# SICK Red Belly - Please help!



## ericabunee (Sep 30, 2012)

Please take a look at these pictures to help us figure out what to do to help our fish!

We want to know what is wrong with his eye. FYI we bought him with a damaged eye. The bubble is new. Is there a medication we should use? Will he recover? What steps should we take from here.

The second issue is his curved gill. He seems to gasping and panting. Can he survive this?? Any advice is appreciated.

The water properties are stable. We just did a recent 25% water change. We have been fighting an algae problem for 2 years in this tank.


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## Elle (Oct 25, 2010)

I can't see the pics you posted, can you post them again? Also if you can post the parameters that would be helpful. Is he eating at all, or in a tank with other fish? You could try treating with salt and melafix, or with Maracyn if the eye is cloudy, but without seeing the pics I can't tell for sure.


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## ericabunee (Sep 30, 2012)

im not sure how to get the pics to show. when i click on where it says attachment it shows the pics. i will try and get pics up


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## ericabunee (Sep 30, 2012)

ok i think the pics are working now.. sorry if they are too huge


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

The damaged eye may not recover, depends on how bad the damage is and the photos are not the best to really tell. What are your water parameters? To say they are fine makes this a bit tough. If you have been battling an algae problem for several years, this too is related to the water quality so if you can provide it would be helpful in solving your problem.


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## macframalama (Apr 17, 2012)

this is the cure for gill curl, which is caused by poor water quality, 
gill curl operation 001 - YouTube
this is an operation being done on an arowana the gill plate is cut off and the fish is sedated, aperantly it WILL grow back but i can not see how this would be a quick fix..I woiuld imagine that after the curled gill is cut off the healing and recovery time would be a long long road. Im not recommending this but this is what people do to correct gill curl , in my opinion your water quality has to be jacked in order for this to have taken place, like rastapus said if you have been battling an algae problem for years something is wonky in your water works.

with predatory fish or any fish for that matter weekly 50% water changes, and proper filter maintenance , and good quality diet are very very important.

further more gill curl isnt something that happens over night this had to have been an issue for a very very long time .

How To Treat Gill Curl? - Piranha-Fury Forums
here is a link to a thing on piranha fury about gill curl in piranha


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## ericabunee (Sep 30, 2012)

the water parameters are 
nitrite - 0
total hardness - 75
chlorine - 0
alkalinity - 100
ph - 7.2
nitrate - 20

its a 60 gallon tank.
both of his health issues are fairly new, only a few weeks hes had them


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

ericabunee said:


> the water parameters are
> nitrite - 0
> total hardness - 75
> chlorine - 0
> ...


The water quality seems in order, regular water changes is the best you can do. You could try meds but the problems are more to do with the previous water quality most likely. Cloudy eyes are almost always from some sort of toxic environment, with improved water conditions most of the time the cloudiness corrects itself.


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