AboutAmber Worman Expertise I specialize in Gouramis, Black Moors, Fantail goldfish, and Bettas. I can answer questions about fish behavior, tank mates, diseases, and living conditions. I do not have much experience with breeding these types of fish, however.
Experience Fish are my passion - I have raised these types of fish for as long as I can remember. I am a college student at Purdue University where I have a major in Biology and a position as a lab technician in a fish laboratory.
Expert: Amber Worman Date: 3/19/2008 Subject: Sick Black moor
Question My Black moor has been sick. He had swim bladder about 3 weeks ago but
recovered after being fed edamame and being kept in a separate tank so the
filter didn't push him around.
Now for the past week he has been developing new symptoms. He has what
looks like blood pooling in the bottom of his eyes and inside his mouth looks
red where it used to look white while his eyes seem to have gotten slightly
puffier. He also has a white fuzz growing in a few spots where he had
scraped against a rock when he was sick with SB. To top it all off he is
loosing his color (turning an orangey-red) and his fins are shredding.
I think he has fin rot, but that doesn't explain the color change or the eye
problem.
He is now in a separate tank. He is still eating, but yesterday he looked dead
(floating upside down in the tank not moving/breathing, but then a few
minutes later was swimming/breathing fine)
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!! I don't want to loose Gill!!!
Answer Hello Elizabeth -
It sounds like Gill has a case of body fungus (white fuzzy stuff - easy to treat) and a case of Septicemia (red streaking, "bloody" marks - harder to treat.)
Here are the steps to follow to help Gill recover:
1.) Add a dose of QuickCure to the tank. This medicine can be found at WalMart and most pet stores. Dose daily; this should cure the fungus very quickly.
2.) Get some Maracyn II from PetsMart or another pet store. This is a strong antibiotic that is one of the best medications for Septicemia. Without treatment, Septicemia can be fatal.
3.) Change 50% of the water in the quarantine tank every day.
4.) Test the water to be sure ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite levels are low or at zero.
5.) If the fish is eating, you can try to feed medicated fish food. This can be very expensive, however, and may not treat the disease as effectively.
Aquarium salt can also be added in small quantities. Once the fungus is gone and the redness in Gill's throat has gone back to normal, you can return him to the tank.
