Spink Posted April 29, 2008 Report Share Posted April 29, 2008 Hey everyone. I'm hoping someone out there may be able to help me. I have a tank which I run specifically to raise my guppy fry. My last two batches of fry i have noticed problems with them, not initially, but a little later on once they have grown a bit. They seem to look a little like they have white spot to start with, but there are no real spots, and the dorsal and tail fins end up clamped up, the tail turning to a point rather than a fan. I first thought it was a reaction of the fry to me using Melafix in the tank, but I haven't used it with the second batch and the same thing has happened. I've researched through my books, the forum and the internet, and have seen a picture of Neon Disease or TB - this is what it looks similar to. My question is this: the tank didn't seem to be overcrowded and the fish were fed twice daily in small amounts, if not more often. How do I determine if it is TB? If it is, is it more of a genetic thing passed down from mum to sprog, or will any other fish in the tank catch it? I have pygmy cories in there as my scavengers, and I adore them and don't want to have to euthanise them I know it's incurable, and I have to be VERY careful of myself getting infected, and I have separated out the infected looking ones so far, but what now? Chuck the lot and start again, or cull the sick ones and hope for the best with the rest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumzy50 Posted April 29, 2008 Report Share Posted April 29, 2008 Have you tried a water change.Inotice with my daughters guppys tank it needs more water changes as they they breed heaps,and im not fast anoth to sneak them out for my turtles.Or to much inbreeding,as guppys do.You need somebody who has experince to look at them.Dont chuck them till your sure.Keep washing hands just in case.Good Luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DutchKiwiCowboy2 Posted May 2, 2008 Report Share Posted May 2, 2008 I only heard of TB in fish yesterday at my LFS, and since there is no such thing as coincidence it might have been to help you along. What I know is that if it is fish TB then cull the sick ones because if they die and others eat from them they will get it too. There is no cure for it so you have to be fair to the rest. I have only just heard of it though so I have no idea what I would be looking at, you'll have to do some more research on that. On another note: when I had guppies years ago I noticed that I was starting to get deformities from about the 5th generation of inbreeding. Things like bent backs, bulging eyes and deformed fins. Hope this info will help you on your way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spink Posted May 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2008 Thanx Mumzy and Dutch Kiwi Cowboy! I never knew it existed until I really got in to keeping tropicals and researching. Water changes - I do my usual 20-30% weekly, but I may change from that and do smaller amounts on a daily basis until I see more improvement. Inbreeding - I know that you end up with funky fish when you leave them to do there own thing - I always buy a male, breed him with my female, then move him in to another tank and get a different male once she has dropped her fry, so there's little chance of it being an in-bred thing, I have spawned some pretty munted fish though! Thanx for your help so far though guys! I think I've decided I will buy a another tank tomorrow and utilize the hospital tank for it's original purpose (it's currently housing my CPD's). My cory's from that tank will go in there until I can be sure they are ok, and I will keep an eye on the rest of my fry and see how they go now that all the ill looking fish have been taken out. Hopefully all will be ok, and I can get the tank back to norm before the next lot of fry arrive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted May 2, 2008 Report Share Posted May 2, 2008 word of warning fish tb can be transferred to humans, make sure you wash up proper after your hands have been in the tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spink Posted May 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2008 OMG I know!!! When I did a search on the forum before the post I read the horror stories of others who have contracted it and the ensuing hell they have been through!!! Very careful now, have a bottle of that funny hand sanitizer stuff in just about every room now as well. Questions: if humans can get it, can it be passed on to other animals as well? As in, if I gave infected fish to friend to feed to her axolotl, would it get TB get sick and die? Or of I happened to walk in the room and found my cat with it's head in the bag of infected fish drinking the water, will said cat get sick? :-? May be a dumb thing to ask, but you ca never be too careful!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumzy50 Posted May 3, 2008 Report Share Posted May 3, 2008 Hi just a thought,is there any place to get them tested just to set your mind at rest,maybe massey or maybe a phone call to vet just to see where you could send one.When i was breeding rabbits,my vet sent mine to massey to be tested.Mind you that was ten years ago,cost me then thirty dollars,but you could just check.Be careful.mumzy50 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spink Posted May 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2008 Good idea Mumzy, might check it out and see what I might be able to do. Thanks!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted May 3, 2008 Report Share Posted May 3, 2008 To get them tested by any lab that knows what it is doing is megabucks. I was talking the other day to an importer who got one batch of fish tested and got a bill for $1400. GUPPIES AR NOTORIOUS FOR DYING OFF. Piscene TB has the fish pinch gutted and sunken where it should be rounded by the back steak area. They normally keep eating but stay skinny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spink Posted May 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2008 Well, I culled off the fish that were showing symptoms last week, and the rest of the fish seemed to be doing well, but when I checked the tank this morning there was another fish doing it's weird little spiral dance with the pointy tail, so I guess I may just have to cull the lot . I think if it's gonna cost me mega bucks for testing, I may flag that idea - maybe just a good disinfect and sterilize of the tank might be in order. Can anyone recommmend a good way to disinfect the tank once the fish are gone? I usually boil the stuff in it when I have problem snails to get rid of, but what do you do in this case? :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumzy50 Posted May 5, 2008 Report Share Posted May 5, 2008 Hi i cleaned mine with janola,plants as will.You have to make sure you rinse every thing will.All my new plants i get i do the same,but just a third of a cup to ten L bucket for ten min.Then soak plant for the same in fresh water.Make sure you rinse will.There is some thing you can buy but dont know the name,its not as strong.Some body on here will know.mumzy50 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted May 5, 2008 Report Share Posted May 5, 2008 Spiralling is not a sign of TB. It is a swim bladder disorder or whirling disease, probably swim bladder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DutchKiwiCowboy2 Posted May 5, 2008 Report Share Posted May 5, 2008 I clean my tanks with vinager and paper towels, then rinse it well. If I need something stronger I prefer to use Cloudy Ammonia and again Rinse, Rinse, Rinse. It is a very old fashioned cleaner and more natural than most chlorine based cleaners these days. The only disadvantage to it is the smell. Although it clears your nose if you have a cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted May 5, 2008 Report Share Posted May 5, 2008 There is nothing unnatural about chlorine or ammonia. They are both strong oxidising agents. Cloudy ammonia is cloudy because of the other stuff in there other than ammonia, and some chlorine based bleaches have other additives as well. The normal stuff used to clean up plants is Condy's crystals (potassium permangenate) or alum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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