I have a sick fish

[kll1221]

I am so bummed. Just when I thought I turned a corner something else happens. One of my otos in my 55 gallon is just hanging on by a thread. He almost looks like he died but I think he is breathing a bit. I am going to leave him til morning I guess. I am so confused why he died. Maybe I starved him I am almost sure it was one of the first ones I put in the tank about 1 month ago too. Do I just remove him and hope for the best with the other fish?

 

[NoDeltaH2O]

Otos often starve, especially in new tanks without all the algae that they need to constantly be eating. If you have no other place to move him to, I would just keep him in there but be on the alert. If you don't work tomorrow on Saturday then keep an eye on him throughout the day. I have had fish look near death, laying down on their sides in the grass and the next day they are fine. I think fish sometimes just feel under the weather like we do. If you think his demise may be due to starvation, then why not introducing some food he might readily eat, like blanched greens.

 

[kll1221]

I had been putting zuccini in the tank and algae wafers. Don't think they liked the zuke was never touched. Wafers were always gone but never saw who ate them. I have lots of brown algae, well not so much anymore.

He is upside down on a plant

 

[NoDeltaH2O]

Yikes, upside catfish not supposed to be upside down! Poor little guy may be a goner by morning, or he may think he's a synodontis.

 

[kll1221]

Ok maybe he isn't sick. Maybe he was just sleeping in a weird position. He is not in the spot he was last night. I can only count 4 otos but he could be hiding or one of the ones I counted *shrug* Do they "sleep"? I mean his gills were barely moving. Or he got eaten, the only fish I had that would have eaten him would be the cories? Their food I usually feed them at night is still there on the floor *shrug*

 

[kll1221]

Ok Now he is upside down on the gravel bed he looks still alive what should I do? I check my water parameters and
0 ammonina
0 nitrites

I think he was eating on the glass and then on the ground upside down

 

[straitjacket]

What are your nitrAtes? Poor little guy. Still hanging on? Never seen them sleep in funny positions though the ones I kept never lasted very long. Strangely enough they stayed very active up until the very end.

 

[kll1221]

Nitrates were just above 0 not quite 5.

He is a goner *cry* I had to do a water change just to be able to reach him. I wonder if I should take him back to the store to get another one. I have a receipt dated within 2 weeks.

 

[evilannabelle]

My otos LOVED boiled cucumber :-D Rubberband it to a rock, let it hit the bottom....or as of lately I have been using a shish-ka-bob skewer, shutting it in the lid (then I don't have to fish it out when they are done) with a cucumber or zucchini skewered on it. Otos also enjoyed the peas.
Just a couple ideas is you're worried about him eating.

 

[Stevie]

I have never kept them myself,but I hear the cop it quite easly. So unless you think you can do something diffrent this time I would not bother getting any more.