Taking Gf's Bro's Black Moor To Heal It

[enesta]

So many problems with this fish, I don't know where to start. I don't think he'll make it the night, but if he does I could really use your guys' input on what's wrong/what course of action to take.

First, the cause of the problems -

1) He was in a 10 gallon with 2 guppies

2) Filtration wasn't enough

3) Water changes were rare

4) Didn't condition their water

5) Fed flake food

Now, what I've observed of his condition -

1) Extremely stunted growth, very long fins with small odd shaped body

2) Fins are torn at edges, possibly guppies nipping at him

3) Floating around, can barely swim - floats onto his side at times like he's dead and is out of it, then snaps out of it

4) Reiterate the floating, he's just out of it like he's in a coma or something

What I've done since I took him in tonight -

1) Put him in a 15 gallon rubbermaid with fresh treated water and 10x filtration (added a piece of filter media from a cycled tank)

2) Added .1% salt to begin

He's about the same so far, but one problem is that his fins are so long and flowy and he's so weak that the filter sucked his tail fin in at one point - solution to this?

Pictures to come.

[snorlax33]

Take an old filter media bag and cut a strip off. Wrap it around the filter intake. Ive also used the little green net from a.. net. Good luck

[enesta]

I think I found a solution to him getting caught in the filter, happened again - I put a breeder box around the intake so he can't get sucked in.

[caitie]

Try to wrap some sponge or some pantyhose around the filter intake, it will stop him from getting stuck to the filter.

Hopefully what you are doing for this little fellow will save him. Great of you to take him in.

[enesta]

Forgot to mention, he's really thin - not sure if that's part of the stunting or being poorly fed (flakes, competing with guppies). I could try to feed sinking pellets but the chances of him seeing right now are slim. He's just getting pushed around by the filter, can't really swim much.

If he survives I'd love to heal him and keep him, I could give him a great home - but her brother is 4 and really attached to it. I'll try to teach them AGAIN proper care, if this doesn't wake them up then nothing will.

[Kerstin]

That's so nice of you to take him in. Hope you can save him.

[Cynders]

Hmmmm if it's a 4 year old I would try to get your GF to care for him. He could have internal parasites or something else.

You've got him going on an excellent plan and I'm sure he'll get better in such great care. Keep up what you're doing, it's perfect!

[enesta]

Thanks everyone. Okay, maybe PraziPro then if he makes it the night? I'll see if I can't hand feed a pea or something, doesn't seem interested in eating.

Yeah, her and her mom are the ones who take 'care' of it. They didn't know what they were getting into, like most newbie goldfish owners.

[Cynders]

I wouldn't add prazi yet if he's in this bad of shape. Continue with the light salting and maybe raise it to 0.2 if he's feeling well tomorrow. Maybe try putting his food in a little garlic powder? They love that.

[Julie]

Poor thing, I sure hope the little guy pulls through You're doing a fantastic job!

[enesta]

Thanks guys, he's already looking better this morning (not floating any more, able to swim a little - but still breathing from the surface). Amazing what a little fresh water and salt can do. He didn't like peas, even soaked in garlic. Still trying to figure out how to get him to eat. Maybe feed flakes like he's used to?

[devilduck]

The not eating is a concern, but given what he's been through it wouldn't surprise me if he's off his food for a day or two. Offer occasionally but don't force him. Do you have any Saki-Hikari pellets? Or frozen bloodworms? Fish love them, and as the pellets are sinking food he should be able to get them in his own time without them being swept away by the filter. I slow my filter flow down for sick fish by ramming sponge into the outlet jet so it's a lot milder

[shellbell4ever]

Oh how wonderful of you to try to rescue this poor little guy I do hope he makes it... and it sounds like your heading in the right direction time and good clean water are key right now,please keep us posted on his recovery

[enesta]

The not eating is a concern, but given what he's been through it wouldn't surprise me if he's off his food for a day or two. Offer occasionally but don't force him. Do you have any Saki-Hikari pellets? Or frozen bloodworms? Fish love them, and as the pellets are sinking food he should be able to get them in his own time without them being swept away by the filter. I slow my filter flow down for sick fish by ramming sponge into the outlet jet so it's a lot milder

I just have Omega 1 sinking pellets right now.. but the problem is he stays at the top of the tank and doesn't seem to see any food that goes to the bottom. I left a couple of pellets there for awhile and he never ate them. I tried to hand feed those but my fingers are too big.

