Frustrated

[Retired Viking]

I would go with around 60 oz for 5 gallon 50 for 4 gallon (estimate)

 

[kerncake233]

I would go with around 60 oz for 5 gallon 50 for 4 gallon (estimate)

Copy that. This will be a good weekend project if nothing else. I’ll take it all down, dip and scrub every rock and plant, and get rid of the sand. Then will scrub each filter and the tank, then give it all a good rinse, and I’ll let it dry in the sun. Then, start over. Appreciate the help!

 

[Retired Viking]

Good luck and hang in there

 

[Colin_T]

Before you do anything, you should really get the disease identified correctly. Throwing anti-biotics are presumed ailments is not good for the fish, environment or your pocket.

Anti-biotics should only be used on known bacterial infections that have not responded to normal fish medication. Improper use and mis-use of anti-biotics has lead to drug resistant bacteria that are killing birds, fish, animals, reptiles and people.

I can tell you now, it is NOT Columnaris. It is either excess mucous caused by something in the water stressing the fish; or hole in the head/ head and lateral line disease caused by Hexamita. Most likely the latter.

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Metronidazole is the medication to use for this.
There is a medication (API General Cure) that contains Praziquantel and Metronidazole.

It's interesting that API and the Californian government have listed Metronidazole as a carcinogen. That's a concern considering it was widely used to treat intestinal infections in people.

Anyway, if you use this or any medication, handle with care, don't inhale the medication, and wash hands with soapy water after treating the fish or working in the tank.

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Before you treat the tank, try doing a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for two weeks. See if it helps.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine ebfore it's added to the tank. do the following things.

Add lots of plant matter to the fish's diet. Leave the tank light on for longer to encourage algae. Feed algae flakes and pellets, and various marine algae or marine green (a frozen food containing prawn, fish, squid and algae).

Don't feed mammal or bird based meats to fish. Feed them marine based meats, insects and insect larvae, crustaceans and plant matter.

------------------
If there has been no improvement after the water changes and you do decide to treat the tank after the water changes, you will have to remove the rocks to work out how much water is in the tank.

To work out the volume of water in the tank:
measure length x width x height in cm.
divide by 1000.
= volume in litres.
When you measure the height, measure from the top of the substrate to the top of the water level.

There is a calculator/ converter in the "FishForum.net Calculator" under "Useful Links" at the bottom of this page that will let you convert litres to gallons if you need it.

Remove carbon from the filter before treating or it will adsorb the medication and stop it working.

Wipe the inside of the glass down with a clean fish sponge.

Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate. The water changes and gravel cleaning will reduce the number of disease organisms in the water and provide a cleaner environment for the fish to recover in.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.

Clean the filter if it hasn't been done in the last 2 weeks. However, if the filter is less than 6 weeks old, do not clean it. Wash filter materials/ media in a bucket of tank water.

Increase surface turbulence/ aeration when using medications because they reduce the dissolved oxygen in the water.

Then treat the fish.

 

[kerncake233]

Good luck and hang in there

Thanks sir!

 

[kerncake233]

Before you do anything, you should really get the disease identified correctly. Throwing anti-biotics are presumed ailments is not good for the fish, environment or your pocket.

Anti-biotics should only be used on known bacterial infections that have not responded to normal fish medication. Improper use and mis-use of anti-biotics has lead to drug resistant bacteria that are killing birds, fish, animals, reptiles and people.

I can tell you now, it is NOT Columnaris. It is either excess mucous caused by something in the water stressing the fish; or hole in the head/ head and lateral line disease caused by Hexamita. Most likely the latter.

------------------
Metronidazole is the medication to use for this.
There is a medication (API General Cure) that contains Praziquantel and Metronidazole.

It's interesting that API and the Californian government have listed Metronidazole as a carcinogen. That's a concern considering it was widely used to treat intestinal infections in people.

Anyway, if you use this or any medication, handle with care, don't inhale the medication, and wash hands with soapy water after treating the fish or working in the tank.

------------------
Before you treat the tank, try doing a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for two weeks. See if it helps.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine ebfore it's added to the tank. do the following things.

Add lots of plant matter to the fish's diet. Leave the tank light on for longer to encourage algae. Feed algae flakes and pellets, and various marine algae or marine green (a frozen food containing prawn, fish, squid and algae).

Don't feed mammal or bird based meats to fish. Feed them marine based meats, insects and insect larvae, crustaceans and plant matter.

------------------
If there has been no improvement after the water changes and you do decide to treat the tank after the water changes, you will have to remove the rocks to work out how much water is in the tank.

