Dying Platy -Help!

[marcybeth0281]

Here's my info:

Tank size: 4 gallon hospital
pH: 6.6
ammonia: 0ppm
nitrite: 0ppm
nitrate: 0ppm (speed cycling with filter media from large tank)
kH:
gH:
tank temp: 83 degrees (i raised it a bit gradually - i usually keep my main tank at 78)

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): I noticed (while still in large 46 gallon community tank) that he had a filmy haze on his body - looked like a fungus - so I set up the hospital tank, moved him, and dosed the tank with Fungus Clear and a teaspoon of aquarium salt. Next day the haze was gone, but he was gasping for air - a lot. Checked levels and all was well with a tiny spike of nitrite. Did a 50% change and nitrite was gone. He stopped eating. His last poo was stringy and white, so I began to think it was parasites instead. Next day he was still gasping and hadn't eaten, so I dosed with Parasite Clear. Today he is STILL gasping terribly and not eating and now he has tiny white strings hanging off his body. The strings are also on the decorations in the tank and wrapped on the filter intake. In a total state of confusion, I did a 50% water change, dosed with a teaspoon of Coppersafe, and added another teaspoon of salt. He is NOT flashing on anything, there is no mucus. He's not pooping at all now, so I have no idea of the consistency. Won't eat. Gasps all the time. His scales are slightly spiky, but not porcupiney. He's not lethargic *or* erratic. He's swimming normally. I'm so confused. I've successfully cured ich and internal parasites and fungus, but I just have no clue what this is or how to alleviate his pain. His mom died of fish TB a few months ago, but her symptoms were totally different. =/

Volume and Frequency of water changes: see above

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: just foam sponge and biowheel. No carbon. Stresscoat conditioner.

Tank inhabitants: just him, a plastic plant, and a plastic aquarium safe decoration.

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration):

Exposure to chemicals: see above

 

[taffy1]

Sorry to hear that your Platy is unwell. I just lost one to TB today He was in perfect health a week ago, and dead today. I have a Betta from the same tank that I suspect she has it. She's had the red gills for quite a while, but shows no other symptoms at all (which kind of has be hoping that perhaps she doesn't have TB herself).

I agree that the symptoms do not really fit classical TB symptoms, but I would not rule it out completely, since he might have gotten it from his mom. Symptoms are not always as pronounced, especially in early stages; and especially if he's a redish or orange color fish - in which case he could possibly hide the redish color gills.

The cottony haze could be either a fungal or a bacterial infection. If it started around the mouth or head area, that could be cotton mouth disease, which most of the the time is a bacterial infection - although it's often assumed to be fungal, it's only on rare occasions that it is.

The raised scales could be a sigh of Dropsy - which is not an actual disease in and of itself, but rather a symptom some other type of disease....possibly TB, but most often you will see the other classic TB weight loss and skeletal deformities prior to seeing the scales raised. This has me thinking (as you mention), that TB is probably not the cause of this dropsy problem. Both the cottony haze as well may be more a symptom of something else. If he's not feeling good, or is stressed in some other ways, it would make him more susceptible to other things.

You have already treated for potential parasites as well as fungal infections. If he is still doing as poor as you describe, then I would suggest you try a broad spectrum antibiotic to help. It may be too late though, since he's already stopped eating, and is having trouble breathing. Most often it is too late to save them by this time. But if you do have antibiotics on hand, there is no harm in trying. Just make sure the water parameters are really good before you begin treatment...as poor water quality can be a rapid killer as well, especially when using antibiotics!

If you happen to have streptomycin or Kanamycin on hand, you might want to use that. These are about the only two that have any hope of killing the macrobaterium (TB). I'm looking for that to try to help my little Betta girl, but that seems harder to find than most many

Good luck with the little Platy!!

 

[marcybeth0281]

He *is* an orange platy - so you are right. I may not see the inflamed spots if there are any.

