Diamond head tetras got something

[jollysue]

I can't really see any better than the camera. We are two blind mice B) .

I called liveaquaria (Drs. Foster and Smith.) They suggested a course of treatment.

I think it is sure that the neons havesaddleback. The saddle on the dorsal fins is a giveaway, The liveaquaria girl, Donna, thought that was the best guess too.

So we treat the infection:

1. Add an airstone--done

2. Finish the Mracyn Plus treatment (water change and addition of Maracyn Plus at days 3 & 5.) Maracyn Plus is a poitive gram anti-biotic.

3. At the end of that cycle of treatment add Maracyn Two (a negative gram anti-iotic) and continue with either Maracyn or Maracyn Plus.

4. Call Mardel before adding any ich treatments.

5. Add Garlic Extreme (an immune and appetite booster) and add antibiotic food. It won't overdose the fish but will treat them for internal bacteria.

6. Add the very lowest dose of Aquarium Pharmacuetecals aquarium salt. The otos will be ok at that level.

At the end of the second round of treatments, reassess. Actually I will reassess at the end of the first round of treatments.

The white spots are really on the fish and the fins. There are also some pattern markings that are the otos which are not clear either.

 

[jollysue]

The otos are looking a little better. They are not up at the top now. The grey one that looked the worst to me has been swimming in the bubble stream ever since I put the air stream in. The other two look better too and seem to be snacking.

The aquarium does seem slick. Maybe it's slimey. I really don't know. If the otos haven't felt well and so not eating, it could be algae.

The neons aren't getting worse I don't think and may be better. I will know more in 24 hours or so after the next dose in about 12 hours.

I let you know the treatment I have decided on so you can check it's effectiveness and maybe get something useful. It seemed to be reasonable given all you researched, I read and gleaned from others. The decision regarding the antibiotic food was supported by one of the articles you linked me to. Why I asked in the first place.

You have held my hand more than once now, and I appreciate it. I also appreciate that you allow me to use you but also consult others and make my own decision based on all I glean. You don't get upset with me or yell at me, but do your best to help me work through.

Sorry about the pics. I'll keep in touch.

 

[WILDER]

Good luck, keep us all updated, hope they get through this.

 

[jollysue]

Well, the neons are fine so far. The saddles have not spread and may be receding.

Another oto is gone. The third is weak and sunken looking. There were 4 in the tank. The one (I think), from an original group of eight wild caught grey otos that I left in the tank when I moved the others to the big tank, is still swimming in the bubble screen. As best as I can see he is still strong, but I haven't seen him eating and was at the top after I finished the water change.

I have done a 10-15% water change. added water conditioner and cycle. (I cleaned pretty good and was concerned that I might have disturbed bacteria. I know, no one knows if cycle works. )

I am waiting a little to add the maracyn plus. I don't know if the water conditioner (Stress Coat) would affect it.

The gouramis are still fine and showing no symptoms.

Have added the maracyn plus now.



EDIT: The darker, weaker oto is up on an artificial plant leaf now, although I doubt he is eating, since I boiled the plants. (I dunno, just dumb. )

 

[WILDER]

The third otto do you mean a sunken in tummy, check anus to see if it's red and inflamed, anything prutruding from the anus.

 

[jollysue]

(See edit above)

I will check if he gets in a place I can see.

EDIT: The wild caught otos have been through quarantine and are in the big tank. They came delivered last month, and I put six in the main tank, leaving one little fellow behind to suffer this. They all but one did well. The one died the first or second day. The lfs checked him and found no sign of worms or infection.

The ones that are dying are younger from the lfs. Younger smaller and probably weaker.

I'm going to for supplies now.

 

[jollysue]

The two little otos are still there. The neons are doing good.

The medicated food specifically states that it can be used with an external treatment in progress.

Everyone recommends a different treatment. That's why I plan to stick with the one I started. Let alone it is not usually recommended to discontinue antibiotic treatments before they are completed. Rear resistant bacteria that way.

Well, onward and upward.

