LuckyBlue still needs Help for Fins

[LuckyBlue]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI0D_...eature=mh_lolz

Hopefully, I copied the link for the video correctly. (Sorry about the audiobook Sense and Sensibility playing)

LuckyBlue was beautifully finned until he jumped his divider and joined LittleBlue... his fins were only slightly damaged but within a week or so his fins clamped up.. this was in about July.

He has had a 10 day salt treatment... and then I have been using oak leaves with all his water changes for over a month now.

This video shows what he looks like now.

The other two pictures are from before any problem started and right before the salt treatment... I think maybe his fins are slightly better.

Please help me figure out what to do for him.

He is very sprightly. I can hardly catch him for his water changes. Jumps for his food....

[shellieca]

Can they see each other? It could be stress is part of the problem. What size tank, heated, filtered, water change schedule? Have you tested your water for ammonia, nitrites & nitrates?

[LuckyBlue]

He has been in his own one gallon "get well tank" ever since. Heated to 82. Water changed everyday for quite a while ... now every other day.

I don't know of anything else to do... I just keep hoping they will get better with the tannins.... He was sooo beautiful!

[shellieca]

IMO & IME they do better in larger volumes of water. i don't know what size your divided tank is but hopefully its a min 10g? If it were me I'd move him back to the larger volume of water. I would also make sure they couldn't see each other.

[LuckyBlue]

The larger tank is 6.6 gallon. It is just harder to make 100%changes with that one so often.

[shellieca]

I don't think you need to do 100% water changes but that's just my opinion. A 6.6 with 2 fish is not something I would do but others think differently. If I had a 6.6 with 2 fish I would do 2 weekly 50% water changes. He's been in his QT tank for a month or more & IMO its time to try something else, take it or leave it, I think he'd do better with more water volume so long as there are regular water changes. And as I stated previously I would make sure they couldn't see each other through the divider or get another 3 - 5g tank just for him.

[DoctorWhoLuver]

His fins looked clamped, indicating some other disease or illness. I wouldn't move him back into a divided tank, considering it may be infectious. What other symptoms does he have? When he jumped in with LittleBlue it could have stressed him enough that his immune system/ stress coat wasn't functioning as well as it should have.
What color is his poo? Is he flashing or darting? And the fact that he's still eating is good.

[LuckyBlue]

His poo.... light brown.

He is really normal in every sense, except the condition of his fins. Is there a medication I should try?

He doesn't flash cuz his fins are so stuck together, but he does a good job of darting.

When this first happened he was quite easy to catch for water changes,,, now he is very difficult to catch, so I know he feels much better than when this first occurred,

But the fins continue to be clamped.

What to do? I have a two gallon I can put him in and that is still quite easy to clean often.......
but I have my doubts as to that helping..... but I'll do that...

Please any other suggestions??? If I picked up some "meds" what should I try..... suggestions please.... and Thanks for the replies to far

[DoctorWhoLuver]

Flashing is basically fast darting. Does he dart for no reason? Have you checked for external parasites yet? Flashlight test, white spots. However gill or body flukes are normally not visible, so if he is darting and rubbing with no other visible parasites, it may be that. I think the 2 gallon will be fone for the moment.

[LuckyBlue]

He darts quite quickly when I try to cup him.... but otherwise he hangs out mostly at the top... When I come by and wave he wiggles like he did when I first got him.. although the wiggle isn't as graceful.. he still gets excited to see me.

I'm putting him back in the 6.6 gallon with about 3 gallons of water...by hisself.

I looked back... I did the salt treatment in October and started the oak leaves at the beginning of November...