Hello,
i have been trying to fight this for a while on my own, then went to the LFS that has continuously helped me in the past and heard "can't help him, just get a new fish"
First of all, tank set-up currently around 30 gallons, still filling up after the move (max 50), 3 or 4 gallon canister filter, oxygen pump, 3 blood parrots, a fish that looks like a flower horn but without a horn :S, 3 plecos and 4 little bala sharks.
Now, water parameters (as of today): General hardness through the roof, carbonate hardness 0, PH 6.0, nitrites 0, nitrates around 40 to 80, trying to get them lower. Water temp 28-30 celcius.
So here's what's wrong with the fish now: one side - some scales missing (from being picked on), a little piece of skin missing (still don't know what caused that, but we've lost other fish to somthing similar), sitting on the bottom of the tank, sometimes laying on the side, breathing heavily.
My LFS knew what to do till I told them that even despite the pitiful condition, the fish still eats! He struggles to the top and eats, and then drops to the botom.
I tried the yellow powder medication (forgot what it's called but its for external injuries), tried 'fish bacterial killer', but he seems worse every day.
Now, he's been like this for a month, and getting worse, I isolated him to make sure the bigger parrots don't pick on him (same tank, glass barrier), but he so wanted to get out of there, I let him out a few times. The bigger parrots picked on him some more, after which I isolated him again. How the big parrtos are spawning, and I'm definitely not letting him out again just now.
What is it that can cause a fish to drop to the bottom? He's never been upside down, just laying on the bottom straight up or on the side.
No slime, no clamped fins. Gills seem a bit protruded, but he's pretty much always looked like that.
Any advice will be appreciated.
Thank you for reading this far
Have a good day
i have been trying to fight this for a while on my own, then went to the LFS that has continuously helped me in the past and heard "can't help him, just get a new fish"
First of all, tank set-up currently around 30 gallons, still filling up after the move (max 50), 3 or 4 gallon canister filter, oxygen pump, 3 blood parrots, a fish that looks like a flower horn but without a horn :S, 3 plecos and 4 little bala sharks.
Now, water parameters (as of today): General hardness through the roof, carbonate hardness 0, PH 6.0, nitrites 0, nitrates around 40 to 80, trying to get them lower. Water temp 28-30 celcius.
So here's what's wrong with the fish now: one side - some scales missing (from being picked on), a little piece of skin missing (still don't know what caused that, but we've lost other fish to somthing similar), sitting on the bottom of the tank, sometimes laying on the side, breathing heavily.
My LFS knew what to do till I told them that even despite the pitiful condition, the fish still eats! He struggles to the top and eats, and then drops to the botom.
I tried the yellow powder medication (forgot what it's called but its for external injuries), tried 'fish bacterial killer', but he seems worse every day.
Now, he's been like this for a month, and getting worse, I isolated him to make sure the bigger parrots don't pick on him (same tank, glass barrier), but he so wanted to get out of there, I let him out a few times. The bigger parrots picked on him some more, after which I isolated him again. How the big parrtos are spawning, and I'm definitely not letting him out again just now.
What is it that can cause a fish to drop to the bottom? He's never been upside down, just laying on the bottom straight up or on the side.
No slime, no clamped fins. Gills seem a bit protruded, but he's pretty much always looked like that.
Any advice will be appreciated.
Thank you for reading this far
Have a good day