# Need Help Treating Rescued Sick Piranha



## jkemp (Jan 14, 2006)

Hi,

This is my first post. Although I have been reading messages for a couple of years. I have been impressed with the support the forum members have shown each other here.

I am seaking help with a fish a friend HAD. I say had, because once I discovered the shape the Piranha was in I took it from him. There was violence! I became so angry we got in a fight. I did this because he wouldn't even even try to treat or care for the fish. There was another fish still floating in the tank for days. In the end I rescued the piranha and have possesion of him and now consider myself the new owner. Me and this person are childhood friends and we still talk so I don't want anyone to think I'm a bully or something, I just think if your going to take responsibility to keep an aquarium one should try to keep the fish happy and healthy.

I have other large piranhas but I don't want to introduce the fish into that shoal. Once we get the fish back to health I will be donating the piranha to someone. I do not care to manage multiple tanks at this time other than a hospital tank for this fish.

I have tried many meds so far. Salt, Melafix, Primafix, Parasite Clear, Icl Clear and currently Fungus Cure and E.M. Erythrommycin. I'm waiting for the results from these meds. I am open to any suggestions and opinions on what I can do to cure this fish. Another thing this fish also had a bad ammonia burn when he first got it. It had a hole in the side of it's body the size of a quarter when it was just two inches long. I nursed it back to health then when it was in my friends tank and I warm him that it would be weak and prone to diseases after he let the tank get filty then. Is this a case where this fish may have internal problems? Please look at the photogragh carefully and let me know what you think and whether we as a forum of concerned piranha keepers can help this fish.









Thank you all for anytime spent and I will port updated pictures on the progress of the piranha. My daughter is also trying to help me setup a webcam so forum members can see the fish realtime as we try to help this piranha.

He survived the filthy tank he was in, resulted in a serious ammonia burn, then this what looks like a pallup infestation and the stress of the transfer to my hospital tank. I think this little guy wants to live.

Please help.

James


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

Sounds like you did a lot for him already.. I say be sure to give him pristine water conditions (as you know 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and nitrates no higher than 25-30.

That is all you can do, other than what you are already doing


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## jkemp (Jan 14, 2006)

Hi DiPpy eGqS

Thank for the quick reply. Have you ever seen anything like the growth on his face? It is on his body and fins also. I thought they were anchor worms at first but they're flat in appearance. I have search the internet with no results. I'm wondering whether or not to remove him and get a sample of one those pallups and send to a lab a friend works at. He is stressed out right now.

James


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## ICEE (Feb 3, 2007)

all i can say is wow i have never seen anything like it u r doing great with them meds just remember water changes very important in bringing him back to health other then that great start


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## Cal68 (Mar 23, 2007)

is it me or does these diseases happen with older piranhas only?


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## jkemp (Jan 14, 2006)

Hi Cal68,

I not sure, but this fish is about two and half years old. I remember when he purchased him. Do you recognize the disease?

James


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## bud......weiser (Feb 12, 2007)

all people can tell you is that your doing everything right ,your a good person for caring,whats your tempurature????and the key with piranha keeping is patiance.welcome to the forum i can tel you i learned a lot here


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## jkemp (Jan 14, 2006)

Hi coutl

Thanks, and your absolutely right about water changes. I swear by water changes on my 100 gallon tank. It has five 9" red bellies that are laying eggs. As a matter fact I keep carbon around in five gallon buckets and change it every two weeks with water changes. I have found water changes are great but it's the quality of the water that is important. Carbon helps remove impurity's even fresh tap water can contain.

This fish is in a 10 gallon hospital tank so the meds are easier to dose. Not much room for a 5" piranha though.

James


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## jkemp (Jan 14, 2006)

Hi bud......weiser,

The temperature is 78.1 right now in the hospital tank. Temperatures here moves up during the day and falls at night. I have the tank temp set at 77.2 I do not have a chiller on this hospital tank like I have on my 100 gallon main tank. Temperatures hear can reach 121 in the summer! So if my A/C unit quits it's curtains for the fish. Thats another reason I want to get him to someone who can care for him before summer.

