Paralyzed lawnmower blenny??????* *UPDATED!!!!**

fuzzylion44

fuzzylion44

Member
Yesterday I found my lawnmower blenny laying on the ground. He still has use of his front fins but has trouble righting himself and acts as though from behind the fins and back he is paralyzed? His breathing is labored but not too fast and his coloring has changes to dark. I moved him into a 6 gal quarantine tank last night and he is still living as of now. He did not want to eat last night and his stomach looks a little deflated? Also the one time I saw him defecate is was white and quickly dissipated in the water. His tank mates are 5 rose bubble tip anemones, 1 foxface rabbit fish, and 2 black and white clowns in a 72 gal tank. The only thing I did differently the night before was I fed my nems frozen silver sides which they all spit out. Then the next morning I found one half eaten with his tooth marks in it? Could that have caused it? The anemones dont seem affected. I have called around to aquarium stores and no one has ever heard of this happening before? Any suggestions? I added melafix in case of bacterial? Externally he looks fine not cuts, scratches, frayed fins........ Im at a loss any advice would be great! Thanks!
 
cam78

cam78

Active Member
I wish I could tell you but unless he eats he is gonna starve to death. Try feeding him with dropper. Put it in his mouth. Sounds crazy but heard of it b4
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
How long have you had this fish? What does he eat? Can you post a picture? Has there been harassment?
 
fuzzylion44

fuzzylion44

Member
I have had him almost 2 years. No harassment. and I have tried to feed him veggie food and all he wants to eat is those omega one clownfish pellets. He is still alive this am I will try to get a pic up when I get back from work.
 
S

smartorl

Guest
Wow, that is a skinny blenny....... Mine always look like they need weight watchers.
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
Its surprising that you have been able to keep a lawnmower. They have a very specific diet which is not easy to provide. He seems to be breathing heavily.
What are your water readings?
 
fuzzylion44

fuzzylion44

Member
Right now he is in a 6 gal quarantine tank that I threw together really fast using half new water and the other half old water from his original tank. The water quality has no issues in the 72 gal other than the nitrate are always high and no matter how many water changes I do they just wont stay under control. I offered him various veggie diets, flake and algae sheets but he only wanted to eat the omega one pellets I gave the clownfish. (the foxface eats them too?) Yea he only started breathing heavily when I found him lying on the ground monday night. He had been fine the day before I watched him eat fine.
 
cam78

cam78

Active Member
I got ssomething for you. Google Swim Bladder disease. Sounds like the problem. Try feeding it a single, cooked, green pea. The fiber will make the fish poop, which is likely the cause.
 
fuzzylion44

fuzzylion44

Member
I will def check that out thank you so much! His color does look much better today and also he is moving around better too. He still wont eat though. How would you recommend feeding the pea to him? I tried using a dropper yesterday and he backs up and violently shakes his head back and forth. I am still treating the water with melafix is there anything else that you would suggest treating him with medical wise? Or maybe doing another small water change? Thanks!!!!!!!!
 
cam78

cam78

Active Member
Well if its swim bladder they won't eat until the intestants straighten out. Could be constipated from food or gas bubble. I am not saying this is what it is but looks like the symptoms. Drop the pea in front of him and just see if he eats it later on. If you are using a medication and appears to be helping him, keep it up. Can't hurt I assume at this point. Whatever Med you have make sure it covers a large range of diseases, bacterias, or whatever else it could be. He's on the death bed anyway so anything and everything cccan't do much more damage.
Hopefully it is this swim bladder thing. That cures itself
 
fuzzylion44

fuzzylion44

Member
ok well i put the pea in and he seemed a little interested. But his poop/pee is still an issue. I read where white and/or stringy poop is a sign of internal parasites. If this is so what would be a good recommendation of a medication to put him on and would it contradict or have a negative effect since I am using melafix. By the way he is moving around much better today all over the 6 gal tank. I know his outlook may be bleak and hes just a fish but i love him and treat him like any non fish pet and I will try whatever it takes to make him better.......I still have hope even if his chances are zero to none........
 
teresaq

teresaq

Active Member
Will he eat live brine? you could gut load them with worming meds. I can look up what they use to worm ild caught seahorses, should work for fish the same. Let me know.
T
 
fuzzylion44

fuzzylion44

Member
whats the name f the worming meds? I do not have live brine but I do have the stuff to hatch them I was saving them for when my clowns actually stopped eating their babies 6+ months and they are still eating them lol
 
fuzzylion44

fuzzylion44

Member
Hey guys just wanted to give you an update! I continued treating him with melafix, changed his diet, and did some water changes in his quarantine tank.I tried to hatch brine shrimp lol but it didnt work....im sure I did something wrong lol...... Let me know what you think! :)
 
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