This morning he is still gasping but he has less threadlike things hanging on him.I think the coppersafe helped that. But still gasping. Not sure whether to dose with an antibiotic at this point or let it run its course. =/ I've actually never done a general antibiotic before. Where do you get the meds?

Oh, and the hazy film did not start at the mouth. It was on the sides of his body, so I had ruled out cotton-mouth.

 

[taffy1]

I'm not certain where you would get what antibiotics, as this can vary depending on where you live. In North America we can get various antibiotics for aquarium use from our LFS, but some of the more controlled antibiotics that one would need to treat TB would only be prescribed by a vet that deals with fish, though I don't know of any in my area. For normal fish problems, we can get Maracyn or Maracyn Two, some type of capsule containing small amounts of metronidazole (sp). from the LFS. These can be used to treat the normal fish problems such as fin/tail rot, ich, dropsy, etc.; but would have no effect on the tougher bacteria such as the macrobaterium

 

[marcybeth0281]

Update - please help if so inclined.

Came home from work and his "white strings" were worse. Tested the water, and the ammonia was spiked to .50ppm. Did a 75% water change and added salt again. Not sure what is going on. He's thrashing more now and still gasping. He's getting slightly U-shaped, so perhaps it is TB.

I attached a pic to show (as best I could) the white strings hanging off him. It looks now almost like he has a sunburn and is peeling. It has that sort of look....like peeling skin. The ammonia is fine now though,so it's not burning, I don't think.

 

[marcybeth0281]

bump.

 

[taffy1]

I sent a reply to this last night, but it seems it didn't get posted.

I'm sorry to say that it sounds as though the little guy is unlikely to make it The ammonia spike to 0.5 can be deadly, especially to fish that are already ill. If it is TB, it's likely too far gone even if you could find the right antibiotics...as there is none that is guaranteed to eradicate the macrobacterium. If he was in the same tank as his mom at all when she was sick, then he may well have picked it up, even if you had cleaned the tank with bleach and alcohol immediately after her death.

The platy of mine that died of TB a few days ago started having more unrelated problems, especially as the disease progressed. Although, I'd been treating the tank for ich for more than a week; and it was a week since it seemed all clear, it reappeared on the platy again the day before he died. He'd also had a couple of raised scales, which may have suggested dropsy. I think as he got more and more ill, he just could not fight off anything at all. It sounds like it's the same with your little guy, whether it is TB or not. If it is TB, once the skeletal deformities appear, no treatment would be successful.

I wish you the best of luck, but it sounds like your little guy is on his last legs I do hope I am wrong though!

 

[marcybeth0281]

I keep holding out hope! He's still swimming OK and although he is gasping, he looks better and has less white threads on him. The ammonia is under control now. I know it's just because the hospital tank is so small, and it's trying to speed cycle. Ugh, but what can you do?

This is actually a brand new hospital tank. After we lost momma to TB, we decided to pull the plug on the old one and replace everything. So this tank and decorations should have no trace of TB (unless, of course, this guy has it now). I haven't seen any spine deformities yet. He's swimming clamped a bit sometimes, so I keep thinking I see some, but it's just an altered swimming position.

I put a rush order on some Paraguard, as that fights all parasitic, fungal, and viral infections....and hopefully that might help. Till then, I have been using Parasite Clear, as I'm pretty sure he at LEAST has an internal parasite since he will not eat.

I'm always sad to see a fish go, although I have to say - this little #28### has always been a frustration. He was such an alpha-aggressive male and bothered all the females in my tank. Perhaps this is karma - haha.

 

[taffy1]

Always good to hold out hope. He might pull through, although his not eating is not a great sign. It means he's not feeling good, but does not necessarily mean a parasite infection. Although there is no harm in treating for that. Afterward, you can also try a broad spectrum antibiotic just in case there is some treatable bacterial infection. My TB guy tried to eat until almost the end, even after the curved spine. The day after he stopped eating, he was gone. With him it came on sooo quick. He went from being perfectly healthy to being dead in less than a week....even TB doesn't normally kill that fast.

If he does pull through, you'll need to have a serious chat with him about karma!