Aurora
Tue Aug 02, 2005, 02:10 AM
Hi guys, its been a while since Ive been on.
I return with bad news. I had a breeding (was hoping) pair of Red and Gold Pigeons. One of them (the male I think) hasnt been looking good for a few days. He has been flaring his gills out quite wide as he breathes and hanging around near the surface facing upwards, but not actually breaking the surface. I did a large water change on sunday, hoping that would make it better. But when I got home from uni yesterday, he was lying on the bottom hardly breathing. Then I had to go to work. When I got home he was dead :(
I trying to figure out what it could have been. Because of the flared gills and looking up at the surface like it couldnt breathe properly, I was thinking gill flukes or something. But they have isolated from any other fish for about 7-8 months. I havent feed any live food in ages. I thought maybe it was methaemoglobinemia (high nitrite and nitrate, which changes the haemoglobin so it cant carry as much oxygen). The levels of nitrate on sunday were quite high, so I did the water change thinking that should make it better. But obviously it didnt. Besides is wasnt breathing quickly or anything. Just breathing normally but with flared gills.
So now his friend is alone. It was sad last night watching her. She actually leant forward and I thought she was going to start picking at him, but she started nudging him, like someone would nudge someone with their shoulder, trying to figure out why he wasnt getting up. It was sad :(
So now I have to decide what to do. Do I get another friend for her, but run the risk that they wont like each other and then they are trapped together. Or leave her alone. Or do I sell her to somebody who has a bigger tank and can keep her in a school with others.
What do you guys think?
Dave
P.S I have posted some pics. Ironically as he became more sick his colours seem to get more vivid.
I return with bad news. I had a breeding (was hoping) pair of Red and Gold Pigeons. One of them (the male I think) hasnt been looking good for a few days. He has been flaring his gills out quite wide as he breathes and hanging around near the surface facing upwards, but not actually breaking the surface. I did a large water change on sunday, hoping that would make it better. But when I got home from uni yesterday, he was lying on the bottom hardly breathing. Then I had to go to work. When I got home he was dead :(
I trying to figure out what it could have been. Because of the flared gills and looking up at the surface like it couldnt breathe properly, I was thinking gill flukes or something. But they have isolated from any other fish for about 7-8 months. I havent feed any live food in ages. I thought maybe it was methaemoglobinemia (high nitrite and nitrate, which changes the haemoglobin so it cant carry as much oxygen). The levels of nitrate on sunday were quite high, so I did the water change thinking that should make it better. But obviously it didnt. Besides is wasnt breathing quickly or anything. Just breathing normally but with flared gills.
So now his friend is alone. It was sad last night watching her. She actually leant forward and I thought she was going to start picking at him, but she started nudging him, like someone would nudge someone with their shoulder, trying to figure out why he wasnt getting up. It was sad :(
So now I have to decide what to do. Do I get another friend for her, but run the risk that they wont like each other and then they are trapped together. Or leave her alone. Or do I sell her to somebody who has a bigger tank and can keep her in a school with others.
What do you guys think?
Dave
P.S I have posted some pics. Ironically as he became more sick his colours seem to get more vivid.