Regular Member Jeana727 Posted November 12, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted November 12, 2010 (edited) Yin, my fat Lionhead, has been off a bit lately. He has been bottom sitting & kind of moping around. He seemed to eat a little here & there. He'd occasionally swim around then go back to bottom sitting. I didn't even think about the fact that there are 3 BN Plecos in there!! (DARN! DARN! DARN!) I should have moved Yin or put the Plecos in the other tank!! But I just didn't think about it. They have never bothered any goldie. I got home & one was on Yin!! I shooed him off, then I noticed they had probably been at him thru the day while I was at work. He looks kind of pale....his orange calico colors just not as bright. Also his fins look....thinner. I took out my 10 gallon tank & put about 7-8 gallons of water(from the tank he was in) & salted the tank. I don't seem to have anything else to treat him with. What should I do?????? I could KICK myself!!! I am trying to just leave him alone & hope the salt and being alone will allow him to rest & get better. But I will be surprised if he survives......he looks rough. Any advice is appreciated!!!! Edited November 12, 2010 by Jeana727 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Cynders Posted November 12, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted November 12, 2010 I agree with putting him in the 10 gallon tank and putting the BNs somewhere else. A light 0.1% salt should help him relax. Make sure you have clean water. Do you have any pics of the poor dear? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Jeana727 Posted November 12, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 12, 2010 I'll take some tomorrow. I'm just letting him rest for tonight. Hoping for the best! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Cynders Posted November 12, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted November 12, 2010 (edited) Me too! Fins crossed! Have you put a little towel over this tank to keep him calm? That should help some too If he is looking better in due time, I would still keep him in the quarantine tank. You said he had been a little off, the plecos might have taken advantage of this to pick on him. I would keep him in quarantine until he's back to his old self. Any flashing at all when he was off? Edited November 12, 2010 by Haruka 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Lupin Posted November 12, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted November 12, 2010 (edited) He could have been getting sick to begin with and the plecos just took the opportunity to harass him. Very sick fish are prone to that. How are the other fish? Edited November 12, 2010 by Lupin 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Jeana727 Posted November 12, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 12, 2010 The others are fine. Just this week I noticed Yin kind of hanging out to the back bottom sitting. I have kept the tank clean. I agree the Plecos took advantage of his being weak. I hope he'll get better, but I have my doubts, he looks pitiful. If he's alive in the morning I will certainly pick up some Melafix tomorrow. I REALLY hope he survives. He's one of my favorites & I got him years ago from Goldfish Utopia. My husband has some special oils & I looked one of then is TeaTree oil. So I put in a few drops to hopefully give him something to help heal. I just looked in on him & he was swimming around a little. I covered the tank & am turning all the lights off in the kitchen. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Lupin Posted November 12, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted November 12, 2010 Melafix is still tea tree oil. I'd just put less than the usual dosage though because the concentration could be different. In general for injuries, I just stick to dear ol' salt and forget the rest. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Captain Findus Goldfish Posted November 12, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted November 12, 2010 Oh how horrible! I was always a little afraid of Plecos! I also prefer plain salt. You can even raise it so that it promotes him to make even more slime. Hopefully he will relax and recover. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporter Helen Posted November 12, 2010 Supporter Share Posted November 12, 2010 oh no.. I hope he puts a fight to survive 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Jeana727 Posted November 12, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 12, 2010 He'S STILL ALIVE!!!! A N D he ate a small piece of Mazuri gel food!!! I am getting hopeful!!!! I'll add more salt this morning! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporter Helen Posted November 12, 2010 Supporter Share Posted November 12, 2010 oh jeana! that's wonderful news! go Mr Yin! you can do it!! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member number20121 Posted November 12, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted November 12, 2010 Good to hear that he's still with you. I'm kind of optimistic about his survival. He'll just need a bunch of extra care, keep his water extra clean, add salt, keep his tank dark. Does he have actual injuries from the bn attack? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member shellbell4ever Posted November 12, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted November 12, 2010 aww the poor baby I thought the bn plecos were one of the safe types to have with gf??I hope he continues to fight for you what are you going to do about the pleco's now?to prevent this from happening again?? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Lupin Posted November 12, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted November 12, 2010 aww the poor baby I thought the bn plecos were one of the safe types to have with gf??I hope he continues to fight for you what are you going to do about the pleco's now?to prevent this from happening again?? They're still safe, Shell. Bristlenose in general are safe. It just so happens Jeana's goldfish could have already weaken due to other factors and the plecos took advantage of it. It's a similar case with most other fish. The weakest or sick fish will be harassed to death unless the owner separates them immediately and nurse the fish in question back to health. There's nothing you can do about the plecos. Eventually, they'll leave the goldfish alone when it is 100% healthy again. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Jeana727 Posted November 13, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 13, 2010 He STILL Alive!!! AND HE ATE SOME MAZURI GEL FOOD!!!! Not alot but at least 2-3 bites! I am going to increase the salt a bit more! I put the "guilty" BN Pleco in the Tiger Barb tank. There are 2 other BNs in the big tank. (But OF COURSE there are none in his little hospice apartment tank!! I really don't BLAME them. They just did what comes natural. I will just always be aware if a fish gets run down & starts to bottom sit to take them out!!! I am becoming hopeful that my YIN will recover. At 1st I had very little (maybe none!) that he would pull thru. But I am working hard to do my part & with the excellent advice received here he now has a chance!! THANKS, GUYS!!!! