Sick Bichir!! Please help me!!!!

[KotaOda]

I have had my bichir fish for about a year now and I bought her almost full grown (and she is full grown now) from a dependable specialty pet store in my area.
Last night I thought she had ich so I began treating her with aquarium salt and a heater. The water was warm when I checked on her after school and that's when I saw she was breathing very heavily and sat at the top then swam to the bottom like she was uncomfortable. Her gill slits were very red.
This morning I thought I would find her dead but instead she is floating on the top. Her gills are still a little red and I noticed red spots or stripes right behind her gill slits.
She is having a problem with staying upright and she can't seem to go to the bottom (the 2 times she did her back end floated up a little).
I changed about 25% of her water about 3 days ago and I used water conditioner (the recommended amount).
What is this??? Please help me!!! I don't want to loose my baby :'(

 

[kno4te]

Maybe the heat drove out the 02 out. Maybe inhaling air and is floating At any rate, add some salt and lower the heat. Add a pump with a bubbler. Post some pics. Get some water parameters asap on ur tank.

 

[KotaOda]

That is a good idea. I can't seem to upload pictures right now and as is they are fuzzy because of how dark it is (I don't want to stress her out with the flash ).

 

[KotaOda]

***update***
Had petsmart check water and nothing huge is off...put a bubbler in and she's chilling under the filter stream. Just watching...

 

[ExoticGREEN]

you should prob buy a test kit. those fools only use test strips... unless im wrong. If the gills are red and heavy breathing. is sign of bad water parameters. bichirs are super hardy unless conditions are very bad. then yeah

 

[kno4te]

You should do like exoticgreen suggested and buy a kit and monitor ur water parameters including temp. Keep an eye on ur bichir.

 

[KotaOda]

I was going to do that but I got home tonight and she was dead...I don't think it was the water truely. I had the little gold fish (feeders) in there they are perfectly healthy. I think it could have been a combination of a few things. For about 3 weeks she wouldn't go into her cave and was very immobile. I'm wondering if age and something else got to her...I'll never truely know but thank you guys for your help.

 

[Charney]

***update***
Had petsmart check water and nothing huge is off...put a bubbler in and she's chilling under the filter stream. Just watching...

what does this mean? Can you give us the values?