James


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## bud......weiser (Feb 12, 2007)

JEK said:


> Hi bud......weiser,
> 
> The temperature is 78.1 right now in the hospital tank. Temperatures here moves up during the day and falls at night. I have the tank temp set at 77.2 I do not have a chiller on this hospital tank like I have on my 100 gallon main tank. Temperatures hear can reach 121 in the summer! So if my A/C unit quits it's curtains for the fish. Thats another reason I want to get him to someone who can care for him before summer.
> 
> James


cool james,i think i heard if your tryn to treat a fish with meds,that you should raise the temp to like 82f or keep it over 80f but im not to sure id say you ask some one about that

sorry i took so long to respond james


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## ICEE (Feb 3, 2007)

i forgot to say :welcome: and keep us updated


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## flashover00 (Oct 19, 2006)

Doing good so far...glad you rescued the guy.

Keep up the clean water and dosing meds. Hopefully he''ll bounce back with some tlc
I say you mentioned something about carbon....are you using carbon in your hospital tank as well?


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## jkemp (Jan 14, 2006)

bud......weiser said:


> cool james,i think i heard if your tryn to treat a fish with meds,that you should raise the temp to like 82f or keep it over 80f but im not to sure id say you ask some one about that
> 
> sorry i took so long to respond james


Hey Thanks for replying bud......weiser ,

You are right about the temperature. Some meds do require you raise the temp. Thats a good observation. I'm going to check each med I have used to see if the manufacture has recommended.

Thanks again for the lead, This is good stuff.

James


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## Badrad1532 (Apr 15, 2006)

He is 5 inches and 2 1/2 years old????


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## flashover00 (Oct 19, 2006)

JEK said:


> Hi coutl
> 
> Thanks, and your absolutely right about water changes. I swear by water changes on my 100 gallon tank. It has five 9" red bellies that are laying eggs. As a matter fact I keep carbon around in five gallon buckets and change it every two weeks with water changes. I have found water changes are great but it's the quality of the water that is important. Carbon helps remove impurity's even fresh tap water can contain.
> 
> ...


Carbon will remove your meds from the water column.....thereby resulting in a waste of meds


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## jkemp (Jan 14, 2006)

flashover00 said:


> Doing good so far...glad you rescued the guy.
> 
> Keep up the clean water and dosing meds. Hopefully he''ll bounce back with some tlc
> I say you mentioned something about carbon....are you using carbon in your hospital tank as well?


Hi flashover00,

Thanks, I did what I thought was right. As far as the water changes; Yup, I'll do it. I will change the water probably twenty-five percent every two weeks. I use carbon heavily in my main 100 gallons tank, but not the hospital tank until I stop dosing with meds. Very good point. I made that mistake long ago.

James


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## flashover00 (Oct 19, 2006)

haha...ok..just checking. Lot of people forget about that.
Keep us updated


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## jkemp (Jan 14, 2006)

Badrad1532 said:


> He is 5 inches and 2 1/2 years old????


Hi Badrad1532,

Yup, and he is fat. I also found out he is more like two years old. He went right though the net I was using to rescue him with. Strong for a little guy. I think they grow fast in these constantly hot areas. I have five 9" red bellies that are just 4 years old and they are laying eggs all over the place. I first noticed when I was cleaning the gravel in front of some petrified wood I added. The python suddenly turn brown with these little round clear balls all the same size. I first thought it was dirt and waste materials, but all were the same size.

Then I noticed two pair of my piranhas wiggling face down into the gravel like they were digging for something. I do feed them earth worms so I thought they were digging for them. Each piranha pair has setup there own territory on each side of the tank with one lonely piranha hovering the middle of the tank. The two other pair prevent him from entering their size of the tank. Pretty cool to sit and watch.

Maybe it's the petrified wood, who knows.

James


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## jkemp (Jan 14, 2006)

coutl said:


> i forgot to say :welcome: and keep us updated


Hi coutl,

Thanks for much for the Welcome. Really cool graphics too. I'm really glad I found this forum and that it's a really large and active community. Good to see so many knowledgeable people interested in piranhas.

