I'm new here, so yea :/
Anyway, I have a problem. It's a lot to read, but I need help. You could just skip to the second paragraph.
My Plecostomus Catfish (Hypostomus Plecostomus) is my baby. Friday at school (in my aquatic science class) he was fine. Lively and swimming around and hiding like usual. (I've had him since January) He's the only fish in my 10 gallon tank. I check the water twice a week and performed a 50% water change a week ago. I have drift wood and a single pouch of peat in my tank (All of which have been in there since January). And as an experiment (which is basically the point of the class) I put a brier (sp?) shrimp from the bayou behind the school into my tank to see if my fish would nibble him (stupid, I know, but I needed to make some sort of experiment for a grade) The shrimp has been sharing the tank for a little more than a month and last week it had egg-like bulbs on it's belly, now their gone.
My problem though is what I found in my tank today (Monday). I turned on the tank light, opened the lid and sprinkled a few flakes (I've been procrastinating about buying algae wafers). When I actually looked in the tank, I didn't immediately see my fish, which is normal. But he right in front of my face. It was the peat pouch that caught my attention, because instead of it being in the corner, it was in the middle of the tank. And sticking out of the pouch was my poor fish. My heart sank and I pulled him out of the mess thinking he was dead, but then he wiggled! His tail and back fin are fading in color to a gray instead of his lively brown. All of his fins are torn up from the initial struggle over the weekend with the mesh pouch of peat. The skin around his nose and mouth are torn up and raw and his eyes are starting to cloud.
My teacher wasn't here today...I had a substitute and no one in the class knew what to do. I used one of the class laptops and tried my best to search for medicines that could save my fish. I was only able to view a few sites because our school is stupid and blocks almost everything! I write the medicine names down text them to my mom (who is at work downtown) and beg her to buy them to save my fish. The only things my teacher had in the class that could help my fish were an Ick preventer and Aquarium salt. We ran out of stress coat a few weeks ago. So I went ahead and put the recommended amount into the tank, except a little less because I wasn't sure if my fish could handle all of it. Before class ended I was observing my fish while I tried putting food in front of him. When he struggled to back away, I left the food and saw white dots floating around him then attach to him. I'm not sure if it's a parasite or if I'm delusional.
Right before school ended, I received the things I asked my mom to buy. I told my teacher the situation and she let me go back to my other class to take care of my fish. I put in the recommended amount of PimaFix, MelaFix and Maracyn. Then I put an algae wafer in front of him, which he didn't want.
The people at Ultimate Fish said to keep treatment going and on Friday do a water change.
Any other advice? This fish is very special to me, I even named him Kurby.
Anyway, I have a problem. It's a lot to read, but I need help. You could just skip to the second paragraph.
My Plecostomus Catfish (Hypostomus Plecostomus) is my baby. Friday at school (in my aquatic science class) he was fine. Lively and swimming around and hiding like usual. (I've had him since January) He's the only fish in my 10 gallon tank. I check the water twice a week and performed a 50% water change a week ago. I have drift wood and a single pouch of peat in my tank (All of which have been in there since January). And as an experiment (which is basically the point of the class) I put a brier (sp?) shrimp from the bayou behind the school into my tank to see if my fish would nibble him (stupid, I know, but I needed to make some sort of experiment for a grade) The shrimp has been sharing the tank for a little more than a month and last week it had egg-like bulbs on it's belly, now their gone.
My problem though is what I found in my tank today (Monday). I turned on the tank light, opened the lid and sprinkled a few flakes (I've been procrastinating about buying algae wafers). When I actually looked in the tank, I didn't immediately see my fish, which is normal. But he right in front of my face. It was the peat pouch that caught my attention, because instead of it being in the corner, it was in the middle of the tank. And sticking out of the pouch was my poor fish. My heart sank and I pulled him out of the mess thinking he was dead, but then he wiggled! His tail and back fin are fading in color to a gray instead of his lively brown. All of his fins are torn up from the initial struggle over the weekend with the mesh pouch of peat. The skin around his nose and mouth are torn up and raw and his eyes are starting to cloud.
My teacher wasn't here today...I had a substitute and no one in the class knew what to do. I used one of the class laptops and tried my best to search for medicines that could save my fish. I was only able to view a few sites because our school is stupid and blocks almost everything! I write the medicine names down text them to my mom (who is at work downtown) and beg her to buy them to save my fish. The only things my teacher had in the class that could help my fish were an Ick preventer and Aquarium salt. We ran out of stress coat a few weeks ago. So I went ahead and put the recommended amount into the tank, except a little less because I wasn't sure if my fish could handle all of it. Before class ended I was observing my fish while I tried putting food in front of him. When he struggled to back away, I left the food and saw white dots floating around him then attach to him. I'm not sure if it's a parasite or if I'm delusional.
Right before school ended, I received the things I asked my mom to buy. I told my teacher the situation and she let me go back to my other class to take care of my fish. I put in the recommended amount of PimaFix, MelaFix and Maracyn. Then I put an algae wafer in front of him, which he didn't want.
The people at Ultimate Fish said to keep treatment going and on Friday do a water change.
Any other advice? This fish is very special to me, I even named him Kurby.
