# My catfish is sick!!! help!!



## Donny417 (Jan 9, 2009)

Ok, so I went to Pet Warehouse already and the girl there knows crap about fish. She sent me home with a bottle of copper stuff for saltwater aquariums and I don't even have salt water.

My catfish is sick, and I don't know what it is. Here is what I know:

1) I've lost 2 fish in the last 2 weeks. Both African cichlids. 
2) My Pleco, Jack, and Jaguar all show now symptoms.
3) I just did a 75% water change.
4) I do 50% water changes ever other week.
5) I tested; water is hard, nitrites were a bit high.
6) I added aquarium salt per directions

I have attached some pictures. Someone please let me know. Thanks!


His little "feelers" are normally about 4 times as long









Note the two "spots" on his body. WTF is that????









Gills, they seem normal.









Jaguar, no symptoms...yet!









Pleco, no symptoms, but I'm not really sure that these fish die.


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## djrichie (May 15, 2008)

What are you water perams. ph nitrates all thos things

how long has the tank been running


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## Donny417 (Jan 9, 2009)

tank has been running for almost 2 years trouble free. Hold on and I'll post chem values...


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## archer772 (Nov 8, 2008)

We need tank size, age and what are your actuall test readings, if you have nitrites then it sounds like your tank is cycling, did you have a big PH drop


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## archer772 (Nov 8, 2008)

what is your typical WC schedule


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## Donny417 (Jan 9, 2009)

Nitrate: 85 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
General Hardness: 250 ppm
Alkalinity (KH): 100 ppm
PH: 7.0


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## Donny417 (Jan 9, 2009)

55 Gallon tank. total fish = 5 (pleco, catfish, jag, jack, oscar)

I do 50% WC every other week.

Ammonia looks like 0.8-1.2 (my ammonia test is freakin' worthless. Stupid...bottles...)


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## archer772 (Nov 8, 2008)

Could be ammonia burns get some more wc's done soon and with that bio load you need to do 25-30% twice weekly IMO


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## Donny417 (Jan 9, 2009)

I have 2 filters installed, each designed for 50 gallon aquariums, and I have a power-head with filter designed for 70 gallon aquariums. I just purchased this "ammonia removing gravel bag" for one of my filters. It's a big bag of white rock that just sits inside there. Also, I just did a 75% water change. Should I do more right now??


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## Donny417 (Jan 9, 2009)

ammonia can burn fish? Could it cause my catfishes whiskers to rot off like that???


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## archer772 (Nov 8, 2008)

I hate to say this but if you just did a 75% WC then your trates were close to 200 and your ammonia was close to 4.0 and thats what probably did it


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## archer772 (Nov 8, 2008)

If you have added salt then that will slow down the ammo carb because you can regenerate it by soaking it in salt water. I would try to get a 50% change done yet tonight and another one in the morning


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## archer772 (Nov 8, 2008)

Donny417 said:


> ammonia can burn fish? Could it cause my catfishes whiskers to rot off like that???


I am an old timer and thats what we use to call it and I have seen it do things like that to fish same with a PH crash down into the acidic range


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## Donny417 (Jan 9, 2009)

I'm doing another ammonia test right now... I will post results


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## Donny417 (Jan 9, 2009)

Ok, this ammonia test says "For ammonia as nitrogen (NH3-N) divide results by 1.22"

I have no idea what that means. 

The results are: 2.4


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## Donny417 (Jan 9, 2009)

Is my fish gonna die?


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## archer772 (Nov 8, 2008)

What brand is it???


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## archer772 (Nov 8, 2008)

Try to get a water change done ASAP ands do you have an air pump and air stone if so get it in the tank and running.


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## archer772 (Nov 8, 2008)

Try to get those 2 things done do you have any Prime, Stress Coat or Amqual if so dose according to the directions


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## Donny417 (Jan 9, 2009)

Ammo test is made by Hagen. It has 3 bottles (1 of them is a little bottle) a test tube and a mini turkey baster thingy.

I have all my air stones running. I can hook up my power head so it blows mega bubbles in the tank if that will help?


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## archer772 (Nov 8, 2008)

First get a WC done, do you have any of those products I listed or anything for removing clorine/cloramine


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## Donny417 (Jan 9, 2009)

no, I don't have any of that stuff 

I can run to walmart and get StressCoat I think?


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## Donny417 (Jan 9, 2009)

they sold me this stuff called Organi-Cure, Marine Parasite Treatment.


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## archer772 (Nov 8, 2008)

Donny417 said:


> no, I don't have any of that stuff
> 
> I can run to walmart and get StressCoat I think?


If so then I would do that because it will help put the slime coat back on the fish and I think it also nutelizes chlorine and chloramine


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## archer772 (Nov 8, 2008)

Donny417 said:


> they sold me this stuff called Organi-Cure, Marine Parasite Treatment.



I wouldnt use it because meds made for SW dont usually work for FW, try to get your parameters back in line. I might be able to give you some other ideas later


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## Donny417 (Jan 9, 2009)

Ok, I just did another 50% water change. I have to get up early for work but I'll do another 2 water changes tomorrow (50% each). Also, I'll pickup some StressCoat and/or clor remover.

Thank you very much for your help.

Do you think I have too much filtration? I have the following:

1) AquaClear 70 (with sponge & ammonia carb)
2) Whisper 40-70 (with sponge & charcoal filter)
3) AquaClear Powerhead 70 - 400 gph


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## archer772 (Nov 8, 2008)

Not at all but what I do think is you have way too many large aggresive fish in that small of a tank.


