Sick bichir - awkward floating

B

BondDouble08

Biology Major
Mar 8, 2010
45
0
0
36
OSU campus
My delehzi bichir's tail end is floating up and he's having trouble swimming. He's still eating, and this came all of a sudden he was fine this morning. I heard it could possible be gas or constipation, any idea's on treatment? He's about 5.5in being fed carnivore sinking pellets, brine shrimp, blood worms, and beef heart.

-55gal
Readings--Ammonia: 0ppm Nitrite: 0ppm Nitrates: Stay between 40-20ppm

Tank Mates:

1 senegal bichir
1 black ghost knife fish
2 angels
3 ghost cats
1 tiger barb
2 mystery snails
 
I have normal aquarium gravel substrate, I've been looking to switch to sand (Been trying on craigslist because I can't afford going to the pets store and buying the argonite (sp??) sand brand new)

But I've had him for about 1-2months. He's growing very well about an 1.5in since I've had him. When I first got him he had fin rot/fungus that almost ate away his entire pectoral fin. But that was treated and grew back wonderfully. About a week ago he tore is fin and it started to rot away with a light red color, and my angels showed slight sign of finrot so I just finished up treatment of melafix hoping that I wouldn't need to jump straight to anti-biotics. Both fish's fin's are growing back and the redness is gone.

As with behavior he's always been pretty docile, but one thing I noticed since I've had him he always seemed to gasp for air. Even after the treatment of tetra-cycline for the severe fin rot he had when I first got him. I've doubled the amount of air into the tank but have seen little difference.

Doing a 50% water change. Right now he's sitting by the intake of my filter. His bottom is down but I can't tell if the suction from the filter intake is holding his bottom down.

Any other information I can give you?... I just got this guy healthy lol I don't want him to get sick again..
 
Update: Ok so this is really confusing me, now the delhezi is back to normal but my senegal is now showing the same signs (hard to swim straight, bottom pointed up in the air) I have no idea how/why... this is really strange.
 
I honestly would be suspicious of bacterial infection, especially because of the other symptoms you mentioned before. Bichirs (at least in my experience) rarely get constipated, but bacterial infections are not super uncommon. It can also be hard to diagnose because they don't show symptoms quickly. Usually you notice when its gone as far as being hemorraghic septicemia and you see tracking red lines.
 
the only time I have seen a poly bloated/constipated was when its swallowed substrate. You can usually see the lumps in the abdomen. Not saying it cannot happen, but i doubt it.
 
I don't see any lumps, so I don't think its constipation. And he had red marks earlier with the fin rot, I wasn't sure if it was bacterial or because he has the tendency to ram into things if he gets startled. But those disappeared after the treatment of melafix (for the start of fin rot) I also bought tetracyline with the melafix incase anything got worse.

Would tetracycline work? there's no red streaks right now, so should I wait a few days and see? Also his symptoms seem to be on and off, and my senegal seemed to have the same floating problem for 10mins last night and then they went away.
 
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