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member number20121 Posted November 13, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted November 13, 2010 Good to hear! Did Yin have actual injuries? If not, then he probably acts off mainly due to stress. Fish seem to be able to take quite a lot of physical injury without too much trouble, like... someone else on here who's telescope just got its eye sucked out by the python. So I am quite sure he'll be alright. Whatever caused him to bottom sit might actually be a bigger problem than the bn attack 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member johann_pond Posted November 13, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted November 13, 2010 He STILL Alive!!! AND HE ATE SOME MAZURI GEL FOOD!!!! Not alot but at least 2-3 bites! I am going to increase the salt a bit more! I put the "guilty" BN Pleco in the Tiger Barb tank. There are 2 other BNs in the big tank. (But OF COURSE there are none in his little hospice apartment tank!! I really don't BLAME them. They just did what comes natural. I will just always be aware if a fish gets run down & starts to bottom sit to take them out!!! I am becoming hopeful that my YIN will recover. At 1st I had very little (maybe none!) that he would pull thru. But I am working hard to do my part & with the excellent advice received here he now has a chance!! THANKS, GUYS!!!! That is great news, sounds like he's on his way to recovery. We will keep our fins crossed. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Jeana727 Posted November 13, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 13, 2010 (edited) I just completed my weekend tank cleaning! I have a separate siphon hose I am using for Yin's "apartment". I cleaned his tank & filter really good as the tank aquired an odor! (Is that due to the slime coat???) I resalted the tank. He acts like he's starving when I add food but seems like he can't find it. I am literally putting it in his mouth. (I think when he 1st started bottom sitting I was thinking he couldn't see very well....don't remember if I mentioned it but think I did.) What could cause blindness?? I looked him over and his body color (mostly orange) is MUCH lighter. Would losing the slime coat be the cause? I also notice what looks like small patches of blood under the scales.....but I'm not positive. He seems to be staying more at the top of the tank today. But I can literally pick him up easily...not normal at all. I am sorry if my info is all over the place but I am trying to give anything & everything I can think of so ya'll can help me help Yin. Which, by the way, if I REALLY appreciate!!!!! Edited November 13, 2010 by Jeana727 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporter Helen Posted November 13, 2010 Supporter Share Posted November 13, 2010 i think that with being ill and being attacked, then being shifted is quite a lot for yin.. give him some time out time to allow him to feel safe again and he should perk up some more. the blood you've noticed may be from the pelco sucking. the slime coat gone increases health issues, but if you're salting the tank, the slime coat should come back pretty quickly. it should also help to clear up the blood spots.. some pics would be good. do you have any idea what may have caused him to feel ill in the fist place? we may need to look at medication of some sort.. have you ruled out constipation or swim bladder issues? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Cynders Posted November 13, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted November 13, 2010 In addition to what Helen said, you usually get a bad odor if you've got a sick fish, so the water changes are a good idea as well as the salt. Exactly as she said, what did you notice in him when he got sick? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member dogsbykat Posted November 13, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted November 13, 2010 Glad to hear you're seeing improvement, great news 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Jeana727 Posted November 13, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 13, 2010 AWHILE back I had begun to think that he seemed to not be able to see (going blind?). I could put in food and he appeared to be finding it more but smell than by sight. Then he began to bottom sit. He just seemed depressed. He would come search for food then go back to his corner and mope. I never even gave a thought about the 3 BN Plecos being in there as they had NEVER bothered a fish. But I haven't had one bottom sitting either. Then one time I looked in on them and the BN Pleco was ON him...I don't know for how long but probably awhile...and Yin was just sitting there! I took that pleco out & put him in the Tiger Barb tank (was scared he had a taste for slime coat!) That's when I sit up the 10 gallon tank & started nursing him. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Cynders Posted November 13, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted November 13, 2010 Hmmmm Yin was just bottom sitting right, for how long? Did he look paler or anything at all? And all the other fish were unaffected right? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Jeana727 Posted November 13, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 13, 2010 All of the other fish (thankfully) seem fine. But I have come to the conclusion that Yin (despite my hopefulness)is NOT going to survive whatever has initially infected him. Before I did the cleaning of the tank I noticed that smell. I cleaned it real good. And now, I am noticing the smell again. My son came to visit & we were talking about Yin & my battle to help him heal. We looked at him & my son looked at me and said "Mom, you need to put this fish out of his misery". I looked closely at Yin & I realize my son is probably right. He seems to have blood under his scales, has lost a lot of weight, his color is awful. I was so hopeful that he would recover but I think I wasn't being realistic. My son looking at him with "fresh" eyes helped me to really see. I will probably put him to sleep soon. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Jeana727 Posted November 13, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 13, 2010 I put him down. He went quietly & quickly. He was all but gone anyway really. He will be missed. I had him for four years. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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