I have a very ill fish please help!!!!!?

Question

I have a cold water fish and over the past week its mouth has decayed away and I don't know what to do. Can i treat it or do i just leave it to pass away in the tank. I'm pregnant so i'm very emotional and need help.
Hope to hear from anyone soon
Laura

Answer 1

Laura,

Depending on how bad the damage is, it might be better to humanely euthanize the fish. If the damage has gotten past his lips and into the flesh behind them, they will never grow back and he will always have serious trouble breathing and eating. Please don't let him simply die a slow and potentially painful death.

If however the damage isn't that bad yet you can treat the problem and he will most likely recover. Treat with antibiotics. My first choice would be Maracyn or Maracyn 2. Both are quite common in fish stores. Just treat as the package directs for external bacterial infections. Even though both are medications used by humans, please ask your doctor before you handle either of the medications for the safety of your baby.

Sorry your fish is sick but congrats on the impending birth!

MM

Answer 2

Laura we are all here to help. Congrads on the baby (I can totally understand where you are at right now!)

Your tank, when you say decayed away, do you mean you have not done water changes? now will be a good time to do just that (Or get hubby to ). you are going to want to remove about 25%-40% of the water and replace it with fresh clean water treated with a dechlor/water conditioner.

This will be a good start. Depending on what your fish look like I would not treat the tank for anything at this time. Just dumping chemicals in the tank isn't going to cure anything since you don't know what the fish has and you really don't know if there is anything at all wrong with your fish at all.

The water change is the first step.

Once you get the water changed watch your fish. See if they show signs of activity, white spots, black spots, swimming funny.

Feel free to email me and I will help you get thru your fish issue.

Don't worry, everything will be ok.

Answer 3

lol there's actually a fish disease called hole in the head disease. my sister's fish had a hole between it's eyes and sometimes when you fed it the food would pop back out the hole. he lived for two years like that. he had to constantly be in treated water though.

go to the pet store ASAP and look for anything that treats whole in the head disease. you might want to ask a pet store employee what they would recommend for a cold water fish, but only if they actually know what they're talking about. if you fish is in a tank with a filter do a 30% water change using a gravel vacuum or turkey baster. if your fish is in anything without a filter do a 50% or full water change before treating the water. take the carbon insert out of your filter if it has one so it doens't remove the meds from the water.

good luck!

Answer 4

sounds as though your fish has mouth rot. there are medicines you can use but to be honest its rare they work in time. i had a black moor that used to feed from the hand and he developed it, cost me £25 at the vets an he still died. the best thing to do with fish is prevent rather than cure. most fish disease is due to poor water quality, especially the peaks of nitrite you get after water changes. they are invisable so you need to use a water tester kit and then just little water changes. make sure you have a good water flow from your filter too, it helps keep the water moving and filters impurities out.

Answer 5

There's all kinds of treatment you can add to the water to help fish but it sounds like it may be too late. If its mouth has decayed it may not be eating. Ring your local aquarium and ask

Answer 6

I think you can add a solution to the water if the trouble is fungal.
If the fish is doing it to itself then you can remove any rocks or obviously sharp objects from in the tank.
You can quarantine it if their are others in with it that you are afraid for.

Answer 7

Adding alcohol to your water (as the above poster suggested) would only be a humane way of euthanizing your fish.

Answer 8

if my fish are off colour i sprinkle salt in the water but i think you should go to a good pet shop and ask them im sure they will be able to help good luck

Answer 9

I suggest you call your local pet store, this sounds serious. I really dont know if there is a treatment, just call and ask questions until you are satisfied.Sorry that is best I can think of

Answer 10

Ouch. That fish may wind up dead. You should call your local pet shop and see if they do free water testing for diseases. They can let you know what the fish has and what you need to get for it, and whether or not it'd be best just to put the poor thing out of its misery. Good luck.