chocolate zebra is all better(updated with two pics 16 July)

[mcrudd]

I saw today that my chocolate zebra had a little whitish (more see through than white) spot just where his top fin starts. It looks slimy, but when I lifted him out and felt it, it was not slimy at all. I was wondering whether I shoudl quarantine him and treat with Melafix or perhaps its better to treat the whole tank. Only changes I did was my substrate change a couple of days ago. I am concerned about medicine in the tank, because I have three glass catfish and know they are sensitive to most medicines. Could you please advise me what to do

[BikBok]

it wouldn't hurt to quarantine him so you can observe him better. I had mine in QT while he recovered from the ich, he had a salted tank and is looking great now. Back in the community tank.

[firenzenz]

and you can ramp up temp to 28-30 degrees which wont bother Zeb at all.

[phoenix44]

Could you post a picture of this?

Also, don't pick up your catfish unless you absolutely have to.

I would recommend doing lots of water changes on your tank. Something seems to go wrong with your tank from time to time, and speaking from experience, the best way to stop weird things happening is to do regular water changes.

[mcrudd]

Bikbok, it might be best hey, so glad your little guy pulled through and is back in the community tank

Firenzenz I will put the degrees up to what you suggested

Phoenix, I did not pick up my little guy by himself, he was sucking onto the bottom of a little bridge and I picked up the little bridge and tipped it over so I could view him, then I lifted it up so I could inspect it from closer, after seeing and feeling very lightly that its not slimy I put the little bridge with him still on it down in the tank. I would be too scared to even attempt picking up my fish. I do a 20 to 30 persent water change once a week, to make sure I don't forget I have it set on my Marina alarm. I will try to get a pic of him, by lifting the little bridge again.

Pic is very blurry sorry, will have to try again later, he swam of as I took the pic :roll:

[mcrudd]

Please help me

I am extremely worried now. This is what happened so far. I went to the petshop and they suggested to not use Melafix but Primafix instead. I have for the last week treated my main tank with 20ml of Primafix. All my fish are fine except for the loss of one guppy, but don't know if it was the medicine or just a sickly guppy. Now he looks even worse, I don't know what to do. I attempted to take another photo and this one is blurry but not as blurry as the first one, perhaps you could advice me. I am almost in tears here, seeing the poor little fellow looking like that Here is the pic I took.

[phoenix44]

looks kinda like heater burn.

[Jennifer]

I just looked up the Material Safety Data Sheet for Primafix (http://cms.marsfishcare.com/files/msds/ ... 111909.pdf) and it seems to be a plant oil that can be quite caustic and this is probably not helping the fish to feel better.

Unfortunately, if the fish has been struggling for a while, he may not have a lot of reserves, so just prepare yourself in case you loose him.

Firstly, I would carry out a rescue procedure. Take the sick fish and put it in a quarantine bucket/tank with a heater or a floating ice cream container in your main tank. Gradually over the next hour or so, change more water in the quarantine container until it is all fresh (and approximately the same temperature as the tank).

I can't see what the problem is, but honestly, without a proper diagnosis, most of the treatments that we offer are just guesses. The best thing you can do is reduce stress and hope that he can fight it off himself. There are some treatments we can suggest as topical bacterial/fungal/parasitic treatments (e.g. salt, acriflavine, formalin,meth blue, etc.) but if he has been struggling with it for a while, it is likely that these may be systemic (internal) so no a topical treatment may not work (and may actually create more stress). Treating with the antibiotic Furan 2 might be a good place to start.

[mcrudd]

looks kinda like heater burn.

I thought so too, that is why I am suprised that he is still hiding out at the heater if its burning him :-?

I just looked up the Material Safety Data Sheet for Primafix (http://cms.marsfishcare.com/files/msds/ ... 111909.pdf) and it seems to be a plant oil that can be quite caustic and this is probably not helping the fish to feel better.

Unfortunately, if the fish has been struggling for a while, he may not have a lot of reserves, so just prepare yourself in case you loose him.

Firstly, I would carry out a rescue procedure. Take the sick fish and put it in a quarantine bucket/tank with a heater or a floating ice cream container in your main tank. Gradually over the next hour or so, change more water in the quarantine container until it is all fresh (and approximately the same temperature as the tank).

I can't see what the problem is, but honestly, without a proper diagnosis, most of the treatments that we offer are just guesses. The best thing you can do is reduce stress and hope that he can fight it off himself. There are some treatments we can suggest as topical bacterial/fungal/parasitic treatments (e.g. salt, acriflavine, formalin,meth blue, etc.) but if he has been struggling with it for a while, it is likely that these may be systemic (internal) so no a topical treatment may not work (and may actually create more stress). Treating with the antibiotic Furan 2 might be a good place to start.

As I am typing this, my quarantine tank is busy heating up with all clean water, I will use the sponge from my main tank in the filter for the smaller one. Tomorrow morning first thing I am going to go and buy some furan 2 and start treatment, I hope its not too late for him, I will be very sad if he dies. Thanks for your reply I realy appreciate it very much

[Jennifer]

I will use the sponge from my main tank in the filter for the smaller one.

