Help Needed! Very Sick Fish

[Prime Ordeal]

In that case don't redose at all today and continue with the next five day's treatment if you think it needs it.

 

[flaxinn]

Great...Thanks again!!

 

[flaxinn]

Everytime I do a water change my fish go crazy. Darting around the tank running into the walls or hiding in a corner with clamped fins. What would cause this? I tempature match my water, I treat with Prime and add cycle.

 

[This Old Spouse]

How often do you change the water? They might just be skittish because they're not used to it. With my tanks, when I do a water change I time it to be just before feeding time, so when it's all done they think they're getting a treat and don't mind a bit anymore.

 

[Prime Ordeal]

Everytime I do a water change my fish go crazy. Darting around the tank running into the walls or hiding in a corner with clamped fins. What would cause this? I tempature match my water, I treat with Prime and add cycle.

It could just be that they're skittish, as TOS suggested, but that's also exactly the response you'd get to adding water that hasn't been dechlorinated (if the chlorine and/or chloramine is low level). So perhaps a duff batch of Prime...or not dosing enough?

It would also help explain what is affecting your filter and giving you all these problems.

 

[flaxinn]

The prime says 2 drops per gallon (water changed) I use 3 since we have quite a bit of chlorine in the water. Is there a tester that will test the chlorine/cholramine levels? I do weekly changes so they should be used to water changes by now.

 

[Prime Ordeal]

You can get a chlorine test just as you can get ammonia and nitrite tests but I don't think it's necessary here. You can safely overdose Prime by up to five times. As you might have excess chlorine or chloramine in your supply I would dose at three times the normal dose for the next few water changes and see what happens.

 

[flaxinn]

Sounds good, I'll increase the amount of Prime I am using. Fish status update:

Gourami with pop eye and shimmys: still has pop eye but it's not getting any worse, shimmy is slowing down, but now I see small patches of white fuzz on his tail and bottom fin. Also clamping his fins

Tetra missing half his tail: Tail is getting worse, remaining top half is starting to fray and top fin is starting to fray

Tetra missing his side fin: no sign of the fin growing back and his other side fin is almost gone.

Platy with mouth rot: remains the same, I don't think it's getting worse

I don't think the meds are working!

 

[Prime Ordeal]

Sounds good, I'll increase the amount of Prime I am using. Fish status update:

Gourami with pop eye and shimmys: still has pop eye but it's not getting any worse, shimmy is slowing down, but now I see small patches of white fuzz on his tail and bottom fin. Also clamping his fins

Tetra missing half his tail: Tail is getting worse, remaining top half is starting to fray and top fin is starting to fray

Tetra missing his side fin: no sign of the fin growing back and his other side fin is almost gone.

Platy with mouth rot: remains the same, I don't think it's getting worse

I don't think the meds are working!

I think you're right. You need to switch to using Maracyn 2 as soon as possible.

Don't expect the fins or lips to grow back in a matter of days, you have to give it weeks.

 

[flaxinn]

I'm using Maracyn 2 right now...is there something else I should try?

 

[Prime Ordeal]

Oh, I thought you were already using Maracyn. Well in that case switch to using Maracyn now.

 

[flaxinn]

I checked with 20 different pet stores today and was not able to find maracyn in stock. I bought another round of maracyn two. I will do a 50% water change and run my carbon for a day and try another five days of treatment. I found Kanaplex online and will try that if needed when it comes in. I also bought an ammonia liquid test kit and my ammonia is 0. My PH on the other hand is a bit on the high side so I'm working to slowly lower it...so the only thing I can think of is too much chlorine in my tap water causing my issues???

 

[snazy]

I checked with 20 different pet stores today and was not able to find maracyn in stock. I bought another round of maracyn two. I will do a 50% water change and run my carbon for a day and try another five days of treatment. I found Kanaplex online and will try that if needed when it comes in. I also bought an ammonia liquid test kit and my ammonia is 0. My PH on the other hand is a bit on the high side so I'm working to slowly lower it...so the only thing I can think of is too much chlorine in my tap water causing my issues???

You can cause a disaster lowering your Ph. Not recommended. What's the Ph?

 

[gforce17]

Absolutely! Don't mess with your PH at the moment.

 

[flaxinn]

I cant tell the exact level. The stupid liquid tester I bought only goes to 7.6 and says that if it's higher it will keep testing at 7.6 until the level drops past this. I took a sample of of my tank water and used some PH down and it still tested at 7.6. Used another dose of PH down and it's still testing at 7.6. When i us a test strip it shows PH 7.5
other stats are gH 60, KH 80, nitrite 0, nitrate 0

I havent done anything with my tank water yet as I read it's really hard on fish and they are so sick as is....I lost my little platy last night
And my black phantom tetra with half a tail looks like he's about to go anytime now.

I did a major water change today. Put in new carbon and have decided to give the meds a rest since my healthy fish are now having a hard time. Sitting on the bottom or staying near the top and not swimming around much.

My concern with the Ph is that I also tested my tap water and it is at 7.2. So if I'm using my tap water for water changes then the fish are getting new water with a lower PH than the tank water What do I do? I'm starting to lose hope