Thanks for the encouraging words everyone.

[Helen]

good luck enesta, he's lucky to have you caring for him.. have you tried feeding him in a colander? if the food hits the bottom of the colander, he doesn't have to swim to deep to find it.. and that still gives him plenty of space.. i would consider using it during a half hour feeding time.

[kshepherd87]

Good luck Enesta, I really hope this little guy makes it You did a really great thing rescuing him Keep us posted!

[enesta]

I tried the colander - but no luck, he's constantly floating pointing up and never looks around at the bottom. Once he was in the colander he just gave up and stopped moving all together. I was able to handfeed two omega one pellets, but he spit one out. Here are the best pictures I could get in the rubbermaid,

[kshepherd87]

Poor little guy, he looks like he's had a hard time of it I really hope he starts eating soon. You're doing a great job

[CatfishSoup]

dear lord he looks like he has had it rough sucks how some people cant take care of fish. i hope you can recover him. hes got a long way to go though it seems. surviving in unconditioned water plus all those other things you mentioned.. hes one tough guy. good luck

[Helen]

aaawwww.. he does look all scruffed up.. the poor darling.. i wonder if all the stress like devilduck suggested is the culprit here. just keep an eye on him.. have you tried boiling some spinach to be really soft? my fish go crazy for it.. the fact that he straightened up is good and now we have to slowly try without stressing him anymore to feed him.. when i put jewel in the colander, she stayed very still for a few hours.. then when i saw she was moving, i fed her.. perhaps he wasn't in there long enough?

[number20121]

This fish looks SO SAD. Are you going to keep him or will he go back to your girlfiend's brother? I know he is attached but someone needs to take good care for him. Maybe like Tay said, your GF could take better care of him and help her little brother.

If your fingers are too big, try getting tweezers with smooth edges to hold the food with maybe? My fingers seem to be too big too for hand feeding so I used my pinky finger nail as "serving spoon".

[molbert73]

Awww, poor little guy! He looks like he has had a rough life so far. Hopefully you can nurse him back to health (and keep him )

[enesta]

Trust me, I want to keep him, but the chances of that are minimal - the kid really loves it and it's become somewhat of a family pet. My girlfriend and her mom do 'take care' of it, but they're negligent and stubborn when I tell them how to properly do things (they're convinced the LFS owner knows everything even though they don't even carry goldfish). I'm hoping this is a wakeup call. I know I can get them to use this better filter, water conditioner, and hopefully get rid of the two guppies - but there's no way they'll get a bigger tank and I can't see them keeping up on water changes. But what I'm most worried about is them feeding it properly. I'm going to try to get him used to sinking pellets before I give it back and maybe I can convince them to go bare bottom.

[flutterbudget]

I know I probably sound like a loon, but the little kid may actually be more receptive to the information on proper feeding than his mom is. If you could take the fish back with some good pellets and show him what to do, he might actually be able to follow through. He'd probably need supervision, and it depends on the kid of course, but my 3 year old understands that the pellets have to be soaked and that overfeeding is bad and feeds them himself after I get the food ready. I'm just thinking that if you aim the info at the kid instead of the grown ups someone might listen. I don't know how to get the water changes done unless you go do them yourself, though.

[bodoba]

I used to leave post it notes for care on my tank when I was half living with my parents. They completely ignored them but kids like to read things and the little boy may like the post it notes on care.