# URGENT!! Help my leopard ctenapoma!



## meBNme (Oct 9, 2011)

URGENT!! Help my leopard ctenapoma!

I have two, one is fine.
The other has been hiding and "resting" on the bottom for about 24 hrs.
I"think" this one is female, the other is male.

Now its laying on its side breathing hard, belly quite large.
I havent seen it eat in 1.5 days.

Is it preggers or does it have bloat? Anything else?

If it IS bloat, is there anything I can do to save it at this point?
All other fish in the tank are fine, just did a routine WC yesterday, but was noticing its hiding at bottom hours, half day, before that.

I did add a half dose of "AD pro Quick cure" about 5 hrs ago.
Its supposedly for protazoan parasites, ick, gasping for air, etc.

Active ingredients : Formalin, malachite green.


----------



## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

The medication you used will treat for parasites (Formalin/Formaldehyde) and for fungus (Malachite Green).

If this is an illness, then your medication probably won't fix it. It would most likely be bacterial or viral. Quarantine the fish, and treat with an antibiotic. I would also try to feed it a boiled pea to help with digestion.

Your fish is not pregnant. Fish are egg layers, so they can not be pregnant.


----------



## meBNme (Oct 9, 2011)

bmlbytes said:


> The medication you used will treat for parasites (Formalin/Formaldehyde) and for fungus (Malachite Green).
> 
> If this is an illness, then your medication probably won't fix it. It would most likely be bacterial or viral. Quarantine the fish, and treat with an antibiotic. I would also try to feed it a boiled pea to help with digestion.
> 
> Your fish is not pregnant. Fish are egg layers, so they can not be pregnant.


Yeah, I know the whole pregnant/egg layer thing.
But you know what I mean when I say pregnant.
Its easier to say "pregnant" than to say "nearing the point of producing eggs for the male to fertalize so growth can happen, thus resulting in wigglers and eventually fry"

Any idea what the illness might be?
Likelyhood of it being contaigious?
Would it be the smart thing to just humanely put it out of its misery?
(place in ice water for those who would ask)

At this point its laying on the side, occasionally to roll over upside down, then it struggles back simi upright again. Usually head first into the substrate.


----------



## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Are the scales of the fish sticking out?

And the term for a fish full of eggs is "gravid".


----------



## meBNme (Oct 9, 2011)

No, I see no "pineconeing" all the scales look normal.

It's still hanging in there, head to the substrate, mostly belly up, but breathing.
Eyes look rather dull compared to the other one.

It seems to have no intrest (or ability) in eating a pea.
I hate to see it suffering, but then I don't want to put it down if theres a decent chance of survival.


----------



## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Unfortunately it sounds like your fish is on its last leg. Do the other fish bother it while its like this? I would recommend quarantining it anyway, but if you don't have a QT tank, at least try to separate it from the other fish. Especially if the other fish are bothering it.


----------



## meBNme (Oct 9, 2011)

Strangely enough, none of the others did anything more than swim nearby, and watch it for a few moments.
My polypterus senegalus seemed to find it interesting, but never did anything other than look and swimm next to it.

I could find absolutely nothing online about breeding habits for this fish, and it really didnt seem anything like any Ive seen before.
It seemed to only be getting worse, so I decided to let the poor thing go.

Right now I have my shovelnose sturgeon in the hospital tank.
He had some fin damage from the old substrate I had, large rocks with rough edges.
Along with two scats I just got today. (its a 65g and the shovel is only 7 inches right now.)

It felt cruel to try to keep it, so....


Anyways, thanks for the help.


----------



## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Sorry for your loss.


----------

