So, as per this thread I acquired 2 Silver Dollars from my moms friend. They are/were both very thin and less than healthy (gasping for breath and all that fun stuff :headshake2. They both ate well when I fed them and seemed to be doing well in the tank I put them in (no QT because they've been in the friends tank for literally years without death or illness). Well, besides being very thin and the whole gasping for breath thing they both seemed fine, and I hoped to fatten them up a bit and that the gasping was only due to the move from friends tank to large Tupperware to bag to my tank (which had a somewhat warmer temp then the bag and tuppa water) but today one of them (but not both?) is stuck on the top of the tank on its side unable to swim properly. It still has loads of swimming power, but it cannot stay down and cannot right itself.
I'm a little t'd off about the whole situation (It was take them or they were going to be dumped into a nearby river -_-) but I was rather expecting them both to keel over so I'm in no way surprised about this. What I am interested in is as follows:
From what I know, swim bladder issues are usually fish-specific, so I don't need to be worried about the rest of my tank ending up this way. That said, I am keeping an eye on the tank for when it dies, since I'm rather certain it will and since I don't have any way to euthanize it besides like crushing it with a brick (not going to happen).
I hate people who don't care for their fish properly, but in this case it seems to have been a case of being ignorant of proper care rather than of being inconsiderate of the fish (they are really nice people, even foster a pitbull right now that was abused poor girl) so I can't really be angry at them. Only wish they'd rehomed the fish sooner
Well, thanks for any feedback. I suppose I'll keep this updated in relation to the silvers.
I'm a little t'd off about the whole situation (It was take them or they were going to be dumped into a nearby river -_-) but I was rather expecting them both to keel over so I'm in no way surprised about this. What I am interested in is as follows:
- What is the cause of this fish having, what swim badder issues? Is it just the different water, or the move stressing the poor creature out?
- Why is only one of them effected? The other is fine, even eating readily and with muy gusto.
- Why are the black skirts and small common pleco completely unaffected as well? Are they just hardier?
- Is there any chance at all that it will recover? FWIK it won't, but I don't know everything.
- Will I need to acquire more silvers to keep the last one company or will it be able to survive on its own? The two fish have been alone together for several years now.
From what I know, swim bladder issues are usually fish-specific, so I don't need to be worried about the rest of my tank ending up this way. That said, I am keeping an eye on the tank for when it dies, since I'm rather certain it will and since I don't have any way to euthanize it besides like crushing it with a brick (not going to happen).
I hate people who don't care for their fish properly, but in this case it seems to have been a case of being ignorant of proper care rather than of being inconsiderate of the fish (they are really nice people, even foster a pitbull right now that was abused poor girl) so I can't really be angry at them. Only wish they'd rehomed the fish sooner
Well, thanks for any feedback. I suppose I'll keep this updated in relation to the silvers.