RTC in trouble - something's up with one gill

[ctoychik]

DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT try to cut the soft tissues around the gills. They do not grow back. Basslover found some good info on this, and apparently some people have actually made their fish worse by trying that method. IT never grows back and heals worse than it was before. If you look at the underside of the picture the curl is deep into tissues that are not soft. The fan like things in the skin underneat the head is bone that pumps the gill cover to pull and push water in and out of the gills. BTW dead algae is just like dead food and will cause a slip in the nitrate levels. When any lifeform degrades it gives off nitrates. You will have to live with the way this guy looks. He's too large, and I'm affraid it will never go back normal. You have to catch it when it first starts and then do massive daily water changes to keep the water as pristine as possible. It will reverse if you catch it before it goes under like on this one. His is severe, but it does not impare the fish. It does make him more vulnerable to gill infections, and gill parasites. This can be remedied, by keeping your water in check, eliminating suspended debris, and never feeding live food. Always freeze any fish products that you are going to feed him to kill off any parasites that might be present. Hope this helps and good luck with him.

I'd say that i will go with navygirls suggestion and try out a hospital tank with some salt (and meds, if you know any). No surgery for me - i'd rather take my chances as they are now. The fish has been like this for quite some time already without showing any signs of distress.

It will be impossible to keep live food out because of other inhabitants. Besides, I find that when i feed them pellet food, the water really goes bad color. Main stapple now are farm raised frogs (available easily on the market) and occasional frozen shrimp. Fish feeding no so much these days cos all the big tank inhabitants are sooooo lazy now - they don't seem to chase small food no more (unlike when they were in confined glass tank).

 

[necrocanis]

I'd say that i will go with navygirls suggestion and try out a hospital tank with some salt (and meds, if you know any). No surgery for me - i'd rather take my chances as they are now. The fish has been like this for quite some time already without showing any signs of distress.

It will be impossible to keep live food out because of other inhabitants. Besides, I find that when i feed them pellet food, the water really goes bad color. Main stapple now are farm raised frogs (available easily on the market) and occasional frozen shrimp. Fish feeding no so much these days cos all the big tank inhabitants are sooooo lazy now - they don't seem to chase small food no more (unlike when they were in confined glass tank).

Your choice on the live, but doing a hospital tank will probably not do much besides stress your fish. Shrimp is a good staple. I don't feed mine pellets either for the same reason you mentioned. lol

 

[ctoychik]

Your choice on the live, but doing a hospital tank will probably not do much besides stress your fish. Shrimp is a good staple. I don't feed mine pellets either for the same reason you mentioned. lol

Now i am really torn lol (i did also think that moving RTC that size would be stressful for him and me ^^). Let me sleep on it... anyway, it will take some time to find a vessel big enough for it ... and hey, if i decide to go against it, then i still have another potential vessel to house even more beasties ^^

Glad to hear that i am not the only one who is so hot about pellet. Don't get me wrong - love to feed pellets due simplicity (and safety) and cost but it does discolors the water. I also notice that RTC's and gars stool (poo) is different ... it is less cohesive (more sandy). The worse thing is when gar (to my observation) gourges on pellets, it will vomit the pellets if you put something higher on its preference list (to make room for its favorate snack i suppose)