sandaz Posted May 5, 2013 Report Share Posted May 5, 2013 I've been battling something in my tank for the last month. Have a fish die every day or two with various symptoms. History of it all can be found here viewtopic.php?f=4&t=63068 So originally started thinking my nitrate was off the chart but turned out to be a faulty test. Though nitrate levels were increased (20ppm) it wasn't as bad as thought. About a month ago I bought some new fish. I've pretty much worked out it was when the problems started. Stupid me didn't have quarantine tank, something I now hugely regret but corrected that today. The patterns are pretty similar with each fish dying. They stop eating, become lethargic and is then found at the bottom belly up. My glass cats turned opaque before dying. A couple of my dwarf leaches had really swollen abdomens. Currently a few show signs of fin rot and I now have a gourami with hole in the head disease. One of the rummy noses have gone dark grey in colour and have a white growth by his eye. And my another(harlequin tetra) has a white spot on his tail fin. So far I have treated the tank with Wunder tonic and am just finishing a course of prazi. Am planning a course of Furan-2 after this to address the fin rot going on at the moment. So I have read quite a few threads about applying meth blue directly on the fish. Is this something I should try for fin rot? Any advise would be greatly appreciated. I'm hoping to solve the problem before it wipes out my whole tank. So far I have lost: 3 x pictus catfish 7 x rummy noses 14 x neon tetras 4 x guppies 6 x harlequin tetras 4 x minnows 6 x dwarf loaches 1 x dwarf gourami 2 x discus 5 x glass cats Note that not all were in the tank at the beginning. Some were bought as replacements when others died. BTW All my water levels are good with Nitrite and Ammonia at zero and Nitrate at 5ppm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleDutch Posted May 5, 2013 Report Share Posted May 5, 2013 When and how do you clean your filter(media)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleDutch Posted May 5, 2013 Report Share Posted May 5, 2013 Can you place any pics ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandaz Posted May 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2013 When and how do you clean your filter(media)? I last cleaned it out a month ago. Do 30% water changes weekly (well that was before everything started going wrong and it's now all over the place) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandaz Posted May 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2013 Can you place any pics ??? Of the fish that looks unwell? Sorry just want to make sure I give you the right stuff you might be looking for Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandaz Posted May 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2013 Can you place any pics ??? Rummy nose darker than the others. I'm unable to get a picture of the white growth on it's eye as they swim too fast The suspected fin rot on my sword tail. Guppy fin is almost completely opaque Loaches just sitting on the bottom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleDutch Posted May 6, 2013 Report Share Posted May 6, 2013 Grrrrr, doesn't look good at all. Please read this article. Could be you've got a problem likewise http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Columnaris.html Greetz Aad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted May 6, 2013 Report Share Posted May 6, 2013 I also wondered that doubledutch, looking at the pics, but the variety of symptoms spread over such a long time doesnt mimic it very well. Columnaris normally presents as a whitish patch which develops rapidly and eats away. That swordtail looks very suspect though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandaz Posted May 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2013 Read the article thanks! Quite a lot to take in. So not so sure what my path for treatment is from here. Should I continue with the planned Furan-2 or should I do something else? Given that the last harlequin tetra has a white spot on its tail, should I help it go to sleep to prevent spreading? And should I give the swordtail a methylene bath or just apply it straight? And if I was to give the bath, can it just be in a clean ice cream container? Should I just leave the loaches be? My biggest problem symptom wise has been with the fish stopping to eat and just sitting. Apart from a neon that I euthanased none of the other dead fish had any open sores. The sores is a new thing. The gourami white spot on his head is almost completely healed up. I kind of just need someone with knowledge to tell me what to do. I'm over wondering around in the dark. And I won't blame if it doesn't work or more fish die. I want to be able to sit and watch my tank and enjoy it, as opposed to anxiously sitting there watching who's eating and who's not, who's displaying strange behaviour and who's not, who looks to be next in the RIP list... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandaz Posted May 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2013 Sorry for the rant! Just needed to get that off my chest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleDutch Posted May 6, 2013 Report Share Posted May 6, 2013 No problem with that. That's what a forum is about I think. I'm sorry for you and for me being just at the other end of the world, but i'll try to help you. Columnaris has a lot of different symptoms. White spots, finrot, (dark)red gils, fast breathing, dying fish a.s.o. I think it's a bacterial problem (Can be wrong offcourse!!!) and think columnaris, so don't wait and start treating with meds / antibiotics as soon as possible. It can't get worse I think. The mentioned one is one I think (don't know the meds overthere) Don't euthanise or outplace any fish before, because it's in this tank so you have to treat this tank with all fish there are. Mind that the good bacteria for cycling (nitrification) almost certain will be killed as well !!!! So after treating (read the manual carefully and treat as mentioned in there) ammonia, nitrite will get higher. Please measure them the days / weeks after, put an airstone in if possible and do waterchanges when the levels get too high!!! Try to feed very little in that time (fish will survive some days for certain). Less food = less pollution = less ammonia = less nitrite= less problems. Nitrate (uptill 40 / 50) isn't the problem by the way !!!! I keep my fingers crossed and hope my long-distance help is going to work !!! Greetz Aad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted May 6, 2013 Report Share Posted