tigé21v
Active Member
Picked up a big absolutely beautiful Aussie harlequin right at two weeks ago. Came from a LFS that ran a little copper in their system and kept SG at 1.020.
Awesome fish. Eats like a pig, takes food from your hand. Have him in a 10 gallon tank so i can raise SG to my systems level and keep an eye on him. No issues whatsoever.
Until I came home last night and found him upside down/ on his side, breathing heavily, and liking like he was on his way out. I have no clue what could've caused such a turn between the time I left monday morning and returning monday night.
No clue what could be going on. His tank looks like he swam/thrashed about violently, the stuff in the tank (a couple of larger clam she'll halves, and a 4" pvc coupling) was not where I left it. It appears that he must have swam into it and push the stuff around.
Somehow, he made it through the night, and is still hanging on. Although since last night, he is mostly upside down on the bottom of the tank, his fins flared, and his body bent in half. Every few minutes he tries to swim a little, you just does a small circle in and gives up. Any and all swimming is done upside down.
The observation tank has been set up for numerous months. Bear bottom, bug with a bag of Matrix, and a hang on back filter running.
Flow provided by a 250 gallon per hour hang on back filter, and a maxi jet 1200. Temperature is 74 degrees.
Not running any chemicals whatsoever in the observation tank, and when I got home this afternoon, I went ahead and did to 50% water changes. Does not seem to have had any effect whatsoever.
I am at a total loss for what happened to the fish. Although he is still alive, I'm not holding out much hope for being able to save him since I cannot figure out what the problem is.
I just don't know what could be going on. He was so healthy, and to take a turn like this in such a short time makes no sense.
I was first considering possible ammonia poisoning, but he shows none of the usual symptoms, and there has to be a strong biological bed.
If the fish had something prior to coming into my house thats just now showing, nothing I can do about that, and I'm glad I didn't introduce him into the main system.
But if his decline is because of something I did....
Any insight would be greatly appreciated
Awesome fish. Eats like a pig, takes food from your hand. Have him in a 10 gallon tank so i can raise SG to my systems level and keep an eye on him. No issues whatsoever.
Until I came home last night and found him upside down/ on his side, breathing heavily, and liking like he was on his way out. I have no clue what could've caused such a turn between the time I left monday morning and returning monday night.
No clue what could be going on. His tank looks like he swam/thrashed about violently, the stuff in the tank (a couple of larger clam she'll halves, and a 4" pvc coupling) was not where I left it. It appears that he must have swam into it and push the stuff around.
Somehow, he made it through the night, and is still hanging on. Although since last night, he is mostly upside down on the bottom of the tank, his fins flared, and his body bent in half. Every few minutes he tries to swim a little, you just does a small circle in and gives up. Any and all swimming is done upside down.
The observation tank has been set up for numerous months. Bear bottom, bug with a bag of Matrix, and a hang on back filter running.
Flow provided by a 250 gallon per hour hang on back filter, and a maxi jet 1200. Temperature is 74 degrees.
Not running any chemicals whatsoever in the observation tank, and when I got home this afternoon, I went ahead and did to 50% water changes. Does not seem to have had any effect whatsoever.
I am at a total loss for what happened to the fish. Although he is still alive, I'm not holding out much hope for being able to save him since I cannot figure out what the problem is.
I just don't know what could be going on. He was so healthy, and to take a turn like this in such a short time makes no sense.
I was first considering possible ammonia poisoning, but he shows none of the usual symptoms, and there has to be a strong biological bed.
If the fish had something prior to coming into my house thats just now showing, nothing I can do about that, and I'm glad I didn't introduce him into the main system.
But if his decline is because of something I did....
Any insight would be greatly appreciated