 

[jollysue]

The neons seem to be recovering. The white saddle blotches are barely beginning to fade, I believe. None of the spots have gone to black.

The otos show no signs of saddleback any more, but it looks to me that ich is surfacing strongly. The grey oto is starting to dart and flick.

So, I have begun to gradually add a very mild dissolved salt mixture. Much less than recommended. It probably has added to the otos discomfort momanterily, but it may help the gill function and resistance.

I also added a minimum dose of Aquari-Sol anti-ich treatment. No one would recommend it, but I don't see a choice. The otos couldn't wait any more.

Even though the temperature for saddleback should be about 76 degrees, I am raising the temperature slowly to above 82 degrees for the otos. They are in the worse shape. Except for the blotches the neons are eating and don't seem to be in any distress. If the ich gets going strong, I'm apt to lose them all any way, including the gouramis.

The gouramis' only comment is,"Hey! What's with the funny food? Do we have to eat this too. We've been good boys and girls."

The otos seem to have relaxed now and no one seems in distress.

Now another wait for time to tell.

 

[WILDER]

Good luck, just keep an eye on the oto not the hardiest of plec, plus they don't like high temps.

 

[jollysue]

So far so good. There are still two otos. I have been keeping the lights off with the water temp up over 82 degrees. They are active with the lights off.

I was concerned for available food for the otos. The medicated food says to feed only it for the treatment cycle. Of course the otos can't eat that, I assume. So I took a large algae covered plastic plant which the plecs hadn't cleaned yet from the main tank and put it in. If I put algae wafer or cucumber in the tetras will eat it.

I have continued to gradually (a tbls at a time) add diluted aquariun salt. I mixed it about 1 tbls to 2 cups of water for a 12 usg tank. Two tbls are directed as the appropriate dose. But I just want to not overly stress the otos with the temp and the salt.

The neon's saddles are continuing to fade and their appitites continue to be tetra like. No one is in love with the medicated food tho.

I am still concerned for the otos but there is begining to be hope.

 

[WILDER]

fingers crossed, hope they make it.

 

[jollysue]

Thanks, Wilder. Both otos are still there and don't show the ich anymore that I can see. I don't know if they will ever really recover from their ordeal emotionally. I think otos, cories, etc., get the equivilant of PTSD (post tramatic stress disorder.)

I have a confession to make: after I boiled some of the decorations, I found the third little oto's body in one of the more bushy sticky plants. I'm not sure he didn't cling to it when I took it out and get boiled. I was trying to do so many things at once and try to keeo up with everything. )

The saddleback appears to really have subsided, although with all the annoyance the little neons are quite faded.

The food is an annoyance. It is crunchy hard pellets. I need a mortar and pestal.

Even the little trumpet that I put in the day before the outbreak is still alive. I was worried about him. As I said the Aqauria-Sol is very mild and not very agressive.

 

[jollysue]

Well, the crisis is past and all the neons have made it to the cleanup medication level.

The two otos are fiesty and looking good. I will continue another week of meds, possibly adding the negative gram, Maracyn Two. I did lower the temp to around 82 degrees because the little otos looked so miserable and the neons weren't too happy either. My trumpet snail is chugging along and the tank looks good.

I think I will stop increasing the salt at this time, unless I get professional advice to continue.

Sigh

 

[WILDER]

R.I.P. to the one that died bless him, that went through me when you said you might of boiled the plec by accident, glad there on the mend, keep an eye on the faded neon could just be stress for now, good luck.

 

[jollysue]

Yes it was shoking to me, too, poor little guy. But I really can't be sure of course that that happened. Although he seemed to be doing ok the last time I had seen him. Of course it doesn't always take much to do a little guy in. The otos are dancing around like nothing was ever wrong, although one is a little shy still. They look quite fat and healthy.

The neons are almost recovered. I can still see some vague places where there is still some saddleback. One has lost the tip of his dorsal. I will definately give the saddled back another round. I will call and make sure how mich.

I'm sorry it took me solong to recognise the problem, but I fairly pleased with the outcome. I lost the one oto after We diagnosed the problem.