May 6, 2013 Doubledutch, the strongest medication available over the counter in NZ is furan 2. One shop brand in NZ has a licence to sell praziquantel but thats it. Anything more and you pretty much have to download the information and images off the internet, bag the affected fish, go to a vet and tell them what you think is wrong and this ..... (showing the pieces of paper) is the recommended medication. I think, if it was me, I would be taking the fish that still appear completely healthy out of the affected tank and put them in a different one for the next month at least. Then dose the sick tank either with a medication from the vet or with furan 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aer0 Posted May 7, 2013 Report Share Posted May 7, 2013 I would most defiantly be separating out the fish that appear to be healthy still, taking them out with none of their existing water (as little as possible) and putting them into a separate tank if you can. what are the rest of your tank levels like Ammonia, nitrite, nitrite and PH? are you getting fluctuation in PH level between morning, midday and evening? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disgustipated Posted May 7, 2013 Report Share Posted May 7, 2013 this all sounds too familiar. can't find my old thread, but yeah. mystery disease is mysterious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F15hguy Posted May 7, 2013 Report Share Posted May 7, 2013 I would be careful of running Catfish and loaches on that black silica gravel, its VERY sharp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr A Posted May 7, 2013 Report Share Posted May 7, 2013 Interesting article, looks suspiciously similar to my battles with finrot... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleDutch Posted May 7, 2013 Report Share Posted May 7, 2013 Thanks Adrienne, that's a little different from here. Here you almost never consult a vet for fishkeeping-problems. In the UK i also saw the med melafix used???? I think a lot fish are affected now and suspect the bacteria will be at all of them. I wouldn't seperate therefor and treat them all, but you've other experiences. No problem and they cam be treated afterwards if necessary. One way or the other : Something should be done fast I think. Greetz Aad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoFishing Posted May 7, 2013 Report Share Posted May 7, 2013 Anything more and you pretty much have to download the information and images off the internet, bag the affected fish, go to a vet and tell them what you think is wrong and this ..... (showing the pieces of paper) is the recommended medication. I'm pretty sure when I was a wee lad, our vet made a house call to put our sick old cat down. We thought the trip to the vet would be too stressful so he came to us instead. Don't vets make house calls anymore? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted May 7, 2013 Report Share Posted May 7, 2013 We have the "vet in a van" who makes house calls. Most probably wouldn't want to pay the fee to have a vet visit to look at one small fish, especially as most vets seem to get little training in aquatic diseases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleDutch Posted May 7, 2013 Report Share Posted May 7, 2013 A tropical fish taken to a Vet. It's totally new for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted May 7, 2013 Report Share Posted May 7, 2013 Doubledutch, in NZ there are very few vets with fish knowledge other than the basics. If you have a regular vet you might get away with taking in the paperwork from the internet and asking for a prescription but generally they will insist on seeing the fish as well. I have a good friend who is a vet with international experience. I asked her a few weeks ago what she was like with fish and she said while she studied fish in training she never has had one to look at and admitted she wouldn't know where to start. Some areas of NZ do have vets who have more fish knowledge than others but I don't believe there are many out there. Sandaz, phone around your local vets, its not going to hurt to ask if they have fish experience and would they be willing to help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandaz Posted May 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2013 I would most defiantly be separating out the fish that appear to be healthy still, taking them out with none of their existing water (as little as possible) and putting them into a separate tank if you can. what are the rest of your tank levels like Ammonia, nitrite, nitrite and PH? are you getting fluctuation in PH level between morning, midday and evening? Have done some tests yesterday and today and no fluctuations during the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandaz Posted May 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2013 Doubledutch, in NZ there are very few vets with fish knowledge other than the basics. If you have a regular vet you might get away with taking in the paperwork from the internet and asking for a prescription but generally they will insist on seeing the fish as well. I have a good friend who is a vet with international experience. I asked her a few weeks ago what she was like with fish and she said while she studied fish in training she never has had one to look at and admitted she wouldn't know where to start. Some areas of NZ do have vets who have more fish knowledge than others but I don't believe there are many out there. Sandaz, phone around your local vets, its not going to hurt to ask if they have fish experience and would they be willing to help. My local vet is also my daughter's best friend's father and I had a good chat with him this morning. He said all he knows about fish is the 4 lectures he had at Uni. And he is not aware of anyone in the area who'll have knowledge on fish. :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted May 8, 2013 Report Share Posted May 8, 2013 My local vet is also my daughter's best friend's father and I had a good chat with him this morning. He said all he knows about fish is the 4 lectures he had at Uni. And he is not aware of anyone in the area who'll have knowledge on fish. :-( That's because fish aren't livestock to be treated when they become ill. They're disposable decorations that don't go anywhere beyond $5 feeder goldfish kept in a bowl in a kid's bedroom. Which are then flushed and replaced every month or two when they die. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disgustipated Posted May 8, 2013 Report Share Posted May 8, 2013 &c:ry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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