Albino Catfish dying--please help

[JustJack]

I'm new to this forum and don't know where to post this. We bought this house a year ago and it had 2 koi ponds in the back yard. They are connected and the water from the upper pond flows into the lower pond. The lower pond has koi and goldfish in it and the upper pond has an albino catfish that's about 3 feet long. Yesterday the catfish was fine and swimming his laps as usual, but when I went to feed the koi today, the catfish looked like he was dying. The temps got down to freezing last night, but he was fine last winter. He looks very bloated and his eyes are glassy and it looks like he's gasping for breath. I don't understand what could have happened overnight since he seemed fine yesterday. Can anybody help? I know nothing about fish but I don't want to lose "Big Boy" and I don't know what to do for him.

 

[clemsonguy1125]

I have no idea, but www.monsterfishkeepers.com has a catfish forum and there are some people there with a large amount of knowledge on catfish. Mods Im not promoting another site just suggesting it because hes desperate

 

[JustJack]

Thank you so much. We've only lived here a year, but my granddaughter loves that fish and she'll be devastated.

 

[clemsonguy1125]

Im assuming its a channel cat? But it could be a change in water conditions. Id check the nitrates, PH, and ammonia. Hope the fish pulls through

 

[JustJack]

I believe he is a channel fish, but I don't know for sure. I had the water tested today just to be sure, but it was fine. It was just so sudden. It was colder than this last winter and he seemed to hibernate and do just fine so I don't think it would be the temperature change even though it was rather drastic (it was just 80 degrees on Thanksgiving). I had put mothballs up on the deck around the ponds (long story), but I don't see that any got in the water and all the koi are fine so I don't know what to think. I did post on the other forum as well, so maybe I'll get an answer before he dies.

 

[clemsonguy1125]

The temperature should not have been a problem, btw which forum did you post in, I didnt see it in the catfish forum(under bottom dwellers), a mothball could be it if one fell in and dissolves. Id do a 25 percent water change asap.

 

[JustJack]

Wouldn't it have shown up in a water test? I had it tested today and it was fine. I found the other site a little confusing so I did a search for sick fish and posted there. I didn't see anything for bottom dwellers so I'll go back and look for it.

 

[clemsonguy1125]

It probably would have but might not have.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=115

 

[JustJack]

I posted it there, so hopefully somebody will have an answer by tomorrow if he's still alive. Thank you so much for your help! They do have great info on monster fish. I've been looking for a site like that all year, but I guess I wasn't looking in the right places.

 

[clemsonguy1125]

Theres a good chance you wont have to wait till tomorrow, post the word BUMP every hour if no ones replied so it will go to the top of the "new post" section. Glad I could be of help.