I wanted to update on this. The original post was on 22nd August and it is now over a month later ... more like 6 weeks.
I treated the pond with an antibiotic or similar from the local aquarium shop and had the water tested (very healthy water). After that the fish remained large but ate normallly most days.
However, in the last week or so the fish in question has stopped eating altogether and stays still, on it's own in the pond. Today I thought it was dead, as it was upside down. I gently touched it with a net but it moved, sort of angrily in a way and seemed to stare up at me so I just left it again. It hasn't moved since.
I feel much sadder about this than I ever thought I would, but I guess this fish is too damaged. I can't tell when it's alive or just staying still and I'm told leaving a dead fish in the pond is really bad news for the other fish.
I wonder if - given the fact the other fish are perfectly healthy and the pond is in very good condition with great oxygenation, plants and extremely healthy water - whether this is the byproduct of old age?
I say that because the fish was already there when we moved in 10 years ago and was a decent size then.
Any comments or help / experience from anybody here would be good at this time.
Yes, they do become pets and it is very sad to see them ill and old. Yours is a good age.
I have had this problem in the past. I would fill a very large bucket (one of those builder’s buckets if you have one) with fresh clean water. Put a little pond weed in if you have it to give the fish a bit of shelter. Stretch some netting over the top to stop predation or to prevent it possibly leaping out (they can and do, even when they look half dead) Add one of the commercially available water treatments for sick fish (can’t remember the name now sorry) and leave it alone for a day or two.
would this be an attempt at curing ? or just making it happier? bearing in mind if it's "Dropsy" i'm told only early treatment works and I wasn't sure if was early in August ... definitely won't be early now ... or is this to isolate it from the other fish? I'm worried about netting it causing it more discomfort if I'm honest .... it didn't like the net touching it today
Posts
I treated the pond with an antibiotic or similar from the local aquarium shop and had the water tested (very healthy water). After that the fish remained large but ate normallly most days.
However, in the last week or so the fish in question has stopped eating altogether and stays still, on it's own in the pond. Today I thought it was dead, as it was upside down. I gently touched it with a net but it moved, sort of angrily in a way and seemed to stare up at me so I just left it again. It hasn't moved since.
I feel much sadder about this than I ever thought I would, but I guess this fish is too damaged. I can't tell when it's alive or just staying still and I'm told leaving a dead fish in the pond is really bad news for the other fish.
I wonder if - given the fact the other fish are perfectly healthy and the pond is in very good condition with great oxygenation, plants and extremely healthy water - whether this is the byproduct of old age?
I say that because the fish was already there when we moved in 10 years ago and was a decent size then.
Any comments or help / experience from anybody here would be good at this time.
Thank you.