Spotted Raphael Catfish is Sick

[margiel24]

Hi! Thanks for adding me to the group. I have a problem. I have a 30-year-old (yes he is 30 - I got him in 1991) spotted raphael catfish. His name is Spot. I don’t know how much information you would like but he’s in a 90 gallon tank with other fish - 3 clown loaches, : platys, 4 black tetras, 6 neon tetras, 3 black neon tetras & 1 bristlenose pleco.  

We got new fish a couple weeks ago and now my clown loaches have ick and Spot is not doing well. He stopped eating days ago which isn’t really that unusual. But the white on him is turning red, he is breathing super heavy and he’s out in the open. He is actually going up to the surface of the tank to get air. If you know anything about raphael cats this is not normal behavior. I’ve NEVER seen him do this. 

Something similar to this happened the last time we got new fish which was back in 2016. His white spots turned red and there was red stringy material coming out of them. Back then I was told that death was eminent but I found an old forum on the Internet that suggested putting him in a quarantine tank and treating him with 2 different meds and doing water changes every day for a month. It was a rough go but he survived. As an FYI Spot also survived the massacre of 1998. My boyfriend at the time did a water change for me as a favor but didn’t know you had to use dechlorinator. Every fish died except for Spot He’s a fighter!!!!!

I spent 4 hours searching for that old forum on the Internet yesterday and can’t find anything. Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated. I love Spot.  He’s been a part of my life for so long. And yes - I am never getting new fishes again. At least not while Spot is alive.

[Cory]

What are the water parameters?

[Colu]

Can you take picture of sick

[margiel24]

I’m so sorry. Newbie here. I didn’t think about posting water parameters. Here they are:

ph = 6.8

temp = 79

Nitrates = 20 

Hardness = 300. Yes I know that’s high. We have very hard water where I live. Spot has always been in the same hard water and this tank has been set up since 2014. 
Nitrites = 0

kh = 0

Ammonia = sorry I don’t have a test kit for that as except for some rare strange events I’ve had pretty good luck with fish keeping.

So I go to take a picture of him and of course he is hiding back in his little cave still breathing pretty heavy. Could not get a good picture of him but I did manage to take an OK video but it will not let me post it. 😞

[margiel24]

Here’s a better picture. 

[Colu]

I would get a test kit for ammonia as ammonia burn can cause red patches on your fish it could also be a bacterial infection you could treat with maracyn just in case its a bacterial infection

 

 

 

[margiel24]

Ok. Thank you. I am wondering if perhaps it is hemmorrhagic septicemia? What do you think? 

[Colu]

56 minutes ago, margiel24 said:

Ok. Thank you. I am wondering if perhaps it is hemmorrhagic septicemia? What do you think? 

I don't think it's hemorrhage septicemia 

[margiel24]

Got a test kit. Ammonia is zero. Finally found old forum from 2010 that I followed last time he was sick. I have him in a quarantine tank & am treating with Furan-2 and KanaPlex. I know he is 30 but he has a  part of my life forever. He looks pretty bad right now. Looks like he has open sores on his body too but I’m doing the best I can for him and I have faith.  Last time nobody thought he would make it and he did so I have faith. Thank you for your help.  

[H.K.Luterman]

I just want to say WOW at having this guy for 30 years! I hope he feels better soon!

[margiel24]

Thanks! Yeah it is pretty crazy!! He has survived MANY, MANY disasters. He’s a fighter. There were many, many times I thought he was dead for sure. We call him Grandpa Spot & talk about how all the young fish gather around him to hear bedtime stories of the “good old days!” 🤣🤣

[quikv6]

You should be commended for 30 years of devotion. That is quite a milestone. Here's to many more years. I hope he recovers.

In regards to Furan 2 and Kanaplex combo...It can be quite potent. If you were going to treat beyond one cycle (Which was 5 days, I believe), I remember it being advised to give the fish a break from it for a few days in between cycles.

I truly wish him a full recovery. Please keep us posted!

[margiel24]

1 hour ago, quikv6 said:

You should be commended for 30 years of devotion. That is quite a milestone. Here's to many more years. I hope he recovers.

In regards to Furan 2 and Kanaplex combo...It can be quite potent. If you were going to treat beyond one cycle (Which was 5 days, I believe), I remember it being advised to give the fish a break from it for a few days in between cycles.

I truly wish him a full recovery. Please keep us posted!

Thank you so much! I really can’t take the credit though. It’s been all Spot. Last time this happened every single person who came over and saw him said that I should put him out as misery and flush him down the toilet! 😳 But I had faith he would make it! And he did. 
 

Thanks for the advice on the meds. You are correct it is a five day dosage cycle. I will make sure to give him a break. He is doing better than he was last time this happened but no improvement over yesterday. I will definitely keep you posted and thank you so much for your positive words. 🙂 I will definitely keep you posted! 

[quikv6]

Any updates on Spot?

[margiel24]

Hi!! I was actually going to post an update tonight. Honestly it was a pretty rough go of it the first couple of days. He was getting worse and worse. One day he wasn’t breathing. I watched him for like 2 minutes - nothing! I thought Oh No!!! I know it’s crazy & people will say “He’s just a fish!” but when you have had a fish for 30 years, you care about it alot. So I told him that I’m not giving up. That this is not the way his story ends. That after 30 years, he isn’t going to die because of some new fish I bought.  (By the way, all the other fish I had before I got the new fish have died. 😞) All of a sudden, he started breathing again. I’m not saying I brought him back to life but now he knows I’m not giving up on him. Since then, he’s been getting better  

I’m still treating with both meds. He seems to be getting better but there’s some redness that just will not go away I don’t know what that is.

