Elijah's sick!

[HopeInHeart]

Something is wrong with Elijah-I noticed yesterday that he was just laying around, and later he seemed to be breathing hard. He is not being his usual happy, swimming self.

At first I thought it was because he couldn't see his girl, so I moved some stuff so he could kind of see her. That didn't work.

I think 1-he's constipated (they got freeze-dried bloodworms for lunch yesterday, but then I don't know if he ate any) 2-I stressed him too much during water changes. I didn't take him out while siphoning and pouring clean water in (poor guy--I feel so bad now, should've just taken him out.)

I tried the pea trick, but I haven't seen him eat any of it. He could've eaten some during the night. Today I'll have to siphon out the extra, but I'll leave him in and not put any new water, so I stress him as little as possible.

I don't have aquarium salt right now. I do have ice cream salt.

What should I do to help him? Should I give him some live BBS? Or would that not be good? Any help is appreciated.

Oh! almost forgot, he's in a 2.5 gallon, and it's heated. We have well water and I do not test the ph or anything.

[HopeInHeart]

I have a couple of things to add:

1. he's a crowntail--seems to me they are more susceptible to constipation?

2. he is bloated

3. he is swimming more today than yesterday

4. he won't flare for a mirror or his girl (very unusual--most of the time they are super excited to see each other.)

5. his girl, Noel, is in the same kind of water, smaller tank even (although her water changes are more massive) and she is extremely healthy. in fact, they both were recently.