rortw1
New Member
I have an 11 year old male clown that is part of a mated pair since we got them over 10 years ago. He started swimming weird about 4- 5 weeks ago and I didn't think anything of it as the female had recently been aggressive with him especially during feeding time. Figured it was his way of avoiding her. Diagnosed him after a bit with a swim bladder disease. Didn't think it was due to an infection until we saw the white stringy poop a couple weeks ago. Started him on prazi mixed with his food for a few days. Worried it might be and him not really improving more I started GC in his food but by that time he was barely eating anymore. He started to go down hill quickly and by July 4th was laying on his side at the bottom of a tank mate inside DT breathing 250 respiration per minute for over 24 hours. On the 4th as a last ditch effort we put him in a 1.5 gallon qt tank with GC in the water just to try something. To my amazement the next day he actually started to swim after we put him back in the DT inside a tank mate to QT him from his other tank mates. To my amazement on the 5th evening he started to poop a long white poop and by the 6th was off his death bead and wanting to eat. What an amazing turnaround to say the least. What a fighter to hang in there like that. Started dosing his food with GC, Focus and after about 48 hours seemed to be regressing again. Did another 24 hour bath in GC and this time in a 5 gallon bucket. Once again it sprung him back to life and he was eating with a vengeance. We decided to do 24 hour baths with 24 hours break in the tank mate inside the DT as a treatment course. This week I added Epsom salt to his food and to the baths. The last bath we added neomycin with the GC and Epsom. Now he is bobbing around and can't hold himself down anymore. Its as if he filled up with too much air and his is too buoyant with tail up head down swimming. I stopped the NEO and just did the GC in his bath today. I am trying everything and have spent over $300 trying to save this little guy. He seems ok and then he regresses and so on. He has strength, normal breathing and is eating at the moment. His buoyancy issue is now causing him distress as he is constantly fighting it. Just reaching out to see if there is anything else I can try. I don't have a cycled QT tank but I am willing to get one going if he can last that long. Anyone with any experience with this please help. He has been fighting this now for a while. He has the will to live but don't know what else to do. Any and all help will be greatly appreciated.
