Flowerhorn bloating

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Morning everyone. ..and thanks again for your help...waking up this morning and Reimahg. ..appears to be "rolling" over to his side...not repeatedly just a slow 8 hour roll..is this possitive?

as soon as my LFS opens I'm going to get a tank divider and place it against one side of the tank...enough space for him just not enough for him to belly up...I figure if I keep him upright while minimally increasing stress temporarily. ..it might pay off...it's this not suggested?

Also I'm in need of directions regarding epsom salt use...epsom salt and metro+ are both present in the tank. ..do I need to do a fifty percent water change to add more epsom salt? (Like aquarium salt) and I will just follow directions on metro bottle for med
 
See post #4 in this discussion .............. My fish are upside-down/ can't swim

While this may be a swim bladder issue, it could potentially be due to a swollen organ, such as a kidney.
This is why I said hope for the best, but plan for the worst. Forcing your fish to stay upright is fine. As far as epsom salt, yes replace epsom based on the amount of water you are changing.
 
Only change water directly before adding new round of meds.
 
Metro+ says dose for 5 days...so I assume I just take 25 gallons out and put 25 gallons back...and add epsom and metro...

My issue is that I'm just not confident in this. ..my gut is telling me he has hex...I would like to force feed him meds through a syringe. ..but am scared...and don't know how...is am thinking about asking my vet
 
It isn't hex, but do as you please, it's your fish.

What you may want to consider if nothing changes in 5 days, is to consider antibiotics, as there's a good chance that this is bacterial.

Good luck.
 
Rd...was not meaning to sound arrogant. ..or by any means try to sound more educated than the ones helping me...I myself am in no position to offer advice to other people and am gracious for your generosity. ..I believe my issue and discomfort derived by this conclusion (swim bladder disease) provides me no real personal comfort...my understanding is that I am using metro to combat a large array of parasitic infections...and that epsom salt will provide digestive relief. .This is correct?...

Rd it's not recommended for me to pull him out of 55 gallon and place him in a 20 gallon with a stronger mixture of epsom salt for an hour or so?...I thought I read that in the article you posted yesterday
 
No worries Tyson, it's all good. I understand that you are just wanting to do what's best for your fishes recovery - but please keep in mind that a couple of posts that I made were not my thoughts, or my personal ideas or viewpoints, but those of world renowned DVM's, vets who specialize in fish, and who have had very long successful careers in this field.

Your fish is not exhibiting any signs of hex/spiro, none.

One last time, from a DVM that has seen this condition in fish just like yours, probably hundreds of times.


My fish are upside-down/ can't swim

This is a common problem whereby fish lose their equilibrium and are unable to maintain their position. This can result in the fish swimming awkwardly, laying upside-down either on the bottom or top of the water, or unable to maintain a horizontal position in the water. This is often attributed to swim-bladder problems and indeed this is the most common cause of loss of equilibrium. The swim-bladder is an air-filled sac laying just under the backbone at the top of the abdominal cavity. By inflating / deflating the swim-bladder, the fish can adjust its position in the water and maintain neutral buoyancy.

The swim-bladder can be affected by bacterial or viral diseases. In addition the swim-bladder may malfunction, leading to over or under inflation. Clearly anything which affects the proper functioning of the swim-bladder will also affect the fish's equilibrium.

However, before diagnosing all equilibrium problems as swim-bladder disease, we should be aware that there are other conditions which can cause buoyancy problems. Disease in other organs such as kidneys and intestines for example can also cause problems. This can happen if there is any swelling of the affected organs leading to either a change in organ density or pressure being put on the swim-bladder. This is often a problem with fancy goldfish whose abdominal cavity is tightly packed.

Treatment is difficult, mainly because it is virtually impossible to diagnose the cause and secondly there are only a few conditions that will respond to treatment. It is always worth considering a course of antibiotic injections in case a bacterial infection is involved. An attempt should be made to see whether the fish is defecating, in case the problem is being caused by an intestinal blockage. If this is suspected it is worth either trying to feed the fish a few frozen peas, which act as a laxative, or else try baths in Epsom salts (70g / litre for 5 minutes) which has the same effect.

If these treatments do not work, there is little else that can be done. There is some work being carried out on exploratory surgery, but there are very few veterinarians undertaking this "cutting edge" procedure.

There are a few reports of fish recovering from balance problems, so it is worth giving the fish some time. One report suggested "wedging" the fish upright between two objects was helpful. If there is no sign of recovery after 7-10 days, the kindest thing is to euthanase the fish.
Click to expand...


Good luck.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom