Cardinal lost colour

GrubbyGirl

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I'll watch a bit closer tonight. I've just seen the pearl gourami rubbing up against a plant and one of the angels did a little flick. think I am going to treat the tank. Now I have a choice, I can do esha 2000 plus exit and try the blanket approach or I have aquarium doctor anti parasite treatment. What do you think? I'm tempted to go with the Esha as I'm not sure what I am treating
 

Doodles

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Apr 8, 2009
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ok something is def going on but im not convinced it isn't a water issue.

What test kit have you got? and you have checked everything? when was the last water change before things started kicking off?
 

GrubbyGirl

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API liquid test, about 4 months old, but I cracked open the new one I won to check and it's the same. Last water change before problems with torpedo was 2 days ago, but the cardinal has been pale for nearly 2 weeks (I think, over a week anyway). Of course it could be totally unrelated, and maybe it is a water issue. I'm baffled
 

GrubbyGirl

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Amazingly the torpedo is still alive this morning and not completely on the bottom, although he is trying to swim it's all very jerky and not going in any specific direction. I was going to euthanise this morning but I'm going to hold off as he seems a tiny bit more lively. I have the tank covered up so it's fairly dark and hopefully not stressed. The cardinal still looks fine just no colour. The quarantine tank is being treated with myxazin and pimafix. All also looks well in the big tank this morning too, although it's still early days.
 

GrubbyGirl

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This isnt the same tank that had the white gunk problem?

the temp, is it stable?
Sorry, I missed this last night. No thank goodness, that was my Zebra tank. That's all fine now so I definitely think it was the remains of the dead oto. The temp of the community tank is 25 and stable
 

GrubbyGirl

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No change in the torpedo. The community tank now looks fine, no more flicking so looks like the meds worked. Not sure what to do about the quarantine tank now. I wish I'd have started esha in there too. I guess I could run carbon for 24 hours and restart with esha.

The torpedo is no better and now the flicking has stoppped in the main tank I do think it was a parasite which wont be treated with myxazin. I must look up to see if waterlife have a parasite treatment that can be used with myxazin.
 

Doodles

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I don't think there is, myxazin has formalin in it if i remember rightly and so does protozin. tbh i would do a water change and add some carbon then do the esha.
 

GrubbyGirl

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Yeah. I did a water change this morning and put carbon in. I'll do another water change in the mroning and then start the esha treatment. I'm amazed he's still hanging in there.
 

GrubbyGirl

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OK, 6 days on here is the update. The quarantine tank has now had 3 days of esha 2000 and exit. The cardinal still has no colour but otherwise appears fine (he's always seemed fine!) so I'm going to pop it back into the main tank tonight.

The torpedo is far more of a puzzle. I had come to the conclusion that as he was lying on his side on the bottom and not able to swim properly, that he had a swim bladder problem. He does look a little bloated on close examination but not much. Also after 4 days in the quarrantine there was no poop. So, the ehsa treatment would solve any bacterial causes but I'm more convinved he's constipated. So last night and this morning I have given him an epsom salt bath. Still no pooping, but he is now upright and not on his side, but still can't swim. So what else can I do to get him to poop? I haven't fed since they have been in quarantine so I could try daphnia this evening. I don't think he'll eat a pea.

Anybody any other ideas?
 

GrubbyGirl

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Ok, I put about a dozen in the tank and figured I would go back in an hour and siphon off the leftovers except.............there wasn't any!! He sucked them up....now lets all pray for poop!!
 

Irene0100

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just read the thread, sounds like you have a good course of action and making progress.
I agree with doodles the cardinal might just be getting old. however I would try watching at night if you can to see if any stressing going on. good luck
 

GrubbyGirl

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The cardinal is back in the main tank and seems to be happy, but comparing him now to the others and he's smaller and quite thin. Didn't see him eating last night so need to keep an eye on that.

The torpedo is looking perkier and trying to swim more, just every time he stops he sinks. STILL no poop, but not bloated. He has a mushed up pea in with him at the moment, but not looking like he plans on eating it. If he hasn't touched it I'll swap for daphnia.

Any other ideas I can try to get him to go?
 

Irene0100

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squashed peas usually help, but cant make him eat it!
try more brine shrimp pellets if he has eaten them he likes them.
I doubt if there is much you can do for the cardinal I expect he is just a weak one.
good luck