Rainbow Fish

[MateFrio]

I have two of my five rainbow fish I'm worried about.  The worse one is "panting" and looks like it has three small red marks on it's left side.  It is also swimming in small up and down movements like it is struggling to keep normal.  Looks like the scales are red or it got it got a bite..

The other has three pin head sized dots on the top of it's nose but other than that it is acting normal.  Any ideas for treatments?  Was this from fighting?  The other fish in the tank look good.

[Mzungu]

Re: Rainbow Fish

Have you tested the water? It'd be good to be able to rule out any possible ammonia or nitrite in there.

[MateFrio]

Re: Rainbow Fish

I was a bit high on ammonia and did a change of water and added some prime.  Too early to tell if that helped.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Rainbow Fish

Is there something dead in there? Find out what is causing the ammonia.

[armthehomeless]

Re: Rainbow Fish

Hopefully the water change helped...

Ammonia

[MateFrio]

Re: Rainbow Fish

Well, I don't think it was the Ammonia it wasn't too high.  He was still stressing and the other fish were still normal.  I took him and put him in a quarantine tank with some salt and MelaFix.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Rainbow Fish

You state above that it was a bit high....what was it exactly?

[Mzungu]

Re: Rainbow Fish

Any detectable ammonia might make a fish act like yours was. The ammonia could have irritated him more so than the others, not sure, though. Just make sure there's no ammonia in the QT, if you can.  :)

Any ammonia registering in the tank now, after the water change? How's the fish in QT doing?

[MateFrio]

Re: Rainbow Fish

It was in the .20 range just a tad green on the test kit.  QT tank tested good all levels before I put him in the main tank checks ok now.  I think the spike was b\c I washed one of the filters out.  I used tank water to clean out the sponges.  thanks for the ideas and how to help.

[MateFrio]

Re: Rainbow Fish

Just a follow up.  My rainbow is doing well and is back in with the general population.  QT tank with salt and MelaFix seem to have worked.  The bite marks cleared up after four days and but he was still panting.  After seven he was acting normal.  Two more days of observation and he went back in to the big tank.

[armthehomeless]

Re: Rainbow Fish

Glad that he is doing better. What do you think it was?

[MateFrio]

Re: Rainbow Fish

Could have been some bullying ... my red tail shark is getting big and a bit mean.. normally the five rainbows are enough he just gives up due to the school but he may have cornered this guy.