Omg I Killed A Reedfish! What Now?!?

One of my two reedfish is dead!!!! I came home from work and the new guy (had him foir 2 weeks) was dead, his skin looked all "roughed up". Mr. Fantastic (my first one I've had about 2 months) was barely moving and I thought he was dead too but I think he was in mourning! He also looks to have roughed up skin. What have I done?!?!? It's been a while since I changed the filter, like six weeks. The tank is clear save for a bit of algae on the walls. I don't wanna lose Mr. Fantastic as well. Help I'm having a fish emergency!!!

-Dan

Edit: Since I posted this yesterday I went to the fish store & had my water tested. PH off the scale! Everything else was within normal according to the "fish guy". He thinks they have a fungus! I say "they" because now I look and I think one of my tetras looks a little dicey. He sold me Cycle and told me to change half my water, which I have done. At that time I added more algae killer and Aqua Plus. Mr. Fantastic looks better. Not good, but better. Thank goodness the fish store was still operating on its summer hours so that there was somebody I could ask for help. I'm a little surprised 40 people read this thread in Odballs and nobody had any advice at all, not even to tell me to re-post here. Just as well because now I have pics.

I can't figure out how to add more than one pic at a time.

Don't do large water changes if your ph is way out as it will shock them, best to fetch stats down gradually.
Need to look at tank size in gallons or litres, how many fish in there.
Stats would be good in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and ph.
Can't make the pic out at all, you say the skin looks rough do you mean peeling and it there any fluffy white bits on it, or a white dusting, can you just describe it more.
Pic have laoded up now, it looks like a white dust to me is that correct.
Do the flick and rub on things.

Ph can cause skin to go odd like that.

If there no signs of flicking and rubbing i would see what the water changes do first.

Look under milky skin.
http/www.goldfishinfo.com/ailment2.htm#milky

Look at this pic.
http/www.2cah.com/pandora/Disease.html#Velvet

It's a 20 gallon tank with 1 Reedfish, 2, Buenos Aires Tetras and 2 Sunset (3 spot) Gouramis. White dust seems like the best way to describe. Sorry all I have is a video camera and those 3 frames were the result of about ten minutes of video. I just spent another fifteen minutes to try and get a good shot of the ratty-lookin' Tetra but I just don't have the technology. Velvet seems like the best match based on the pics in that link but Mr. Fantastic isn't acting any different and he's not rubbing against anything. The tetra has kinda shredded looking fins and he looks like he's missing a few scales

Um, what do you mean by flick and rub?


-Dan

Where they rub or flick them selves on an ornament or plant, the problem not easy as bad water quality can show some of the symtoms, losing scales can be due to a parasite though.
Finrot can also be caused by parasites as they can cause bacterial infections.
For now though i would like to see your stats in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate, and ph, i would treat with a broad spectrum parasite med, that treats whitespot, velvet, and costia, etc.
Increase aeration and and raise temp slightly.
Read instructions carefully that you can add the full dose with the fish you have, and don't forget to remove black carbon if you use it.

First off, i'd like to throw in that a 20 gallon is too small for one reed/ropefish.

Second of all, yours likely has a common disease when it comes to ropefish. Same thing happened to the first one I had a while back. Scales turned white, fungus growth appeared, slime coating peeled, and open red sores were all symptoms. Eventually one morning I found it floating head up, tail down at the surface of the water. Red sores were all over it's body. I thought there was something severely wrong with my tanks conditions, etc. but after later research I came across a few places mentioning this happening with them. It's likely brought on from stress in some manner, but I was never able to determine the initial cause or treatment. A simple dosage of fungal and bacterial medications may help. Make sure not to overdose though, keep med levels low. After yout tanks conditions are stable to plenty of water changes, will help ward it from coming back.

Well, I just typed a mouthful, but I hope it helps in any way.

Wilder, what do you mean by removing black carbon? Do you mean I should eliminate the charcoal stage from my filter? What would that do for fish health? I feel like I should just get a a broad spectrum parasite med like you suggest. I live in L.A. where more often than not the tank is on the warm side. I haven't used my heater in months but now that it's begun to cool off perhaps I should rethink this course of action. Thanks all for your input. Wish Mr. Fantastic luck!

-Dan

Yes remove the charcoal it will remove the meds, the fish will be ok with out it.
Always best to have the heater on all the time as even in warm countrys at night the temp can drop causing the fish stress with the temp not being constant.
How is the fish any more white on him.

