Hello

I wonder if you folks could shed some light on what's wrong with my red cap, and what I should be doing to get him beter asap.

I first noticed his eye was swollen about a week agao, and the following evening it had got noticeably worse, and his gill was swollen too. I scooped him out and put him in an isolation tank (prepared the night before just in case) and dosed with meth blue, salt and no food til the next day (by which time i had bought proper treatment)


His original tank is shared with 8 small fancies. Not sure of sizes but adequate for its inmates. It's been running a few weeks, has regular changes of 20 %, undergravel filter, fluval and air stones. All tank levels are bang on- water is slightly alkaline due to limestone in there, but within safe range afaik, have got one showing discoloured fins if that makes a difference but its clearing up. Most fish arrived at the same time, since set up have had 1 die of SBD, and several deceased plecos (not common ones) due to incompentent LFS employee-grr

he's in a bog standard round tank (quite small) atm- water is changed regularly, no gravel, out of the sun


The eye's gone down a wee bit now, but his gills are still very swollen on one side. he's got no signs of constipation, and is happily eating soaked flakes and courgette bits. The treatments he's on is aquapet internal bacteria stuff and he's had 2 doses so far (got to wait a week now)

What more can I do?? He's actually my housemates fish, but we're all concerned about him.

If you could please answer theses ?

Ammonia Level

Tank size(How many Gals) and How long has it been running?

Nitrite Level?

How often do you change the water and how much?

Nitrate Level?

Filtration?

Ph Level

Water additives/conditioners?

What do you feed your fish?

Medications add to the tank?

How many fish in the tank and there size?

Any new fish added to the tank?

Any unusual findings on the fish? Such as "grains of salt", bloody streaks, frayed fins, fungus Any unusual behavior? Like staying at the bottom, not eating, ect.

Hi koko, thanx for replying. thought I'd covered most of that *doh*

All levels in the tank are completely normal, no ammonia, no nitrites, slightly alkaline but within recc levels (7.2) haven't tested nitrates but al dead plants are removed asap (the horrors keep biting them off at the bottom).

Am informed the tank is around 30 litres (will measure more accurately tonight, as I think its bigger myself) has been running about a month.

The water is changed in about 20% increases, about every three weeks, and every week now that one fish is showing discolouration of fins.

There are 2 gf, 6 fancies in the tank, between 2 and 1/2 inch long, all but 2 arrived with the redcap, (1 gf is from a prev tank, and 1 pearlscale is new- after popeye developed) 2 plecks have been moved in today. (not common ones)

The tank actually belongs to my housemate, so my fish are tenants only, I have no control over what else moves in

Filtration is via under gravel system + black tank mounted sponge air powered filter. Also have spray pipe and air stone for aeration

Tank has been conditioned with aqua pet maturer, aqua pet chlorine/chloramine remover and aquarium salt with each water change.

The red cap is currently in isolation in a small ropund tank (your typical kids starter tank) which has no filtration or aeration, but regular water changes, and has been treated with aqua pet anti internal bacteria treatment, plus usual treatment of water and salt.

None of the fish show any unusual signs- apart from one with discoloured fins which is clearing up nicely. The redcap appears happy and otherwise healthy, if a little stressed by his new home

His eye is now completey back to normal, and sight appears ok, but his gills on that side are still swollen out- no abnormal redness, discharge, growths or unwanted passengers.

I was planning to return him tonight, but as I'm still not quite sure what was up, or why his gills are still swollen, i could do with some expert opinions- thanks.

Just measured the tank, it's about twenty gallons (the housemate's guesstimate was waay out!)

If you can try to look at the gills and tell me the color of the gills.

Gills that are brown, white on the edge or mushy looking arent good.

You also dont want gils that are bright red either....

Your looking for a cherry red color.....

gills are normal colour, just slightly lifted away from the body on one side, I had assumed it was related to the pop eye, and it has been going down slowly

Went and checked on him whilst doing dinner, and he looked much better, so i decided to put him back, as the iso tank was stressing him out (it's in the kitchen) and the ammonia level had gone up.

I'll check on him tomoro, but I think (and hope) that he's got over this one.

Apologies for bumping this up, but he seesm to be suffering a relapse!

I've just given them their evening feed, and run an eye over them before I retire. Most of them scarfed it down as fast as they could gulp it, greedy little things, but the red cap isn't as happy.

it took a few minutes before he came out of the cave where he tends to hide (sure that's not a good sign either) and then began eating, but as fast as he took food in, it was popping straight out through the gill!!

Is this normal?? His gills don't look any different to the other fish, just swollen on one side, no obvious nasties or infection. When he first developed popeye I thought he might have something wedged in the gill like a stone, but the gravel in the tank is quite big for an inch long fish to inhale, and I cant see any obvious obstruction. Any clues on what's wrong with him, and what i can do??

FYI the food is nutrfin flakes, and catfish pellets (he tends to ignore those) fed twice daily, with occassional blood worm, courgette and brine shrimp.