This problem could be an internal protozoan (I have twice dealt with this,no external symptoms until fish obviously are in distress and die), internal worms, genetics, parasites, water issues...not an easy subject so I tend to stay out.
Emergency, fish dying.
- Thread starter Ben2522
- Start date
This problem could be an internal protozoan (I have twice dealt with this,no external symptoms until fish obviously are in distress and die), internal worms, genetics, parasites, water issues...not an easy subject so I tend to stay out.
I agree. I had a group of danios that wasted away one by one. Tried everything but nothing worked.
.Weird initI agree. I had a group of danios that wasted away one by one. Tried everything but nothing worked.
And frustrating!
It's not intestinal worms because they don't kill fish quickly, and the fish will keep eating while infested with worms.
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Breathing heavily near a filter outlet or at the surface can be poor water quality, something toxic in the water, gill flukes, gill fungus or gill bacteria.
Bacterial and fungal infections on the gills are rare and salt will deal with flukes, fungus and bacteria on the gills, so that's unlikely to be the issue.
You can test the water for water quality. Overdosing with medications could be an issue, as can heat and lack of surface turbulence.
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When fish stop feeding but show no external diseases, it's normally an internal problem. Internal bacterial or protozoan infections, or organ failure, or possibly a virus that affects their liver.
Internal bacterial or protozoan infections cause the fish to do stringy white poop. Organ failure will cause fish to swell up rapidly. If the fish dying are from the same batch and the other fish are ok, they could have a virus that is killing them. Or they might have been exposed to something toxic before you got them and their bodies are shutting down now.
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I have had similar problems with rainbowfish dying in soft water and it was caused by something in the tap water that was poisoning them. When I increased the GH, the problem stopped. I assume the minerals in the harder water neutralised the toxins in the tap water.
The only other option would be to take some of the fish to a fish vet and have them necropsy the fish and do tests to find out what is happening inside the fish. This will cost a bit of money and is not normally worth it. The Department of Agriculture sometimes has a fish health section and they might do the tests for free (for home hobbyests), but you would have to contact them first.
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Breathing heavily near a filter outlet or at the surface can be poor water quality, something toxic in the water, gill flukes, gill fungus or gill bacteria.
Bacterial and fungal infections on the gills are rare and salt will deal with flukes, fungus and bacteria on the gills, so that's unlikely to be the issue.
You can test the water for water quality. Overdosing with medications could be an issue, as can heat and lack of surface turbulence.
-----------------
When fish stop feeding but show no external diseases, it's normally an internal problem. Internal bacterial or protozoan infections, or organ failure, or possibly a virus that affects their liver.
Internal bacterial or protozoan infections cause the fish to do stringy white poop. Organ failure will cause fish to swell up rapidly. If the fish dying are from the same batch and the other fish are ok, they could have a virus that is killing them. Or they might have been exposed to something toxic before you got them and their bodies are shutting down now.
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I have had similar problems with rainbowfish dying in soft water and it was caused by something in the tap water that was poisoning them. When I increased the GH, the problem stopped. I assume the minerals in the harder water neutralised the toxins in the tap water.
The only other option would be to take some of the fish to a fish vet and have them necropsy the fish and do tests to find out what is happening inside the fish. This will cost a bit of money and is not normally worth it. The Department of Agriculture sometimes has a fish health section and they might do the tests for free (for home hobbyests), but you would have to contact them first.
UPDATE. for anyone looking as same issue. Due to the flashing and rapid breathing i have come to the conclusion of ich as no signs of anything else. ICH inside the gills on the barbs and skin of YOYOs.
Barbs, affecting the gills hence them dying slowly and before dying at top of tank. Their scales protect the body i assume so the soft spot is gills.
YOYO - constant flashing all 6 of them. Hiding all the time. Thought I also saw white spot on one of them hard to see bcasuse they are mainly silver... Not in gills hence not at top of tank difficulty breathing.
Salt and temp didnt work and it should have for all external issues which the flashing suggest. Decided to go in hard on what ever it is.
Full dose of ich x,. 30% water changed daily and re dosing until the flashing stops and then a further 4 days of treatment. Temp at 29.
Barbs, affecting the gills hence them dying slowly and before dying at top of tank. Their scales protect the body i assume so the soft spot is gills.
YOYO - constant flashing all 6 of them. Hiding all the time. Thought I also saw white spot on one of them hard to see bcasuse they are mainly silver... Not in gills hence not at top of tank difficulty breathing.
Salt and temp didnt work and it should have for all external issues which the flashing suggest. Decided to go in hard on what ever it is.
Full dose of ich x,. 30% water changed daily and re dosing until the flashing stops and then a further 4 days of treatment. Temp at 29.
Update. This yo-yo is still flashing. Temp 29. Ich x has been in for 6 half days now dosing properly. Why would this yo-yo still be doing this? Bare in mind prior had anti internal bac treatment and salt and high temp for 2 weeks. Gone through everything now. No more deaths but why the flashing still?
@Colin_T
What do you mean by 6 half days and now dosing properly?
You need the medication in the tank to be at maximum strength (for the species being treated), at all times for at least 4 days after all spots have gone and the fish are no longer rubbing on things.
29C is not going to kill white spot or velvet. It needs to be 30C. However, when using chemicals to treat things, you don't raise the temperature because the low oxygen levels, high temperatures and chemicals can overload the fish and kill them. When using chemicals it is better to have the temperature around 26C so there is less stress and more oxygen.
Hi sorry, 6 and a half days at full strength for the ich x dosing as bottle says. White spots have gone for a few days now. Only seen that yo-yo flashing. Keep dosing? I didn’t up the temp to kill anything. It’s to speed up the lifecycle of the parasite so the medication can do its work. Oxygen levels seem good no fish hanging round the top. Fish have come out of prolonged hiding since the medication.
Keep dosing for a few more days till that yo-yo stops flashing?
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