I need some help. Regardless of everything I do, I cannot seem to keep bluespotted sunfish alive in my 30 gallon aquarium. There are 2 places around my area that I can catch them. One is a 100 acre lake. The other is a medium to large size creek with swift water and a few little small slack water pools. So far this summer, I've caught numerous bluespots ranging from 1 half inch up to 3 inches. I originally started out keeping them in a species tank but one by one, they would all develop fin rot and die. I treated the water with medication, performed 30% water changes every few days, changed the filters every couple of weeks and quarantined the fish but nothing has helped. I have completely changed the water and let it the tank sit for a couple weeks before adding a small mud sunfish and 2 small bullheads. The mud sunfish and the bull heads have done great. They eat regularly, look healthy and are active. About 2 weeks ago, I caught 2 bluespots that were about 2 inches long. After a few days, they seemed to acclimate well. They were active, eating well and seemed healthy. All of a sudden, I found 1 dead. The next day, the other one was dead. It appeared they had fin rot again. Neither the mud sunfish nor the bullheads appear to have any ill effects but again, my blue spots are dead. None of my other fish in any of my other tanks seem to be affected by this disease. Most of the fish I have have all been caught from the same waters as the blue spots. I'm so frustrated. Can anyone help me find a way to keep these neat little guys alive? Thanks for any help.
Bluespotted Sunfish Help
Started by
Guest_phishnter_*
, Aug 28 2013 07:41 PM
7 replies to this topic
#2
Guest_Dustin_*
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Posted 28 August 2013 - 07:58 PM
Add a heaping tablespoon of kosher salt per 5 gallons. Be sure to add it back with each water change. This should do the trick.
#3
Guest_phishnter_*
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Posted 28 August 2013 - 09:46 PM
OK. Thank you. Ill try that, although I have read that adding salt to aquarium water can be fatal to my bullheads. Even a small amount, so I've been reluctant to try it. Do you think they will be OK?
#4
littlen
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Posted 29 August 2013 - 06:59 AM
As Dustin said, a little salt could help a lot. Your catfish will be fine. There is obviously something that your Bluespots are more prone to than your other fish which is why they are fine while your Blues continue to die. Summer can be a poor time to capture/transport fish as their 'pathogen load' is much higher during the warmer months. If you are determined to get more, try adding a little salt to the transport bucket even before you capture your first fish.
Nick L.
#5
Guest_Dustin_*
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Posted 29 August 2013 - 07:27 AM
Like Nick said, the catfish will be perfectly fine at this level. I maintain them with a fair amount more salt than this and have never had any issues. Just as an aside, I use roughly a palm full per 5ish gallons, but I typically am putting far more fish in a container than would normally be advised.
#6
Guest_phishnter_*
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Posted 29 August 2013 - 08:20 AM
OK. I'll start using salt regularly. Thank you guys so much for the advice.
#7
Guest_gerald_*
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Posted 29 August 2013 - 10:29 AM
The damage begins immediately upon capture, especially in soft water with low ion content. The adrenaline rush from being caught causes fish to lose ions rapidly from their skin and gills, which invites bacteria and fungi to attack (especially Fleibacter, aka Columnaris). That's why salt IN the collecting bucket before you start fishing helps.
Regarding salt in the aquarium, you don't need to keep it salty permanently - just for the first week or so after adding new fish if you suspect they've suffered collecting/transport stress.
Regarding salt in the aquarium, you don't need to keep it salty permanently - just for the first week or so after adding new fish if you suspect they've suffered collecting/transport stress.
#8
Guest_phishnter_*
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Posted 29 August 2013 - 12:59 PM
OK so a little bit of salt in the collection container and I should put about 1 tablespoon of salt per 5 gallons when changing water and adding new fish. Got it. Thank you all.
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