Arowana Showing Weakness

**rowinms** · 09-22-2011, 09:43 AM

Hi all,

yesterday, we cleaned the aquarium just like the usual. The usual goes, taking off 30% of the water from the tank, scrubbing the walls, putting back a new 30% of water, adding one table spoon of rock salt and life goes on. The only thing I forgot was turning ON the motor for the filter. Air pumps were on. After 12hrs, my dad noticed the motor was off and he immediately turned it on. However, the Arowana is already showing weakness, instead of swimming around its tank, it stays in one place and its mouth keeps on opening and closing like grasping for air. We immediately did another 30% water change and it is still showing the same.

Please see the images below as I noticed some red bulging spots near its fins.

also, please see the video I uploaded .

Is this bad? or is it just because he was left with no motor ON and it scares out of him?

thanks guys.

**Crispy** · 09-22-2011, 12:28 PM

he is not being scared, something is wrong.

I wouldn't have turned the filter on after being off 12hrs without a good cleaning first. turning it back on after sitting that long would probably release all sorts of nasty water into the tank. there could easily have been a huge bacteria die-off in that time. do you have multiple filters on this tank? these fish appreciate very clean water with a high turnover rate.

I would definitely bet it's a water quality issue with your jar and I would start doing 50% water changes every 2-3 days until he gets back to normal. they will turn around quickly when you remedy the problem.

I can't comment on the red bumps because I can't see them in the pic very well. do they seem to be getting worse?

best of luck because he is a beautiful jardini! please keep us updated on his progress.

**Demjor19** · 09-22-2011, 12:52 PM

I agree with the above. Aside from being oxygen deprived, their could have been waste/bacteria released into the tank. I would suggest another water change and see what happens from their.

**Lady Hobbs** · 09-22-2011, 01:02 PM

Doesn't appear to me as you did all that much cleaning. Looking at that green stuff on the bottom appears to me to be cyano algae is beginning to grow? Did you test for nitrates lately? I think I'd do as suggested above but also remove those rocks, clean that aglae from them and vac the substrate as well. Filter also looks very dirty.

Never seen bumps like that so can't even guess.

**Crispy** · 09-22-2011, 01:26 PM

Good call Lady Hobbs. I never noticed the large flat rocks on the bottom. that would make gravel vacuuming a nightmare and waste gets trapped under there very easily. I think an overhaul of the tank/filtration and plenty of clean water would be best for the jar.