Fish Dying- Wasting?

[aixsponsa]

I've got a 55 gallon tank, it's been running about a year now, with a nice mix of zebra danios, neon tetras, black skirt tetras, cory catfish, guppies, and so on. Basically a very simple tank. I change the water about 25% every week or two (when it's evaporated about an inch or so). The water tests at 0 ammonia, 7.0 ph, 0 nitrites, and around 20-30 nitrates. Up until very recently, everything has been pretty calm.

I'm pretty sure this started when I introduced a few new guppies to the tank. I've started losing fish at the rate of 2-3 per day- I've managed to lose all my neons, a zebra, most of the guppies, a glass catfish, one of the cory catfish has gone missing, and this morning a platy went belly-up.

Before they die, they show definite signs of distress- they become listless, and they look like they're starving to death, even though they do eat. I have a some pictures that may help:

This is a platy that's doing fine:

This is the platy that died this morning, as of last night:

I'm not really sure what to do at this point- for the last few days I've been feeding 'Jungle Anti-Bacteria' and 'Jungle Anti-Parasite' food, because the guys at the fish place haven't got a clue.

Anyone out there got any ideas? I've got another guppy showing signs today.

 

[breezer40]

Doesn't look too good but my bet would be on either TB or Columnaris.

 

[ADelphi]

I had two young endlers that went just like that in your picture, but none of my other fish were affected at the time.

I think we pay dearly when we introduce new fish in our tanks, they always seem to bring in some disease or other. Platies and guppies seem to be the main culprits

If i were losing fish at that rate i'd be tempted to get a microbiology report, so you're not guessing with what meds to treat with.

I hope somebody can help you.

 

[black angel]

Guppies are carriers of intestinal worms that show as fish looking emaciated but still eat.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Doesn't look too good but my bet would be on either TB or Columnaris.

The classic symtom of fish TB is spinal curvature, which the fish does not have, and columnaris does not look anything like that.

Any fish can carry internal parasites and guppys do not naturally carry intestional worms, symtoms do include wasting away but more importantly, an imflamed bum/anus is the most common symtom.

What does the fish's poop look like- is it white/string looking at all? I would put my finger on internal bacteria because livebearers can pick it up very easily and its most common symtom is wasting away and the fish having lack of activity.

 

[aixsponsa]

The classic symtom of fish TB is spinal curvature, which the fish does not have, and columnaris does not look anything like that.

Well, it's hard to say. I thought the zebra that died this way was more curved in the spine than usual. I didn't get a picture of him, tho. I figured he was just a little droopy, feelin' bad. The curvature you speak of, is it pronunced, or fairly mild? I'd consider the sick platy picture to be mildly curved, usually a platy has a fairly straight top from the nose to the dorsal.

Here's a shot of my next concern- a guppy that seems to be drooping some. I'll be honest- I couldn't tell you if it's drooping more than normal, some guppies just seem to be made that way. This fish isn't acting all that listless at present, she's just the one that looks the most like the other fish that have had problems. So far this fish isn't looking starved like the others. The picture shows some poop hanging, that may answer the later question. Her tail looks slightly frazzled, not sure that'll show up in the picture.

Any fish can carry internal parasites and guppys do not naturally carry intestional worms, symtoms do include wasting away but more importantly, an imflamed bum/anus is the most common symtom.

Again, I really can't call myself an expert in what a proper looking guppy anus is.. I couldn't really say if it's 'inflamed' or not.

What does the fish's poop look like- is it white/string looking at all? I would put my finger on internal bacteria because livebearers can pick it up very easily and its most common symtom is wasting away and the fish having lack of activity.

Most seems white and ropy, though I noticed one earlier that was kind of a rainbow- it had green for a length, and white, and kind of yellow. I thought that a bit unusual.

