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Posts: 1
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Registered: Jan 2003

posted 01-23-2003 01:19 AM         

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OKay here is the deal. I have a relatively newly setup aquarium about 2 months old or so. It is a 55 gal tank with only three fish in it right now two of which are balas. Now one of my balas is sick. the other fish in the tanks are fine. The amonia leves is almost non existant. The ph is right around 7.2(a little higher then recommended for balas but the one is doing excellent) OKay now for the symptoms.

The sick bala has gained no weight(actually it might have lost a little bit) its color is darkening, the dorsal fin is retracted down almost to its body and has a red tinge where the normal silver color in the middle of it is. When you look at him from the side there is nothing protuding from his body. HE is breathing fast and not moving around a lot. If anyone has any suggestions comments or needs more info or anything that can possibly help my poor fish out please post soon. I would love to get him up and running about the aquarium with his friends!

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Member

Posts: 16
From:Paranaque City, Philippines
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 01-23-2003 03:39 AM            

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why not try changing half of the water? i have a pair of bala shark once(they died). it got the same symptoms as you're shark. one thing i remeber is that i forgot to change the water and the pump(filter) is not strong enough to sustain oxygen in my 40 G then. check if you're pump(filter) is good enough for the 55G tank. if symptoms persists take advice to the petshop where you bought it.(coz i think its in critical condition)

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Member

Posts: 96
From:El Paso, Texas
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 01-25-2003 02:04 AM         

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Sometimes their will be a fish out of a batch that I buy, that inexplicably will become ill or die. This is not my fault, but can lie with shipping, or other hidden sickness. In these cases I simply remove the ailing fish before it dies and creates an ammonia spike or infects the other fishes. You would be better off placing the fish in a hospital tank, seperate from your healty fishes. Generally if the fish is not eating, then it will be difficult to keep alive. A red tinge indicates some sort of infection on the inside... don't risk your whole tank just for this one juvenile fish.
I'd rather loose one fish than a whole tankfull!
Good Luck!

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