Very sick channel cat, please help

[eclecticmama]

I got my catfish from a local pet store over a year ago. They said s/he was a "channel cat." The picture I have is the day after I got her; she's maybe 3-4 inches. The stomach bulge happened overnight, and then went away.

"channel cat"

She's been in a 20 gal. tank with goldfish, off and on. Two days ago, all five goldfish were dead when I woke up. Then yesterday, she was being very lethargic and laying on the bottom out in the open rather than under her driftwood where she usually lays. I got her out and put her in another container, with new water treated with a sort of starter/slime coat stuff they sold me at the pet store. She's alive, but clearly not thriving, and she's always been so happy and active.

I want to identify her more accurately, so that I can help her in whatever way is right for her. I don't have a more current picture, and the container she is currently in is too dark to take one. I don't want to disturb her more than necessary. Thank you for any help. I'm quite fond of her.

Trish

[Silurus]

Yup, this is a

channel catfish

.

[eclecticmama]

Thank you. Do you have any thoughts on what may be wrong with her? I've now read in several places that channel cats like blood worms, brine shrimp, and meaty things like that. Up until now, I've just been feeding the standard fish flakes. She also occasionally would eat a particularly small goldfish.

I'm going to clean the tank she was in thoroughly, since I don't know why the goldfish all died at once. Then I'll just put her back in with the spring water from our house. I've been searching this site, but haven't yet found any info on preferred pH, etc.

Thanks again.

[eclecticmama]

I'm at a loss here. Three days ago, the 5 goldfish that were in the tank with her spontaneously died. Then she started acting lethargic. So, I took her out, cleaned the tank, 25% water change, and put her back in. And now she looks like this! It's like her insides are trying to come out her gills/mouth? What can be done? This is breaking my heart.

[eclecticmama]

Another view.

[Viktor Jarikov]

What are the water parameters - ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, temp - and how are they measured?

Here is a good protocol on how to ask a good health-related question so one can be helped better: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forum ... -posting-)

What do you mean by cleaning the tank?

EDIT: I saw this earlier thread of yours now, it has some info but not much still: http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... 13&t=40511

1-year old channel catfish should be ~1'-1.5'.

Here is the profile sheet: http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/spe ... ecies_id=6

[eclecticmama]

Ammonia is high. I'm currently using an ammonia lock every 12 hours until it tests normal. pH was low, but I'm not at home and can't remember the exact number. Low 6, I think. Cleaning the tank means I used a suction tube, gravity started, not sure of the exact term, to bounce around in the gravel to suck out old food, etc. I'm trying to fix the pH gradually.

[Atmichaels]

The best way to reduce ammonia is with large water changes. What do you use to treat your water out of the tap?

[eclecticmama]

She passed last night. Thank you all for your help.

[Viktor Jarikov]

Sorry to hear that, Trish. How high was the ammonia in ppm or mg/L? What about nitrites and nitrates? What test kit do you use?

More importantly now, do you have any ideas why was the ammonia high? I see the tank has been running for a year.

Most or all (?) fish cannot handle high ammonia+ammo-lock (I use the liquid kind of ammo-lock; perhaps zeolites work much better) for a prolonged time, e.g., a week or two. Mine always would succumb to a disease and in 50% cases die when things go that much out of whack.

[pitbull13]

It might be from the anomonia spike

[Viktor Jarikov]

"Double" thread (it's "over" although we don't know why and how): http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... 10&t=40525

[Jools]

"Double" thread (it's "over" although we don't know why and how): http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... 10&t=40525

Merged. Please don't double post...

Jools