I need help for my girl! 27 year old Pacu

[Steven's Pacu]

The fish doesn't strike me as healthy-looking but nor do I see anything acute.

Cloudy eyes, could be bacterial or could be as simple as an abrasion or an unstable pH or inhospitable water (e.g. too high nitrate although 40ppm is not bad in my book).
Hard to make a call on the nostrils, maybe okay or maybe some Hole-In-The-Head erosion going on.
Bumpy head with unusual black marble-like pattern - don't know what to make of it.
Fleshy colored upper lip could be from physical abrasion.
Swollen lower lip - not sure but I'd trust Susan who says this may be an indication of not enough dissolved oxygen.

There may be many other reasons behind each symptom, so this must be analyzed all together. Let's see what others might say.

Finally, I am so not used to study a fish looking from above. I always look at them side on. This impedes my analysis.

Natural for the fish, but hard for the keeper to see easily, absolutely.

 

[celebrist]

If water clarity bothers you consider converting your FX4 to pool balls. Easy to do and the pool balls will catch everything in the water column.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071KBD38Z/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Interesting, I have never seen those before

 

[jjohnwm]

If water clarity bothers you consider converting your FX4 to pool balls. Easy to do and the pool balls will catch everything in the water column.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071KBD38Z/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Are these things used for aquarium filtration as well as swimming pools? Do you have experience with them in this situation? They look like they would do the job (mechanical filtration only) in the artificially-antiseptic water of a swimming pool, but I tend to think they would be uselessly short-lived in a biologically-active aquarium environment...or not? Just thinking out loud here.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Are you thinking bacteria-caused rot? I'd think this would be true for cotton, silk, their blends, etc., that is, natural fabric. These balls are made of, according to the ad: "Spherical fiber filter is made of polyester, polypropylene spherical filter and acrylic fiber. " These should on paper last very long in any body of water and are usually destroyed only by UV. How do they scare us about the PE bags in the landfills - 100-250 years to decompose by microorganisms?

Anyhow, this post and link drew my attention too when it was posted because it was a first, so I read it. Sounds like the media would be worth the try. May be much easier maintenance, regenerate, vs a large piece of unyielding matt for instance.

 

[jjohnwm]

Are you thinking bacteria-caused rot? I'd think this would be true for cotton, silk, their blends, etc., that is, natural fabric. These balls are made of, according to the ad: "Spherical fiber filter is made of polyester, polypropylene spherical filter and acrylic fiber. " These should on paper last very long in any body of water and are usually destroyed only by UV. How do they scare us about the PE bags in the landfills - 100-250 years to decompose by microorganisms?

Anyhow, this post and link drew my attention too when it was posted because it was a first, so I read it. Sounds like the media would be worth the try. May be much easier maintenance, regenerate, vs a large piece of unyielding matt for instance.

I had googled it and the stuff was referred to as cotton! So, yes, simple rot was a concern, along with possible additives/preservatives that may have been incorporated into the manufacture of these things.

But another issue is the cleaning and maintenance of the balls. If they are essentially the same material as typical poly filter floss sold for use in HOB or canister filters...how on earth would they be easy to clean? Filter floss that I use as the top (first) layer in my sumps gets clogged very quickly with organic debris, and cleaning it just doesn't seem to be a reasonable option. A sheet of clogged floss may be taken and rinsed, squeezed, pressure-washed, etc. and a lot of gunk comes out...but a lot doesn't...and if replaced in the filter it clogs up again in hours, not days. Maybe there are better grades of the stuff that are more durable and easier to clean?

When I clean a Poret foam block or sheet, I am always amazed at how long it takes, how many times it needs to be squeezed out before it is reasonably clean. That material is very tough and durable, and after years of use it still bounces back after each squeeze, regaining its shape, ready for the next squeeze. Filter floss compresses at the squeeze...and stays that way, flat and compressed. Now what?

I'm hoping somebody tries this in an aquarium, with bacteria and biofilm and slime and algae and all that other good stuff...as opposed to a swimming pool, which is essentially poisoned with chlorine on an almost daily basis with the intention of preventing any of those interesting biological entities from ever appearing.