You don't need biological filtration in the quarantine tank since you will be changing water so frequently. I rarely use any water circulation in hospital tanks, unless the water is very warm in which case circulation is needed to keep oxygen levels up.

Good luck!

[mcrudd]

You don't need biological filtration in the quarantine tank since you will be changing water so frequently. I rarely use any water circulation in hospital tanks, unless the water is very warm in which case circulation is needed to keep oxygen levels up.

Good luck!

Thanks Jennifer, in that case then I am just patiently waiting for the water to heat up. Its so cold tonight its taking so long. I feel terribly guilty and sad that I now know that I am causing the poor little guy more pain with the medicine I used. I just want him to get out of that tank and into nice clean water that would make him feel better. Tomorrow as animates opens, I will be outside their door to buy the furan 2.

[Jennifer]

Just take care that it might be better to do a slow transition between tanks if the water quality is very different between each tank. Truth be told, I rarely do this myself but water quality here is very good and I do lots of water changes so my fish are pretty used to the tap water. But if you want to be extra careful for your wee guy it might be good to at least set him in a bucket with half tank water and half new water from the quarantine tank, just for 15-30 minutes or so. Up to you though.

[mcrudd]

Just take care that it might be better to do a slow transition between tanks if the water quality is very different between each tank. Truth be told, I rarely do this myself but water quality here is very good and I do lots of water changes so my fish are pretty used to the tap water. But if you want to be extra careful for your wee guy it might be good to at least set him in a bucket with half tank water and half new water from the quarantine tank, just for 15-30 minutes or so. Up to you though.

Thanks for the warning, our water is good, we are on tank water. I had a big emmergeny once where something went horribly wrong with a smaller tank I had first and I had to take my baby bristlenoses and quicly put them in a little container water while washing and refilling their tank with water and that bristlenoses are my two big ones I still have. I am positive he will be ok, but like you said I am preparing myself for the worst. I will be heartbroken though, its the little guy in my avatar pic

[mcrudd]

He is in quarantine now, phew what a relieve, only thing I worry now, is that I stressed him. I battled to catch him by myself, usually my hubby helps out, but he is working nightshift :-?

[Jennifer]

Fingers crossed.

[mcrudd]

Thanks so much Jennifer, you have been very helpful and understanding

[phoenix44]

do you only have the one in the tank?

[mcrudd]

do you only have the one in the tank?

In the main tank I have two chocolate zebra's and two bristlenoses. Its my bigger chocolate zebra that have the burns, the other one I checked as I chased the hurt one around and that one is smaller in size and had no burns or markings on him/her at all.

[phoenix44]

that chunk missing out of the dorsal fin looks like a typical hypan battle wound. one of my L066 had it once too and a few other hypans get it from time to time.

I think you should get a heater guard - like $10 and add some salt to the water. add more caves and more hiding space. There doesn't appear to be a lot of hiding place in your Blue Planet tank.

It just doesn't look like a disease, and I'm fairly certain it is not.

[mcrudd]

that chunk missing out of the dorsal fin looks like a typical hypan battle wound. one of my L066 had it once too and a few other hypans get it from time to time.

I think you should get a heater guard - like $10 and add some salt to the water. add more caves and more hiding space. There doesn't appear to be a lot of hiding place in your Blue Planet tank.

It just doesn't look like a disease, and I'm fairly certain it is not.

I will get some heater guards for my quarantine and my main tank, I will also buy more caves, how should I treat his wound then, should I still get the furan 2. They do fight a lot, but I never thought it could be so nasty. I am confused now. What do you suggest I do?

[phoenix44]

you don't have to buy caves. you can make some very nice ones.

go to a landscaping place and buy some schist. then stack some up as you like making caves.

In this video at about 00:30 you can see the damage the hypans did to a BN. a couple days later i found a dorsal fin wound on one of the other hypans too. They need their space from each other and are quite territorial.

[mcrudd]

Thanks Phoenix44. Could you please tell me what to do next. I have him in quarantine now, cause its not looking good as you can see on the photo. Should I still get the furan2? What type of salt does a person add, and how much? Sorry about all the questions, I just want to do it right, I feel so bad for burning the little guy with the pimafix

[phoenix44]

well id be inclined to listen to jen about the meds cause she knows about them, but if it were my fish I'd just add more caves, heater guard in your case and salt. maybe 1table spoon per 10L?

I don't really do ratios I just put some in, although my tank is currently salt free.

you just use normal rock salt.

furan is good to have on hand any how, and it certainly won't hurt adding it to the tank as it will keep bacterial infections at bay.

[mcrudd]

Ok, then I will treat my little guy/girl with the furan2, once he is all good I will put him back into the tank. I will also make more caves and hopefully when he is better and can fend for himself again there will be less fighting because of more caves. I am so new at this and its pretty scary. Looking after my cat is much easier, but I enjoy the fish more and wish it was just a little easier

[BikBok]

oh dear, poor little guy.

I had as BN once who got heater burn. The silly fish latch on while it's on the off cycle and don't realise when it's come back on and slowly burns them.

let us know how you get on, and do add the salt - my choc zebra was perfectly OK with the salt. Just remember to reduce the salt concentration gradually afterwards.