Guppies Dying/sick.

[cowgirluntamed]

Sorry, that's not exactly what I meant. Areas here were really flooded. My place wasn't. But we still got the same amount of rain. (Live on top of a hill). I just wondered if it diluted it a bit or something for a short time and maybe caused this when I did those 50% changes.

Other than doing a really good gravel vac tomorrow I may just try the aquarium salt route before another thing of antibiotics. And I my try to find a different antibiotic than the triple sulfa. I don't want to have resistant bacteria and that first round should have taken care of it I thought. At least it stopped them from dying on me more though.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

Update: I changed my mind on the salt treatment. I just don't know if it would kill bacteria or make things worse. I bought some API Tetracycline. Either Monday or at the latest Tuesday, I am going to clean the tank really well, move the decor to get to the gravel, switch how I have my filter around, add a bit bigger airstone, and start using prime. If this happened because of the old tank syndrome I'm hoping getting the flow going better and using prime(haven't been since its well water and no chlorine in it) and then treating with this different antibiotic that they will get better and heal up. I can take the snails out if I have to but I think they are OK with this treatment from what I've read. When I do my water change I'll try to get tests before and after it. I'll keep updating to let you guys know how it's going.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

Did about a 75% water change today. Tested the water before hand so here are those results.
 
ph-8.2
Ammonia-0-0.25(closer to 0)
Nitrite-0
Nitrate-5
KH-9
GH-10
 
So my water tests seem pretty good. I actually took everything out (including my nerites to a safe location...lol) and cleaned the gravel really well. There was one piece of wood in there that looked like it had fungus on the bottom of it and it was also in the gravel under it too. There were also black looking spots on/in the gravel but I think that was just detritus buildup from not cleaning the gravel as well.
 
Now I just have a bunch of stuff floating around the tank. I think it's part hair from my animals...oops....and some of the fungus stuff that floated into the water. I added a bigger airstone on one side so I could get better flow but now the stuff is just sticking to the plants. I may be taking some plastic ones out soon to see if that will help with the flow as well. I forgot to add my Prime condition so I will go do that now! I will actually start my API tetracycline tomorrow since I stressed the guppies out a bit too much today with all of that. I'll let them relax and recuperate from the tank cleaning.
 
I did not test after the water change since I did so much of one so I can get that done tomorrow as well before I start the meds. I'll post soon with more updates!

 

[cowgirluntamed]

Just finished two rounds of tetracycline and added my carbon in today. Hopefully the guppies will start doing better. I did two rounds of this because at the last of the first round, the guppy with the longest tail still had slightly white edges that when they went away, so did that part of the tail. I still saw some white edging...whitish...maybe..but I wasn't sure if maybe he is now growing it back or not. Amost thought it was starting to regrow. I'm going to do a bunch of water changes and keep adding prime even though I'm on well water and don't have chlorine. Hopefully it will help. I'll; ry to post again in about a week with another update.

Ps- that tetracycline is nasty stuff! Left goopy foam all over the place....mostly where my air stone comes out. But hopefully it did its job and killed the fin rot!

 

[cowgirluntamed]

Well, so far everybody is still alive and seeming to be doing good. Still not sure about the fin rot. I almost want to say the orange one's tail isn't as thin looking as it had been but not sure. As for the other one with the longest tail...still not sure if it's stopped or not yet. I keep seeing white stuff on the very tip and in the split but I'm just wondering if it's regrowth. I'll wait another week and see how it goes.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

Another one is gone. had to put him down this morning as he was stuck to the intake of the filter. Yesterday he seemed a bit sluggish at first but he was acting fairly normal later, just maybe a bit slower than usual. He was even chasing another that had been chasing him. Browsing like the rest. Not staying in one spot. He had the worst tail of the bunch and for quite a while he seemed thin to me. The three that I have left seem OK for the time being. One still has a ragged tail that I don't know if it will grow back. My orange one that seemed to have a thin looking tail I'm still not sure about. It could be gaining more color. The smallest one seems fine. Active as can be. He thinks he's the big boy of the bunch. I just wish I knew what was happening. Maybe it is old age and bad breeding but I don't know...

 

[HarpyFishLover]

 

[cowgirluntamed]

Help!! Now all three are acting bad(male guppies only)!! They are at the top of the tank, can't quite tell if they are breathing heavy or not. Possibly. Any time I go near the tank the poor things just totally freak out. They usually want more food! I opened a new thing of food the other day(same exact kind, seachem nutridiet diet tropical flakes). I am still getting used to the smaller feedings so I may have slightly overfed. But they also appear bloated too(no scales sticking out)! I'm testing my tank water right now so I will have those results again in a few minutes. I also have 2 anubias plants(Nana and nangi) that the leaves have recently been turning brown and just wasting away. I thought that could have been from the medication recently. Could it be something else? After I test the water I'm going to do a 50% water change. Maybe add some aquarium salt. I just don't know what else to do! What's happening to my fish??

 

[cowgirluntamed]

Here are the current results!

Ph-8.2
Ammonia-0-0.25(almost always like this)
Nitrite-0
Nitrate-10
Kh-9
Gh-12

Temp is around 76-77

Going to do a water change now.

 

[HarpyFishLover]

I'm not ignoring you, by any means, but I don't know... I really hope somebody with more experience can help... can you get a photo?

 

[cowgirluntamed]

I don't think I can get a picture. One is at the top but freaks out when I go near. The other two are hiding in the back close to the bottom behind the decor.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

Well they seem a bit more active. Swimming around at the top. I have a bunch of small white particles in the tank after the change. This always seems to be in the tank for some reason. Oh and I don't know if it was tannins from the driftwood but the water isn't as dark now. The meds I tested it with last also made the water darker. Body condition like the same.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

Hmmm..they seem to be about their normal selves now. Well, still a bit bloated but they are swimming around and grazing now like normal. Should I fast them tomorrow do you think?

 

[cowgirluntamed]

Well, they aren't any better. They've gone back to freaking out again and don't even want to come out to eat. Still a bit bloated too. I'm going to fast them today and maybe tomorrow(have to go into town today) I may take everything out and rinse it good and do another water change. I just don't know what's going on. Poor guys.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

Ok...I think I jumped the gun a bit....I think I went to the tank too early right after the lights came on and scared them. Left them alone and now they are swimming around and wanting fed. Still bloated though. Going to fast them still today and maybe give them a couple of peas tomorrow.