Yes he still has the white on him but I hesitate to say wether or not he's gotten any better. He's moving around plenty, perhaps more that usual. I wonder if it's because he's all itchy? I can't run the heater all the time because there are months in a row where the tank runs at like 84 degrees Farenheit. During that time the nighttime tank temp never dips below 80 degrees. Only now that it's cooling off do I have more reasonable tank temps.

Wilder & Flaminghot I can't thank you enough for your assistance. I look forward to posting something about the successful resolution to my problems. Wish me luck!

-Dan

If he's itchy and look uncomfortable get the parasite med in quick, as parasites can soon kill a fish.
But with him being a bottom dweller you must increase the aeration in the tank, good luck.

Nitrate: 40
Nitrite: 0
Total Hardness: 250-425
Total Alkalinity/Buffering caacity: appox 200
PH appox 7.0

Current tank temp: 78 dergees Farenheit

This was after I used Proper PH 7.0, recommended by the fish store guy. He said that Velvet was practically unheard of because most fish breeders include medicated water in the bag when they ship fish. I have no idea if this has anything to do with UK versus US fish breeding habits. Anywho, said fish store guy sold me Triple Sulfa capsules. I didn't see the reedfish getting any better so I added the 20 gallon dose. He doesn't look white anymore, just roughed up. First I threw out my new filter and put one in without any charcoal. I also took out the black pre-filter. Man that powder likes to float! It looks like Mr. Fantastic is actually enjoying swimming in the powdery goo at the top of the tank. My fingers are officially crossed. I'll check the tank temp in the AM to see if it's still necessary to run the heater. Seriously folks, I can't thank you enough for your help.

-Dan

Looks like you have some good advice here. I'll add one comment: the big pebbly gravel you have isn't ideal, and may be part of the problem. These fish like to dig, especially when hunting for food. With small spiny eels especially, gravel damages the sensitive outer layer of the skin, allowing bacteria to get. Almost invariably these spiny eels get sick and die. Now, ropefish are not quite the same thing in terms of build, but I'd certainly suggest replacing the gravel with a much softer sand, such as silica sand. This stuff costs virtually nothing if you buy it from a garden centre (a 25 kilo bag is around 3 UK pounds). You'll only need a small bag for producing a layer about 1 cm deep at the bottom of the tank (assuming you don't have plants). Your ropefish will then be able to dig to its heart's content.

One other thing. I'm a bit worried about your description of the tetra having lost some scales and finnage. Is it possible the ropefish is attacking it? They will eat small fish, and fish to big to actually be swallowed may be mauled a little even so. Regardless, you probably need to dose with finrot/fungus remedy for the sake of that tetra, if nothing else.

Cheers,

Neale

Things seem to have gone from bad to worse. Current tank temp is 83 degrees. I've left the heater in the tank but have turned it all the way down to nil. When I left this morning the tank was at 74 degrees and I put the heater in, let it stabilize, then set it 75 degrees. My water hardness is still super hard. The reedfish is breathing laboriously and not moving. He's at the bottom of the tank but from what I can see his skin looks a bit worse. The tank is CLOUDY! I'm pretty sure the sulfa meds were a help. I noticed a bit of red where the fins met the body on my gouramis and that seems to be gone today. Another PH test shows all within normal except my water's still SUPER hard. I was gonna get some water softener but I just went to the fish store and he recommended against any more water treatments for now. I don't know what the heck to do about my fishtank! I wanna keep fish, not kill 'em!

-Dan

P.S. The reedfish has NEVER interacted with the tetras. He's a straight-up loner.

The red on the fin can we take a look at water stats as if there ok its septicemia.
Have you increase aeration in the tank with the med.
If he's laboured breathing and aeration is ok as it tough at the bottom of the tank with meds, i'm afraid to say he sounds a goner, sorry.

First of all SORRY it took me so long to get back. I was out of town and then busy and...you get the point. So when I returned my reedfish looks to be OK! Here's a rundown of the water:

Nitrates: 80
Nitrites: 0
Hardness: 250-300
Alkalinity: appox. 120
pH: appox. 7.5

So Mr. Fantastic seems happy and well adjusted. He's even going to the top of the tank to feed, something he had never done before. My tetra is looking better as well. Those sulfa meds seem to have healed whatever was ailing 'em. They've also done a number on my tank. Everything is coated with white paste and the filter isn't working so well. Woe is me. At least the fish seem happy. Thanks everybody for your help and advice!

-Dan