Help my fish is dying!?

Question

Anyone have any suggestions what I can do? My Black Ghost Knife fish is dying. Before I left for work this morning he was stuck to the water filter so I thought he was dead, now I am back home and was going to pick him out and he is laying on his side at the other end of the tank. He is alive but just laying there...what can I do to help him survive???

Answer 1

DO NOT medicate this fish! They are scaleless and very sensitive to medications!

Is this a new fish? I think you may just have a misunderstanding of his behavior.

Knifes are shy animals and are nocturnal. He's probably trying to look as inconspicuous as possible in a new tank. They have poor eyesight and don't like bright overhead aquarium lighting, also prefer tanks with lots of plants and wood to serve as hiding places. Your filter uptake may be the only hiding place available to him right now. During the day, in a new environment, don't expect much movement from them.

These fish can also outgrow many home tanks - they can grow to be 20". For food, they prefer small worms (frozen bloodworms, blackworms, brine shrimp are good foods) which they may eventually eat from your hand when they become comfortable in your tank.

For more info on this species:
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile66.html
http://boeing_dude.tripod.com/id127.htm
http://www.geocities.com/angiefishdudette/bknife.html

Answer 2

Check your water, Ph, Nitrates, Ammonia. If those are okay the other thing I've seen is ghost knifes getting stuck in filters on accident. They like to hide in small places, and I've seen them try to go up into a filter and hide and then get stuck. Does your ghost knife have a hiding place? Is it possible he could have gotten hurt in the filter? If this is the case, take him out of the tank and put him in a hospital tank where he can recover without the other fish bothering him. You can also get some melafix, which is good for fish who are visibly hurt.

Answer 3

I am not exactly sure what factors caused him to be sick but he is probably going to die and there is nothing you can do to change that if he is already sick. The knife is considered a
scaleless fish and will not weather fungus/bacteria/diseases well, and most treatments will not work on this fish. They do however like to lay on their sides and swim upside down. They prefer live foods so try giving him a small feeder fish and see if he eats it or put a few blood worms near him and see if he comes around. You can also try a peeled frozen pea or beef heart. Check your water quality and see if that could be a cause and if he makes it be sure to get a cave for him to hide out in. I hope he pulls through but if he is already to the point of dying it is too late. Good luck.

Answer 4

Unfortuantly you haven't really given enough information for anybody here to accuratley diagonoze you fish's problem.

Rather than putting fishie in his own tank you may be able to put him in a floating cage in your existing aquarium. These cages are somtime called "betta baracks" or fry nets. The cage should be solid and allow water to flow through but not be a "fry net" as other fish may be able to pick on him though these nets. You will only need to do this if you suspect he is being picked on and that is the reason for his illness. If you can't buy one of these have a look on the net for how to make one at home (involves an icecream container and styrofoam ususaly)

Add an antifungal and antibacterial like melafix and primafix, i suspect this is a waste of time as his illness sounds well advanced.

The next thing is to determine if the injury was a result of fighting or a filter mishap (not likley most fish can in my experience out swim most filters, even fry) or because of a parasite or a disease. This is hard to determine, if you suspect it is a disease (good indications are if other fish become ill, or you notice visible sores, parasites or fungus) then i recomend you seek the help of an experienced aquariuist at your local fish shop or visit www.fishprofiles.com and post a picture of the sick fish along with your tank parameters (i.e. ammonina, nitrite and nitrate levels, PH and hardness) and any visible signs of illness. If you suspect it may be a diaesae seperate him into as large a container as you can manage and add salt (1tsp per gal) melafix and primafix and an airstone. When you have more accuratly diagnosed him (with help from others, i.e. specialist fish website or local fish shop) treat him as specified. Move any fish at the first sign of infection into seperate quaters or into your newly established "quarantine tank". Change 90-95% of your quarantine tanks water daily.

Lastly, if the fish appears to be dying and showing no response to treatment or subsequent fish are becoming infected but showing no signs of healing then you may have to put him and others out of their misery. It is an unfortunate responsibility of all pet owners. Be prepared for this as it is my experience that fewer than 20% of individuals survive even when corectly diagnozed.

i reccomend 2 methods

First the vodka bath. Place 1 part vodka to 5 parts water in a small container. Place fish in container he will "fall asleep" leave for at least 15 min to ensure he has passed (usualy takes a few seconds but may thrash around for 30 or so seconds. this is just nerves)

Second decapitation. Place fish on wooden surface and with very sharp heavy knife/cleaver/axe quickly (preferably in a single movement) remove head at around the gills. alternativly smoosh head with heavy steel mallet/hammer. Crude but fast and effective.

I hope for your sake it does not coome to that but somtimes it is better to cull one fish than loose a tank full of your fishies.

best of luck i hope i have been of assistance.

Answer 5

I am very sorry to hear about your fish. I experienced that too often. I'm very sorry to say this, but your fish probably won't live. Usually, when they are laying on their sides, they will die within a day. But, if you have other fish in the tank, TAKE YOUR FISH OUT! When fish die, they release ammonia...and that often kills other fish. I would do that as soon as possible. Believe me, I know.

Answer 6

I'm afraid , not much. Depending on how long he was stuck i the filter, he probably couldn't get to the surface and also may have internal dammage.
Watch him, that's about all you can do I think.
Depending on how much you value this fish, you could call a vet and ask this question.

Answer 7

I'll be interested to see what others have to say but, I'm sorry to say, I doubt you can do anything. Usually when a fish is stuck to the filter for a prolonged period of time too much internal and external damage is done for them to survive. Even when you can't see any evidence of damage imagine the stresses placed on the fish's internal organ by, possibly, hours of pull being exerted against one part of the body.

Sorry. :(

Answer 8

4 gallon of water in keeping with inch of fish is the guideline for constructing a tank this allows for house for them to discover there possess territory and room to develop additionally en ought oxygen as they ex hail carbon witch remains within the water for alongside time even have an below gravel clear out this makes pleasant micro organism to digest waste you must begin with a twenty gallon tank should you desire to preserve fish do not be fobbed off with cheep novelty tanks you will have a heater this continues the water regular tropicals like eighty to eighty three levels & gold fish dont brain

Answer 9

put him in a hospital tank immediately. make sure it is very well-aerated, it doesn't need a filter. I am not sure if you can add any medication because knife fishes are electric. just put him in some clean water ASAP

Answer 10

There isn't anything to be done, I'm sorry. Fish die sometimes. He was probably stuck to the filter because he was already weak from some illness. I'm so sorry that your fish is dying.