However, the past couple days he’s been trying to get out of the tank. I know he is mad because he’s a big fish but the only hospital tank I have is 5 gallons. He keeps trying to jump out of the water & keeps bumping his head repeatedly on the top of the glass. Im afraid he’s going to hurt himself. Plus he chatters and complains constantly!!! He is a loud fish!! 🤣 I’m not sure why he’s doing this. Is he trying to get out and back to his bigger tank?  I don’t know.

 But he actually ate a very little tiny bit last night and again tonight which is great. He hasn’t eaten in weeks which isn’t unusual for him but I’m glad at least he has a little appetite. How do I get all the red to go away? And when is it safe to put him back in his home? These are things I do not know. But I’m not giving up on Spot. 

[quikv6]

Your dedication and love for Spot is very admirable, and I am sure the folks on this forum would agree, and feel the same way about their wet pets.

I am really glad he is showing signs of improvement. A 5 gallon does seem very small, and I'd imagine tough to maintain steady parameters with Spot. It's hard to tell how big he is, but I'd imagine he'd probably prefer a 10 or even a 20 gallon hospital tank. They can generally be had  pretty cheap, but I understand the idea of working with what you have.

I hope his improvement continues!

[H.K.Luterman]

His appetite returning is definitely a good sign! I hope he continues to improve, please keep us updated!

[margiel24]

quikv6:

Thank you for your support. When I get a pet I take the care of it very seriously. I had a cat that lived to be 20. He got cancer at 15 and beat it for 5 years.

Yeah I do think the 5 gallon tank is way too small for him but it’s the only tank I have besides my big one. Do you think that’s why he keeps trying to get out? He wants to go back to his home? I know I could buy a 20 gallon tank for him but I don’t plan on this being a common occurrence. Hoping this will be the last time I need to quarantine him. But I am so afraid he’s going to hurt himself attempting to get out. Plus all the new fish in the 90 gallon have ick so I’m treating for that so I can’t put him back in that until that’s under control. 😞

[H.K.Luterman]

You can buy a plastic tupperware bin and use it as quarantine, just move the filter and heater in there. Easier to get such containers in bigger footprints so he can have more room. Maybe put a piece of pvc pipe in it as a cave. And then when you're done using it, you can store stuff in it. My QT is an 18 gallon bin and I marked off the side for gallons.

[margiel24]

H.K.Luterman:

I also wanted to thank you for your support in my efforts to save Spot! Also thanks for the idea of using a Tupperware bin for a QT. Excellent idea! Set one up tonight. He is definitely enjoying having more room! He still has some red on him so I’m still concerned. Tonight was my last dose of meds so I guess I just give him some more time to heal? 

[H.K.Luterman]

No problem, I'm happy to help! I really wish I could tell you what's causing the red but I have no idea. At this point I think if I were in your situation, I'd just monitor his water parameters, make the environment as clean as possible, and see if he continues to improve. At leave give him a break from meds for a week or two. But I'm not an expert by any means!

[H.K.Luterman]

How's Spot doing? 

[margiel24]

On 6/8/2021 at 10:46 AM, H.K.Luterman said:

How's Spot doing? 

I am so sorry I have not provided an update sooner. You know how life goes - one emergency goes away & another one pops up! Such is life, right? 

So I have to tell you that Spot is not doing good… He is doing GREAT! I swear he looks better now than he did BEFORE he was sick. Those meds once again saved his life!! I think because he’s a catfish he has 9 lives! LOL!!

Maybe he likes being in the tank by himself? The plan was to put him back in his normal tank when he was better because it’s 90 gallons and I’m sure he’d like it better than his little 20 gallon home. But since all the fish we had before we got the new fish have died - while all the new fish are doing fine, I am afraid to do that.

Plus, he is SO happy!! He’s like a young fish!!  I tell him he doesn’t look a day over 15! LOL!

And I know this is really weird but he lets me pet him. I think he kind of likes it because he leans up on the side of the glass when I do it.

And he’s back to eating his 7 to 10 Tabimins a night. Yes I know that’s a lot but I’m not going to tell a 30 year old fish he can’t eat however much he wants! 😳 He’ll be waiting for me and will actually swim up and catch them before they hit the gravel  I don’t know what is up with him but I’ve never seen him so happy before.

He even swims around the tank - GASP!!! - DURING THE DAY!! Before this if I wanted to see him I had to get a very dim flashlight at 2 o’clock in the morning. And when I clean his tank now he is right out in the open - not hiding like he used to do. It’s like he’s a different fish  

Maybe he wants to be the only fish in the tank? I don’t know but he will stay in that tank until further notice. I do notice with it being such a small tank I do have to do water changes like every 10 days but that’s OK. At least Spot is happy healthy and well. I’m going to try to attach a video for you but I have not had luck with that in the past  

I have to thank you this group & all of the help I received from you & quikv6!! 
I could’ve never done it without both of your help and encouragement and letting me know I’m not crazy because I love my fish so much  ❤️❤️

Agaim, thank u SO much! I hope this never happens to anybody else but if it does please contact me because I could walk you through the meds and the doses.

[Colu]

On 6/29/2021 at 8:37 PM, margiel24 said:

So I have to tell you that Spot is not doing good… He is doing GREAT! I swear he looks better now than he did BEFORE he was sick. Those meds once again saved his life

It nice to hear some good news for a change hopefully you'll get many more years with him

[margiel24]

Here’s my little chunky monkey. ❤️❤️ But no matter what I do I cannot get a video to load because it is not in one of the acceptable formats. I have an iPhone and I guess it doesn’t record videos in JPEG. So here’s a couple pictures of him