# 9" Caribe Dying?



## Eric99 (Nov 29, 2006)

I think my Caribe is dying. It is swimming belly up after about 20 hours now. Before it started to do this I noticed it was breathing pretty fast. This is my biggest Caribe of the 10 in the tank. It was attacked overnight but after I came home from work today it was still swimming belly up on the top. There are no signs of disease on the outside and the only live foods they are fed are only nightcrawlers once in a while. It kind of seems like his air bladder might have swollen? Its belly is not swollen though. Any ideas on what to do?


----------



## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

Eric99 said:


> I think my Caribe is dying. It is swimming belly up after about 20 hours now. Before it started to do this I noticed it was breathing pretty fast. This is my biggest Caribe of the 10 in the tank. It was attacked overnight but after I came home from work today it was still swimming belly up on the top. There are no signs of disease on the outside and the only live foods they are fed are only nightcrawlers once in a while. It kind of seems like his air bladder might have swollen? Its belly is not swollen though. Any ideas on what to do?


 Was it injured when attacked? I'd probably do a waterchange and try not to stress it. If its swim bladder is messed there is probably little you can do. You could try a hospital tank if you have one and mayby add some salt and keep the water oxygenated.


----------



## Eric99 (Nov 29, 2006)

CLUSTER ONE said:


> I think my Caribe is dying. It is swimming belly up after about 20 hours now. Before it started to do this I noticed it was breathing pretty fast. This is my biggest Caribe of the 10 in the tank. It was attacked overnight but after I came home from work today it was still swimming belly up on the top. There are no signs of disease on the outside and the only live foods they are fed are only nightcrawlers once in a while. It kind of seems like his air bladder might have swollen? Its belly is not swollen though. Any ideas on what to do?


Was it injured when attacked? I'd probably do a waterchange and try not to stress it. If its swim bladder is messed there is probably little you can do. You could try a hospital tank if you have one and mayby add some salt and keep the water oxygenated.
[/quote]

It was attacked after it showed signs of weakness/ illness but there are no life threatening injuries-just a bite through the anal fin and into the skin a little. I did my usual 120 gallon weekly water change last night. It has to be its swim bladder if it can not flip itself over right? It is really trying to but cant :-( This fish is the biggest one in the 180 gallon tank and has the best coloration I have ever seen for a Caribe. Its a total shame. It had perfect finnage and everything.
[/quote]

It seems to me that I have two choices:
1. To leave the fish be and wait to see if it gets any better or the others eat it or..
2. Put it in the freezer?

I am going to go somewhere for a couple hours and will be back around 10 tonight so I might put off my decision until then.


----------



## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

Generally anything to do with loss of bouancy is a swim bladder problem. You could try to see if it recovers though in all honesty I don't really think it will but giving it untill 10 would be ok. I'd also suggest clove oil as a method of euthanation.

If you can drop the water level in the tank and let the filters spray on the surface to oxygenate the water. If you have cannisters this will be easy but with hob's you cant really drop the water level much.


----------



## Eric99 (Nov 29, 2006)

CLUSTER ONE said:


> Generally anything to do with loss of bouancy is a swim bladder problem. You could try to see if it recovers though in all honesty I don't really think it will but giving it untill 10 would be ok. I'd also suggest clove oil as a method of euthanation.
> 
> If you can drop the water level in the tank and let the filters spray on the surface to oxygenate the water. If you have cannisters this will be easy but with hob's you cant really drop the water level much.


I have a 75 gallon wet dry but I could raise the outlets to make air bubbles. I read on yahoo answers that someone was told to try ampicillin and force feed their fish and another answer to dont feed at all for days.


----------

