an injury sustained while picking on the other fish. Most common initial treatment is with epsom salt and if that doesn't work, medication to treat internal bacterial infection. There are some swim bladder problem specialized meds out there but I don't know what's available easily to you.

Note however the above is only my opinion from a thousand miles away, I would seek further input from more knowledgeable peeps. Likewise Google 'arowana swim bladder problem' and see if the usual symptoms really match your fishes condition as personally observed.

Just out of curiosity, what's your tank temperature?
Tank temp is around 78-79 degrees f
 

islandguy11

Redtail Catfish
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Sep 17, 2017
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Tank temp is around 78-79 degrees f
I asked because too low of temp can contribute to Arowana constipation, but 78-79 should be ok; however this doesn't mean that he doesn't have SBP though, again as kno4te mentions it could have very likely been sustained through trauma (e.g. during attacking other fish).
 
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