James


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## Froogle (Mar 15, 2006)

raise temp to 82 and add aquarium salt and melafix be sure to remove the carbon


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## bud......weiser (Feb 12, 2007)

JEK said:


> cool james,i think i heard if your tryn to treat a fish with meds,that you should raise the temp to like 82f or keep it over 80f but im not to sure id say you ask some one about that
> 
> sorry i took so long to respond james


Hey Thanks for replying bud......weiser ,

You are right about the temperature. Some meds do require you raise the temp. Thats a good observation. I'm going to check each med I have used to see if the manufacture has recommended.

Thanks again for the lead, This is good stuff.

James
[/quote]














glad to help.


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## jkemp (Jan 14, 2006)

Froogle said:


> raise temp to 82 and add aquarium salt and melafix be sure to remove the carbon


Hi Froogle,

I'll try raising the temp to 82. Thanks for the suggestion. I have salt added right now with Fungus Cure and E.M. Erythromycin. I added two tablespoons of salt to a ten gallon tank with gravel and decorations. Is that dense enough?

James


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## Froogle (Mar 15, 2006)

What do you mean dense. But the tank need not be fancy I got a hospital just to get the job done no what i mean


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## flashover00 (Oct 19, 2006)

JEK said:


> raise temp to 82 and add aquarium salt and melafix be sure to remove the carbon


Hi Froogle,

I'll try raising the temp to 82. Thanks for the suggestion. I have salt added right now with Fungus Cure and E.M. Erythromycin. I added two tablespoons of salt to a ten gallon tank with gravel and decorations. Is that dense enough?

James
[/quote]

I think hes asking if that was enough salt for that size tank and its contents.....

There is a salt thread pinned in this forum i think.....check that one out


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## blazednosferatu (Feb 27, 2006)

You only do 25% water changes every 2 weeks?


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## ICEE (Feb 3, 2007)

needs to be 25% evry week


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## Dairy Whip (Mar 26, 2006)

coutl said:


> needs to be 25% evry week


ow yeah forsure 25-35% every week IMO and good luck with that red man he looks pretty big


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## jkemp (Jan 14, 2006)

Hi,

Yup, I only do 25% every two weeks on my hospital tank. This keeps the fish stress level down. Now I do change the water according to what the meds recommend. If every two days I will.

On my 100 gallon I do 40% every two weeks also. My parameters are perfect. I use super activated carbon to keeps chemicals out of the water. I have two FX5 filters on this hundred gallon tank. The piranhas look like they are floating in air. My tank is 360 degree in a high lighted room so when there is the slightest sign of cloudy water I change the water and carbon.

Has anyone ever seen the growth on his face? You can blow the picture up to get a better look. I will update with new pictures. The current meds doesn't seem to be curing him. His body fungus has fell off and popeye went away, but what look like anchor worms are still there.

James


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

Wow, that sounds like he is enjoying a quick recovery. Glad to hear the fungus, and popeye is gone!

Sorry to hear about the anchor worms.. You are doing all you can, great job!


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## ZOSICK (May 25, 2005)

sounds like your doing a great job, but that pic is ugly as sin.


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## jkemp (Jan 14, 2006)

06 C6 LS2 said:


> Wow, that sounds like he is enjoying a quick recovery. Glad to hear the fungus, and popeye is gone!
> 
> Sorry to hear about the anchor worms.. You are doing all you can, great job!


Thanks, DiPpY eGgS. He is swimming really strong too. I haven't found anything for the growth on his face. Have you got any suggestions where I could send pictures?

James


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## jkemp (Jan 14, 2006)

" I think hes asking if that was enough salt for that size tank and its contents.....

There is a salt thread pinned in this forum i think.....check that one out "

Hi flashover00,

Your right, I was asking if two tablespoons of aquarium salt was enough. I found the thread you reference. Thanks that help alot. Lot of info on this forum. Really glad to be here.

James


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## bud......weiser (Feb 12, 2007)

hey jek lets see some pics on his progress


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## spinalremains (Nov 10, 2006)

Maybe you could try some prazi-pro if all else fails? I would be careful of overdosing meds though! Keep up the good work!


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## Dairy Whip (Mar 26, 2006)

buddy lets see some pics of that tank?????


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