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## Donny417 (Jan 9, 2009)

I've been thinking of picking up a 100 gallon. Big tanks are so expensive. When I bought these fish, the sales guy was like "they'll get about 6 inches. 55 gallon will be fine". The more I research, and the closer my Jack and Jaguar get to 10", the more I want to go back to pets mart and knock out all their employees


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## archer772 (Nov 8, 2008)

LOL but not at you, I hate to say this but never and I mean never trust a LFS and deffinatly not the big chains. That pleco can get up to 18-24 inches, the jag about the same maybe a little smaller but very aggresive, the Jack and Oscar about 16 inches. the jag should be in a 150 along with the pleco and the oscar and Jack should have 75 gallons each


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## archer772 (Nov 8, 2008)

Your Jack or JAG may be beating the crap out of your cat, but you still do have other problems, just so you know what ever percetage of water you change is the percentage your ammonia and trates will go down. With you having ammonia readings your tank will cycle again so keep an eye on it and keep up with twice a week WC's. Let us know what your water parameters are tommorrow after another WC


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## Donny417 (Jan 9, 2009)

Ok, I have new test results. I was actually reading my ammonia test incorrectly! This test has a "grid" on the back, and it takes into account the tanks pH to determine toxic ammonia levels. My "true" readings on ammonia is 0.02

My Nitrates are still 100ppm. My Jag is beating the hell out of my catfish. I sent my wife to the store to get a maternity enclosure for him. I also had her pickup some StressCoat and Amqual. I will dose the tank when I get home and continue doing more WC's until I feel comfortable drinking out of the damn tank myself!

Is there anything I'm missing? What if it's an illness? Should I treat the tank for virtually every fish disease/parasite known?


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## archer772 (Nov 8, 2008)

OK now you can start to relax a LITTLE bit because the ammonia is coming down but you should have a zero reading on it. I wouldnt be too concerned about the trates but at the same time you should try to get them to come down. I would only vaccum the gravel every third time you do a WC and you can cut back to every 2-3 days IMO. I dont know if I would trust that test kit see if you can get an AP Ammonia test kit in fact I would get all AP test kits. Well maybe the JAG should go and then decide if you want the Jack or Oscar.


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## Donny417 (Jan 9, 2009)

The Oscar is a tiny guy, I recently got him. He's about 2" right now. He gets picked on by the jag, but the jack leaves him alone. He is good at hiding so I'm not very worried about it as I'm hoping he'll grow fast. 

I think I'm going to have to pickup that 100 or 125 gallon tank, but cause my Jag is just dominating the other fish (besides the Jack, he doesn't mess with him). My Jack is like a teddy bear, but my Jag is just an aggressive lil turd. I might have to get rid of him, but he's so big now I don't think the local pet stores will take him so I might be stuck.


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## Donny417 (Jan 9, 2009)

Ok, so my nitrate is still a little high (75ppm) and I am still getting a reading on Ammonia, although much less than before.

I added two does of Amquel+ and StressCoat. I have my catfish in a maternity net along with my tiny Oscar. The catfish is as long as the net, so I kinda had to stuff him in here. he's very active and it *seems* his sores are starting to look a little better. 

I'm afraid of doing anymore water changes just due to stress on the fish. Is this a legit worry?


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## archer772 (Nov 8, 2008)

I would still be doing about a 30-50% WC every 2 days as long as you see things coming down. I forgot to ask are you feeding live foods??


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## Donny417 (Jan 9, 2009)

I mostly feed sinking shrimp pellets and floating fish sticks. Sometimes, I throw a few rosies or guppies or even a pieces of cucumber in there.

I'm going to do some more water changes today. I just wish there was a way to make my jag not attack the crap out of my injured catfish & oscar.


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## archer772 (Nov 8, 2008)

Sorry to say but thats what JAG's do unless you get them in a monster tank. I would eliminate the live foods until you get your parameters in line, any chance you could get a 29 gallon for your cat and oscar for the time being until you upgrade and or get rid of the JAG.


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## Donny417 (Jan 9, 2009)

Yeah, I'm going to Pet Land today to see what they have. It will probably go like this:

1) walk into the store
2) stand over by aquariums
3) notice ridiculously high pricing
4) sales guy asks what fish are going in it, i say channel catfish & oscar
5) guy sells me 10 gallon tank with 600 gpm powerhead
6) rage


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## archer772 (Nov 8, 2008)

Once again LOL but not at you, a 20 long would even work for qaurentine and or hospital tank


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## Donny417 (Jan 9, 2009)

Update:

After 5 more WC's, 3 treatments with Amquel, and 2 treatments with StressCoat, the ammonia level is zero, and the nitrate level is barely even registering. I went ahead and bought some live plants, a half dozen large ones, and planted the aquarium. I'm hoping the plants will take care of the remaining nitrate problem.

I'm going to do 25% WC's twice a week. My catfish is still jacked, but he's looking a lot better and is moving around his hospital net pretty lively. My jag continues to try to eat through the net to get him. I'm starting to think that the jag's punishment helped progress the situation. I'm hoping once the catfish is well he'll be a little better able to ward off the jag's constant pecking, or at least go hide or something.

I also purchased some more driftwood for hiding spots, and replaced my lighting with grow lamps (2800K). It looks pretty cool; kinda what I'd picture the amazon (save for the clear water and maternity/hospital net!


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## archer772 (Nov 8, 2008)

Sweet nice to here things are getting better.


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