# sick fish turning black



## tangerineCow (Jul 29, 2010)

I rescued a small oranda from a pet store with the knowledge that she probably wont make it, but the hope that she will. She's got swimbladder and always floats with her right side down. She is orange with patches of black, the majority of which is on the side she's pointing downward on, but now it appears to be spreading to her top side! Her scales look slightly pine-coned to me (and dropsy would fit with swimbladder), but I honestly can't tell because of her coloration. She also had a touch of fin-rot on her dorsal which is clearing up. 

I have her in a 10 gallon, which unfortunately is uncycled, but I'm paying close attention to my readings.

I'm treating her for everything because I don't know what else to do, so she's currently getting Melafix, Maracyn 1+2, and a low dose of epsom salt which is added with water conditioner when water is replaced. It's been 3-4 days and she hasn't really gotten any better or worse. She has trouble swimming to the bottom for food (although she can sometimes), so I've been holding her in place and hand feeding her small amounts of sinking pellets and peas. She's definitely got an appetite, as she even tries to eat my fingers. She had a very odd bowel movement the other day. It was very long, but no thicker than a hair.

I just don't know!! Any ideas what the blackening is? Could it be an intestinal blockage and how would you treat that?


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