Thanks everyone so far for all the help. I did some research on the web earlier after some posts, and I don't think it's columnaris, given the symptoms, but the fish TB really did sound disturbing. Most disturbing is that it's zoonotic. I am going to start washing my hands a lot better after mucking about with anything in the tank- probably something on the order of steel wool and peroxide. (just kidding)

Oh, just thought of another thing I noticed earlier that may shed some light.. When the neon tetras died, they seemed to have coloration issues for a day or so before death- they'd get a big flesh-colored mark on their top just ahead of the dorsal fin, which would seem to spread. I took a few out before they died when I saw this start, because I didn't want the catfish eating any dead ones that might have had some infection.

 

[WILDER]

Sounds like ntd.

Not the writer of this information below.
Pleistophora (a.k.a. Neon Tetra Disease)



Symptoms:

Pleistophora is also called Neon Tetra Disease because of its high prevalence among Neon Tetras, although it has also been reported to infect most Characins, Cichlids, Cyprinids (i.e., danios), and all the carp-like fishes. It is characterized by a loss of coloration and pale, white patches of skin, particularly the strip of skin beneath the dorsal fin. Other symptoms may include spinal curvature, emaciation, fin deterioration and erratic swimming behavior.



Cause:

The microsporidian parasite Pleistophora hyphessobryconis. Pleistophora live in the muscle tissue of infected fish and cause degeneration and wasting of the muscle. The parasites travel through the fish’s blood, quickly spreading to all areas of the body. Pleistophora not only affect the fish’s muscles but all its internal organs.



Treatment:

There is no effective cure for this illness, partly due to the fact that by the time diagnosis is confirmed the fish is too weak to be saved. If more than one fish in your aquarium succumbs to this parasite, the entire aquarium should be emptied and dissinfected. Some aquarists suggest the use of a diatom filter to trap the spores of the parasite and thus clear them from the tank.

Pleistophora can easily be mistaken for False Neon Disease, which is a bacterial infection and presents with the exact same symptoms. For this reason, it would be wise to remove the infected fish to a hospital tank (while disinfecting the main tank) and treat them with a broad spectrum antibiotic.

 

[aixsponsa]

Doh. Now it's coming together- I totally forgot that I had added four new neons about a week before the guppies. I was focused on the guppies because it all started very shortly after the addition of the guppies.

Big question now- I have five black skirt tetras, four zebra danios, two platies, two cory catfish, one glass catfish, three guppies, and one pleco still alive in there. What's the chances of saving them? Any suggestions other than kill em all and start over?

 

[Raz]

Hexamita may be the cause, they are an internal microscopic parasite that will cause things similar to your problem and looks alot like neon disease.

But neon disease also saps color from the fish like a fungus.
So Id sacrifice a fish to a microscope and look for Hexamita.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Personally i'd isolate the affected fish and treat it with an anti internal bacterial treatment as white/stringy poop and wasting away is mainly a sign of internal bacteria, it does have some symtoms shared with NTD but internal bacteria is very common in livebearers- how are your neons looking?

 

[Ddraig Goch]

I'm not an expert on diseases, but I'd agree with Tokis-Phoenix and say internal bacteria.

 

[black angel]

Fish are thin and act listless - Internal Parasites or Internal Bacterial Infection. Tiny internal parasites or Bacterial Infection (wasting disease)

 

[tonilee7]

I have not got the slitest clue what could be wrong with your fish, but a while ago my fish started dropping of the face of the earth probably 5-6 a day, I went and saw my local pet shop, surprise...surprise they had no idea. They gave me an anti-biotic tablet especially for molly's and guppies. I went home and put it straight in my tank, the next day they stopped dying and they were the healthiest they had looked in a long time. Since then I have lost only 2 fish and that was over 4 months ago.

 

[tonilee7]

It deffenetly sounds like TB. Tetra especially get TB really easy, when your fish has TB it will loose it's appetite and get really skinny. They will also swim abnormal or there will be a lack of swimming and they may loose there colour and little white spots or lumps may occur on their body.

hope this helps!!!!

 

[WILDER]

Guppys livebearers, are very prone to bacterial infections and internal parasites, that why I no longer keep them as they were have way gone when i was buying them, if the the fish has internal parasites, fish tb or ntd, bad news strip the tank down and start again, as they all mount to the same thing spreading desease from fish to fish,that'why it's very important to quarantine new fish to stop this.