I just got him. Yesterday. He was the biggest and he looked Healthy. But now he can't seem to stay on the bottom. but he acts like he wants to go to the bottom. He's got lots of caves and places to hide but he just can't get to them. He will not eat. but like I said I got him yesterday so I'm not so worried sometimes it takes a day or 2. Need advise quick. I'll check back all night. My pet shop guaranteed him for 2 weeks so I won't be out of money but I rarely ever have fish die and I would like to try to save him if indeed there is something I can fix.
HELP! sick Knife Fish!
- Thread starter Oscardude
- Start date
Hmm...sounds like a swim bladder disorder.
Did you have them feed him before you purchased him? Sometimes when given a dry food that hasn't absorbed enough water yet to fully expand, fish who are greedy gulper would eat so much of it, that when it reaches their gut, it expands there and puts pressure on the swim bladder, making the fish seem all gassy and unable to "sink". In my goldfish, this usually takes about 24hrs to go away.
Sometimes too, when a fish is placed into a new environment, especially one that has extreamly different osmotic properties, fish may take on a whole lot of extra water through their mucus membranes, making them swell and bloat, and also unable to maintain proper boyancy.
If it hasn't gone away in 24hrs, I would isolate him to a hospital tank and up the temp to about 82oF while using an antibiotic (melafix or maracide) for two weeks and see how he does then.
~~Colesea
Did you have them feed him before you purchased him? Sometimes when given a dry food that hasn't absorbed enough water yet to fully expand, fish who are greedy gulper would eat so much of it, that when it reaches their gut, it expands there and puts pressure on the swim bladder, making the fish seem all gassy and unable to "sink". In my goldfish, this usually takes about 24hrs to go away.
Sometimes too, when a fish is placed into a new environment, especially one that has extreamly different osmotic properties, fish may take on a whole lot of extra water through their mucus membranes, making them swell and bloat, and also unable to maintain proper boyancy.
If it hasn't gone away in 24hrs, I would isolate him to a hospital tank and up the temp to about 82oF while using an antibiotic (melafix or maracide) for two weeks and see how he does then.
~~Colesea
HE IS GONE! I can't find him anywhere. Maybe he found a good hiding spot. I have lots of caves and such with Java Moss covering parts of them. but I'm afraid he got ate. I just don't know. I checked on him at 3 A.M. and he was gone by 8A.m. All of my fish are agressive fish that aren't usually agressive but they have the potential to be. I guess I learned my lesson on that. but I really hate to loose a fish.even if he was inexpensive.
Have you checked the floor? He could've jumped out of the tank. Check under your stand and -everywhere- in that room. If you've got other pets, he could've been dragged off and eaten, or, he's turned into a big dust bunny in a corner he flopped to.
Was there anything in that tank big enough to swallow him? Even if the fish ate him, you should still be able to find a backbone or other evidance stuck to your filter basket or in the filter if they just ripped chunks from him. Usually it is only the gulpers that leave no body evidance.
If I were you, I would tear the whole tank apart looking for him, but that's just me. Anytime I can't see my fish, I'm running hands through gravel and such. In the shop I get fish that dig underneath substrate, and sometimes people remove the id tags because they think the fish is no longer in the tank. I would really get hands-in that tank and part the java moss to at least find a body. But that's just me.
Good luck
~~Colesea
Was there anything in that tank big enough to swallow him? Even if the fish ate him, you should still be able to find a backbone or other evidance stuck to your filter basket or in the filter if they just ripped chunks from him. Usually it is only the gulpers that leave no body evidance.
If I were you, I would tear the whole tank apart looking for him, but that's just me. Anytime I can't see my fish, I'm running hands through gravel and such. In the shop I get fish that dig underneath substrate, and sometimes people remove the id tags because they think the fish is no longer in the tank. I would really get hands-in that tank and part the java moss to at least find a body. But that's just me.
Good luck
~~Colesea
I have a 7" black ghost in one my tanks and that thing can hide like its nobodys business!! They hide as well as clown loachs, so I wouldn't look for him, when he wants to come out (at night) he will, don't expect to see it during the day(if its a black ghost, clowns are out much more, and so are the glass knifes, which look REALLY cool
He was a Clown Knife and I searched everywhere. I thought at first he had jumped out but he didn't. I have an oscar he could have swallowed him maybe but the clown knife was good size. and I always keep lots of feeder fish in the tank if I'm going to put in a new fish. There are lots of places to hide but its been several days and no sign of it.
I went through the whole tank. I moved all the rocks and there is no sign of him ever being there. :-/ Oh well there's not much to do about it now. I'll not replace him until I have enough money to get another tank. whatever ate him must have really liked him because they didn't leave any pieces.
Wow, that is pretty amazing. Well, we can always hope. Sometimes I'll be cleaning and moving around what I think is an empty tank, then low and behold, not more than thirty seconds when I'm done, there is the fish. I swear they must beam in and out or walk some parallel universe or something.
Good luck, I'm sorry for your loss.
~~Colesea
Good luck, I'm sorry for your loss.
~~Colesea