PLS HELP...should I euthanize? bloating anus...UPDATE thread.

[O.C.D Fishies]

Sorry for your loss. As crazy72 said you did what you could, whatever it was looked very painful. Even though you may not think it but you have made the right choice. That being the one you felt would be best. I don't think you gave up, it was a hard choice one that many can not do (including myself)

[bingerz]

thanks crazy...yeah, you're right. *nods*

[bingerz]

thanks OCD! yeah...i keep on thinking to myself...it was best for him, i guess if i had sores like that...it wouldn't be pleasant. and i was also thinking about what's best for the tank and the other tankmates. i wouldn't want my tank to completely meltdown and lose everything. =/

[Fancyfish]

Wow- awesome photos. I am sorry to hear that you had to euthanise but you did the right thing (you might want to get a small bottle of clove oil as it is can be used as an anaesthetic or for euthanasia in higher doses and the kindest way to put down a sick fishie).

Don't feel like you gave up on your fish- it looks like it developed bacterial ulcers which are relatively common and very hard to treat. Tricide-neo dips (Tricide Neo tris-EDTA Solution Against Bacterial Infections) work well for these types of external infections BUT the product is very expensive and may be too harsh for a smaller fish. If you are interested, Clarke Koi Ponds in Ontario is one of the few places in Canada that carries it.

You mentioned other fish in the tank- I hope they are okay!

[bingerz]

Hi...thanks for checkin out my thread and your kind words n advice. I thought it was malawi bloat...i found a few pages on acei and that they were highly susceptible to it. My acei are always crazy eaters...evryone else in the tank are larger fish. I think they jump in there n eat as much as they can...getting thru the big guys and taking the food. Especially since the bigger guys are fraidy cats...they wait till the aceis start eating and then they swim up to the top. So i think the aceis take in alot of the food dropped.evryone else looks fine....ive got my eye on one other acei...who ill find sleeping at the surface at night just like the other guy. Im really trying to keep how much i feed them to a minimum...and even fasting them for a day or two sometimes.

Do u have africans?

[carla]

okay, so i did a lil research and i can across somthing sounding very familiar to what you fish has so here it is:

This disease is very common among African Cichlids, and is commonly called "Malawi Bloat," even though it affects fish from Lakes Tanganyika and Victoria. Dropsy is also very common within the Carp family and among Anabantids. It is characterized by swelling of the body and especially abdomen, which causes the scales to stand out with a pine cone appearance. Eyes may protrude or cave in. Reddening at the vent and/or base of fins may be observable as well as body ulcers and long pale feces. In advanced cases, skin discoloration and scale loss may also occur. Sick fish will not show any desire for food. They will often hang near the bottom, resting on the gravel, or at the top, gasping for air. In the latter stages of this disease, the fish may lose its equilibrium and hence ability to swim properly.



Cause:

Three main causes for Dropsy have been identified. The over use of salt (NaCl), prolonged exposure to poor water conditions, and improper diet, which lead to a parasitic infection. Other causes include poisoning, internal injuries and cancerous tumors. The swelling is not the disease itself, but rather a symptom, which is caused by a build-up of fluids in the body cavity due to internal organ failure.

Treatment:

Treatment of this disease is difficult, as by the time it is recognized, permanent damage to the internal organs of the fish will have occurred. Immediate treatment must be performed if there is to be any chance for survival. Metronidazole (Flagyl) and or Clout are the best medications for treatment of Dropsy. Notwithstanding, not much is known for certain about the etiology of this disease and some experienced aquarists use antibiotics to fight Dropsy. For oxytetracycline, baths of 20-100 mg/litre for five days is suggested. For tetracycline hydrochloride, treat with baths of 40-100 mg/litre for five days. And for minocycline hydrochloride a dilution of 250mg/10 gallons of water is recommended. On day 2 change all the water and add the medicine again at the same dose for another 2 days. Increase aeration during treatment. Do not use minocycline a third time in a row. Caution: tetracyclines are photo sensitive so turn the tank lights off during treatment and cover the whole tank with a blanket. If the fish is still eating, you can soak the food in a concentrated solution of the antibiotic before feeding.

[carla]

I hope this helps!

[carla]

okay so i just realized that no luck with the fishy
and someone had already made the same suggestion...
Its the thought that counts? Either way, you can only
learn from what happens, so i hope it doesn't happen
to any of fishes again

[bingerz]

@carla its been a few weeks already...i had ended up putting her in the freezer...but thanks for the thoughts and advice. i just try to keep a close eye on my fish and i've been trying to feed them less and space their feedings.