Aaaahhhhh!

[pnyklr3]

I have no idea what is going on with one of my balas. Yesterday I noticed that most of its fins have read streaks in the parts that were once transparent. What gives? I'm assuming that color-enhancing foods only enhance colors the fish already have (and nothing has changed in their diet). Should I be worried? It is acting normally, swimming fine, and shows no signs of stress. It almost looks as if it is blood streaking through the fins. Please Help!

~Jade

 

[Matty]

wow, that's odd...i guess i'd better stop treating my balas with the tetracolour food

but maybe you should feed them frozen bloodworms. my trio absolutely love them!

 

[pnyklr3]

My community tank gets freeze-dried blood worms; Tetra Min tropical crisps, flakes, and tablets; tubifix worms; shrimp pellets; and frozen brine shrimp in any given week.

The funny thing is, only one bala has the streaks. The other two look normal. It is the smallest of the three, so I'm not sure if any of the color is realated to the food. Hmmm

Has anyone else encountered this or heard about anything like it???

~Jade

 

[pnyklr3]

Ok. So I'm not sure if anyone has read this thread, but now I'm worried. I noticed today that the shark's dorsal fin is looking a little ragged. I also think it is clamping it's fins (it doesn't hold them opne like the other balas do). Has anyone ever heard of these red streaks in the fins?

I know that these are hard to see, but I had to net the shark to get a pic (and I used a web cam )

The only thing you can see in the pics is the red on the dorsal fins (all but it's tail is pretty much red). What to do?

 

[suemack]

Jade, have you tested your water for nitrates, ammonia, nitrite etc. Possibility your nitrate has crept up and is creating a water quality problem.

Initially would up the water changes to see if that helps the problem.

 

[Matty]

I would add some biospira (the live bacteria) to the tank too after the water change)

 

[pnyklr3]

The water tested fine (nitrates, nitrites, and amonia are all safe). The bala is no longer clamping, but the red is still there and the fins are looking very ragged. Not sure what is going on...all the other fish are fine. I don't yet have my 10 gallon up and running...it was going to be an apisto growout tank, but it may turn into a hospital tank at the moment. I can't/won't medicate the entire 55 gallon because I hear that apistos are intolerant to medications.

 

[suemack]

Hospital tank would be a great idea. Have you added any new fish to the tank recently?

 

[pnyklr3]

I added a harem (4) of apistos about 2 weeks ago. The red in the fins started about 4 days ago. All of my other fish in the tank (clown loaches, britlenose plec, dwarf gouramis, bala sharks, black line tetras, and bloodfin tetras) are all seemingly alright.

 

[619 Fish GOD]

My lfs says its a sort of "blood stress" or so mething

 

[Lateral Line]

Blood streaks in the fins of cyprinid fish almost always is due to either poor water conditions, sometimes induced stress, or possibly bacterial infections. Maybe the new biological load spiked your tank? Without knowing how much reserve there is in your biological filtration it is difficult to say. I would do a water change anyway.

 

[guppygirl]

I thought the red streaks were called septecemia. There's medecines for it.

 

[Lateral Line]

>>> I thought the red streaks were called septecemia

This is "blood poisoning" in simplistic terms and normally bacterial in origin. As I said...

>>> possibly bacterial infections

... the point is however, that jumping to the assumption it must be disease is not a good idea. In the vast majority of cases, blood streaks in the fins of cyprinids, and to a lesser extent characins is caused by water quality issues. Cyprinids are a classic indicator of water conditions, and the blood streaking in the fins is an early sign. Some people who keep delicate fish keep a few cyprinids with them as monitor fish.

Chucking expensive and unnecessary medication into the tank will not work if the cause it not bacterial.