FishProfiles.com Message Forums

hi heres the parameters
ph 7 gh 5 kh 2
ammonia 0 nitrates 5 nitrite 0
temp 25.6

i introduced plants and starting dosing flourish excel and then one of the angels started attacking the other (who has always been a bit weaker) who consequently started swimming in a 45 degree up right angle. i suspected there might be a disease involved and dosed a multi cure (malachite green based with acrivlin and i forget what the other component is) but to no improvement. i dosed daily with mela fix as he was clearly stressed and his fins were starting to frey slightly. then i dosed with octovin (anti internal parasit medicine) and the bullying stopped. i hoped he was on the mend.
today he is stranded on the bottom of the tank in an upright position, tho is still alert and his pectol fins are moving, tho i suspect the problem is in this region which is why his swimming was effected. he was still eating all the way upto today, tho i dont know how to feed him now he cant seem to move.
i think hes a gonner but want to try every thing possible to save him. i dont currently have a suitable quarantine tank other than a small 12L tank i could use, but this seems so small for an angel.

any advise?



edit: i have just also moved him into a fine net divider to make sure the other fish cant disturb him in the above the bubble wall so he can still breath easily. I have noticed a small sore right at the base of his pectoral fin- could be caused by the other angels aggression.

any body know a medicine i could apply directly to the wound to help it heal? or some could anti bacterial medicine that might help. or any advise what so ever!?

well theres been an interesting turn of events for anyone interested. yesterday i dangled food on a string so i could get it close to his mouth and i noticed a tiny threads protruding from his flank and under closer inspection another- both black- one about 1.5cm long and curled up and the other less than 0.5cms. i couldnt work out what they were but assumed them to be some kind of worm or leech so i gave him a salt bath and they fell off, on closer inspection i could see some tiny white attachments where the thread had been- so i dont know if this is the heads.

i gave him 10mins in the salt bath and returned him to the tank still in his net divider then treated the whole tank with praziquantel (for fluke and tapeworm). today he still cant swim but is a lot more active in his trying. i dangled in some food and he readily munched it.

i am worried that his divider may be damaging his pectoral fins, tho the salt bath has cleaned up the red sore.

not getting my hopes up too much, tho definitely feels good to see him looking livelier.

do you think i should repeat the salt bath (if anybody is actually reading this)- i kind of want to leave him in peace if possible and see if he can eventually up himself.

(edit i also just noticed when i cleaned out the food detrius that his poop was white and stringy).

I would leave the salt bath until he's swimming a bit better to be honest. Sounds like you've done as much as you can for now - hope it improves.