New here, some "?'s"

[lchauvin88]

Hi everyone. I'm Leroy and I own a 55gallon rectangular aquarium with a very sick red belly pacu. The tank used to belong to my dad but he gave it to me becuase he is too busy to deal with it.

To the point. My tank has my baby, the red belly pacu, and a red terra, or so I was told. I had the terra for 4 years until he outgrew my 10 gal and i transferred him to my dads tank. I had to do the same recently with my Pacu because he is now 8'' long and too large for the 10 gallon tank.

The terra picked on him and beat him up for a long time and I finally gave the terra away. I cleaned up the tank, and my pacu wont eat.

He stays in one corner of the tank, occassionly swimming up or down, and has a somewhat thick white stripe, almost like flesh in front of his dosal fin on top of his back. And some small pieces of grass like fungi maybe 5mm in length by 3mm wide on his left lower side of the gill. Also some small 2-3mm whiteish balls on tips of his tail.

He used to be a beautiful silver with bright red belly. Now he is a dull silver with hardly any red left. He refuses to eat, I am feeding the same Hikari large green pellets that he ate when he was in the 10gallon tank. I'd put 4-6 pellets in the 10gal tank and they woulndt last 10 seconds. He was soo lively and now is so, well not.

Some of you may not have a strong bond with your fish, but I do with him. I feel I made a mistake by transferring him to the larger tank because he has lost that spark that I have never seen in any other fish, and I want to help him get it back.

So, if you have any suggestions, please help me. I don't want to lose my fish, and I want him to be healthy and happy like he once was.

Thanks, Leroy.

[Nick_Pavlovski]

Are you able to get to a aquarium shop (a shop that only sells aquariums, fish and reptiles) and ask them for advice? They may be able to sell you useful medications on the spot.

Don't go to a chain shop like Walmart, 99.9% chance they won't know anything about fish diseases.

[YaYgoldFish]

Are you able to get to a aquarium shop (a shop that only sells aquariums, fish and reptiles) and ask them for advice? They may be able to sell you useful medications on the spot.

Don't go to a chain shop like Walmart, 99.9% chance they won't know anything about fish diseases.
I wouldn't do that, theyll sell anything. First off, what are your water parameters?(nitrites,nitrates,ammonia)

Have you cycled your tank after you "washed" it?
What filter(s) are you using?

For the illness i cant really help you, im sure someone will post soon.

[jeffs99dime]

welcome to a.c.

[AquaQueen]

Hi Leroy, Welcome to AC. You came to the right place, we may be able to help your fish depending on how long he has been like this, How long would you say? Does the white area seem to be cotton like or more like a slime? Do you test the water and do water changes? What type of filter are you using on that tank? As asked already did you Cycle the tank? These things are all very important to know for someone to help with your fish and the longer you wait the less chance he has. Good Luck with him. Oh and there is a free Aquarium EBook to the left in the menu read it, there is alot of info that will help you with your fish keeping.

[lchauvin88]

The same day I posted here, I brought him to a store that only sells fish and let the older more knowledgeable fish guy look at him. The white is more cottony. He said the fish didnt appear to have ick, and was probably just in need of recovery.

At the time I cycled the tank, changed and cleaned the carbon and the filter. And put him back in. They suggested lettuce broccoli anything vegetable like. He was still swimming but not eating last night. I came in from work a few minutes ago and my girlfreind said he was dead.

Upon inspection he is in one spot of the tank behind a hiding rock breathing, but slowly and very spaced out breathes. When I approached the tank his left eye turned to look at me. I almost cried. I love this fish so much but it seems time is not on his side.

I appreciate your help and will inform you if his state of being turns for the better which Im sure it wont. I dont think Ill be getting any more fish. After watching him grow from 2'' to 9'' and being happy in the 10 gal to putting him in the 55 and watching him get beaten and not eat and be scared it kills me inside. To think I did that to him. Its my fault.... I dont think I will want any more fish.

He hasnt eaten in I guess 8 -10 weeks, that I know of.

[Lady Hobbs]

I would treat him with a fungus med. When that clears up, give him a parasite med or medicated flake food if he begans eating again.