To work out the volume of water in the tank:
measure length x width x height in cm.
divide by 1000.
= volume in litres.
When you measure the height, measure from the top of the substrate to the top of the water level.

There is a calculator/ converter in the "FishForum.net Calculator" under "Useful Links" at the bottom of this page that will let you convert litres to gallons if you need it.

Remove carbon from the filter before treating or it will adsorb the medication and stop it working.

Wipe the inside of the glass down with a clean fish sponge.

Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate. The water changes and gravel cleaning will reduce the number of disease organisms in the water and provide a cleaner environment for the fish to recover in.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.

Clean the filter if it hasn't been done in the last 2 weeks. However, if the filter is less than 6 weeks old, do not clean it. Wash filter materials/ media in a bucket of tank water.

Increase surface turbulence/ aeration when using medications because they reduce the dissolved oxygen in the water.

Then treat the fish.

Crazy, ok I’ll look into this as well. Everything I’ve read and heard says columnaris, but hole in the head looks like a strong possibility.

 

[kerncake233]

Crazy, ok I’ll look into this as well. Everything I’ve read and heard says columnaris, but hole in the head looks like a strong possibility.

Hexamita symptoms include erosion or lesions on the face, head, and body, and stringy white feces. This is exactly what I’m seeing! I’ll be treating with metroplex starting today, and doing water changes. Thank you.

 

[kerncake233]

Hexamita symptoms include erosion or lesions on the face, head, and body, and stringy white feces. This is exactly what I’m seeing! I’ll be treating with metroplex starting today, and doing water changes. Thank you.

Correction, with API general cure

 

[kerncake233]

Well, I’ve essentially lost everything. Whatever the hell that was progressed and spread extremely quickly and anything that’s left is not moving and I expect to die shortly. So, I now need to take the entire tank down and disinfect everything. I can’t risk whatever the hell this is developing again. I’m going to scrap the rock and sand I think and get new stuff. As far as the filters, the heaters, and the tank itself, what do you guys all suggest? Just get a spray bottle with 10 parts water and 1 part bleach and spray and wipe it down? Then rinse it thoroughly? Could I use Clorox wipes or disinfecting wipes to clean the glass and tank and rinse that thoroughly?

 

[JuiceBox52]

Well, I’ve essentially lost everything. Whatever the hell that was progressed and spread extremely quickly and anything that’s left is not moving and I expect to die shortly. So, I now need to take the entire tank down and disinfect everything. I can’t risk whatever the hell this is developing again. I’m going to scrap the rock and sand I think and get new stuff. As far as the filters, the heaters, and the tank itself, what do you guys all suggest? Just get a spray bottle with 10 parts water and 1 part bleach and spray and wipe it down? Then rinse it thoroughly? Could I use Clorox wipes or disinfecting wipes to clean the glass and tank and rinse that thoroughly?

Oh no! I'm so sorry! I would go with the bleach. We dont know what the other chemicals in the wipes would do to the fish

 

[kerncake233]

Oh no! I'm so sorry! I would go with the bleach. We dont know what the other chemicals in the wipes would do to the fish

Ok good point. Yeah I’m so disappointed but I love fishkeeping too much to give up. As far as the filters and heaters, could I just submerge them in a bucket with the bleach/water solution?

 

[Retired Viking]

Sorry things went down hill for you. @Colin_T is pretty knowledgeable about fish diseases. I would stick with bleach and vinegar as your cleaning agents. As @JuiceBox52 stated we do not know what else is in the Clorox wipes or disinfecting wipes I have been working on an used 30 gallon tank and using vinegar to clean the glass so I do practice what I preach.

 

[kerncake233]

Sorry things went down hill for you. @Colin_T is pretty knowledgeable about fish diseases. I would stick with bleach and vinegar as your cleaning agents. As @JuiceBox52 stated we do not know what else is in the Clorox wipes or disinfecting wipes I have been working on an used 30 gallon tank and using vinegar to clean the glass so I do practice what I preach.

Sounds good. My rocks are porous lava rocks and from what I understand the will absorb the bleach solution so they can’t really be bleached. Any experience there?

 

[JuiceBox52]

Sounds good. My rocks are porous lava rocks and from what I understand the will absorb the bleach solution so they can’t really be bleached. Any experience there?

If they are small enough you could boil them. Maybe leaving them to dry for a few weeks in the sun would work?

 

[Retired Viking]

I have some lava rocks too, I only have rinsed in clean water for fear that it will absorb the cleaning agent and later release it in the tank.