Sick silver dollar

[Bill]

Tank Size: 75 gallon
How long has it been setup: About six Months
How many fish: 5
Type of fish: Oscar, Silver Dollars x3, a Four Line Pictus catfish
Size of fish: Oscar = 3.5 inches, Silver Dollars = 2 inches, Four Line =3.5 inches
Filtration: one emperor 400
Ammonia Reading: 0
Nitrite Reading: 0
Nitrate Reading: 10
PH Reading: 7.3
Temperature: 78-80
Any recent changes in tank decor or tank mates: I got the Four Line, and took out the striped Rapheal two weeks ago.
Any medication: no
Food what kind, how often: the Silver Dollars get algae wafers and algae flakes, 2-3 times a day; Oscar: pellets, algae wafers, Blood worms, trying to get him to eat lettuce.
When was last water change and how much: 15% five days ago.

The biggest Silver Dollar is starting to look sick. He spends a lot of his time hanging out in a corner, not schooling with the others. His breathing is also fairly rapid, but not gasping at the surface. He also looks slightly bloated. One more thing: he has a wound (a white patch) on his head that he got from running into the filter, a few weeks back and it still hasn't healed though it doesn't look infected.

[Gerry]

hanging around in corners is a sign of stress, usually from aggression, could be two SD's picking on one, shoaling fish are better in bigger numbers (min of 5 with 7 even better IMO)

[Bill]

I don't think it's aggression as I have never seen the other Silver Dollars pay attention to him, much less attack him.

[donsfish]

How long has he been acting that way in comparison to the head wound? May have concussed itself some.
I lost one of my big ones a couple weeks ago, it got spooked and bashed it's head hard. Hung out in the corner for a little while and then did it again even harder and pretty much did itself in.

[OinKY]

Was thinking concussion too. Symptoms don't have to show up immediately.
Symptoms can be almost anything out of the ordinary.Depends on the area of head hit,angle of the blow,how hard the blow,etc.

[k0y0te]

Filtration: one emperor 400

Just wondering is the emp 400 the only filtration you have on the tank?? IMO you should have a lil bit more for filtration. Thats alot of fish for just an emp.

as for the SD im no expert so i'll leave it too the pros

[Bill]

He got injured about a month ago and the symptoms started showing up about three weeks ago. OinKY- he hit himself In the center of the head pretty hard to as he was running full speed away from Hector. Is there anything I should do to help him?

Filtration: one emperor 400

Just wondering is the emp 400 the only filtration you have on the tank?? IMO you should have a lil bit more for filtration. Thats alot of fish for just an emp.

as for the SD im no expert so i'll leave it too the pros

I know it's a little bit low and I'm getting a Rena xp 3 soon.

[Tim]

I've found with SDs that they tend to injure themselves like this quite often when they have a panic attack after being spooked by something.
I think at this point pristine water and making sure it is eating well are the best you can do for it.
Good Luck.

[callen]

I've had this happen to with SDs. One pulled through and one didn't.

Bill do you feed the SDs veggies and fruit? Mine loved oranges, leafy greens etc... Clip the food to a veggie clip and they will love you for it.

[OinKY]

Along with a good diet (try baby leaf spinach),you might try Epsom salts at 1 tbls to 10g just in case there's some internal swelling in the cranium.The bloating may actually be the body trying to eliminate fluid buildup.
If it was dead center,immediately above the eyes,that's a very sensitive spot.The skull's thinest there and also some nerves close to the surface.Usually a blow there will cause light sensitivity...which may be why it's staying low and in the corner.
The rapid respiration may be simply the metabolism is higher trying to heal the injury.
If still eating (good sign),then go with high Vitamin C (like oranges Callen mentioned,or small diced green pepper) and plenty of B-Complex and trace minerals (baby leaf spinach,or the dark leafy greens Callen mentioned) to help out the metabolism and healing.

[Bill]

Well I have some bad news. He has stoped eating entirely. . He dosen't even move when the food is in the water. And he is moving even less.

[callen]

Sorry to hear that. I don't like recommending this but it may be time to put him down. How do you feel about that Bill? Do you feel he is suffering?

[TimP]

Oh, thats so sad to hear Bill.I'm sorry he hasn't gotten better.

[Bill]

I'm sad to report he passed away sometime last night . I'm going to pick up another one today.

[JohnL]

Sorry to hear that Bill.