Help, plague infected my tank!

[Chribela]

I call it the plague because..well here is the story:

I got a pleco from a pet store, and put it in my tank, it lasted about 6 or 7 days, durring those days i noticed my 2 clown loaches were acting wierd, so when i took my pleco's corpse out, i move some of my rocks around and find my 2 loaches, dead. so three days after i pulled those bodies up, i pull up a tiger barb body, then two or three days after that, i pull up another two dead barbs, and my iridescent shark has ich. so i put some medicine in for that, it looked like it sort of helped... then this morning, i find the corpse of my albino rainbow shark, my favorite fish, which ive had for over one and a half years(my first fish ever). and I just got home from school and I find another barb body.

So now all i have left is my shark, and 2 barbs, the shark still has ich, and the barbs are losing thier fins and I know they will die soon, my question is, how can I kill the barbs off really fast and painlessly? I heard something about putting them in a cup of water and putting vinagre in the cup(or something of that sort), and do you think I should do it to my shark?

 

[CathyG]

I am sorry to hear about your losses, it is likely that the plec introduced a disease.

I would not be quick to euthanise your remaining fish if they otherwise look ok. White spot is curable, it can also cause some ragging of the fins but the fins will grow back fine with a course of Melafix. Just do a search on Ich and white spot for treatment recommendations, and carry on treating for up to a week after your fish appears "cured" (the parasite remains in the water for a while). Also keep an eye on your water parameters given that you have had so many losses, you may notice a spike that will need controlling with partial water changes.

Good luck!
(And welcome to the board!)

 

[Tempestuousfury]

to the forum. Introduce yourself in the newbie section.

Get antifungal meds for the fin rot. If this doesn't help after a few weeks, you might have to turn to antibacterial meds.

Ich is treatable with a propreitary medicine.

What size tank? How many fish? Water parameters? The thing is that you might be overstocked or have high ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, etc. levels.

 

[Chribela]

I have a 20 gal, but i know my barbs will die, they are suffering the same symptoms as the other deads ones(fins beeing destroyed and just floating vertucaly and not moving) and my shark isnt moving at all...

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Are you running tests and doing water changes?

 

[Chribela]

I am doing water changes, as for tests, I don't think I have ever done one, and I have never had a loss like this before due to it

 

[Tempestuousfury]

There are multiple problems:

No quarantine of new fish
Stressful water conditions
Overstocking

The last one is no longer applicable, the first is done and can't be undone. The middle one, you are fixing with meds and water changes, but you need to do water tests to see what is wrong with your tank...

 

[Chribela]

Im pretty sure they are dying becuase of that damned pleco

 

[Angel Lady]

OMG I feel so bad for you another way you can rid your tank of ich is to raise the temp and add some salt. But I dont think Ich is what is killing your fish off can you mabey get a hospital tank for the remaining fish and try to medicate them with Maracyn or something like that You might want to check your PH. And nitrite and ammonia also. When buying new fish it is best to put them in a seperate tank for a couple of weeks to keep stuff like this from ever happening again...

 

[Dwarfs]

I would have to agree with Angel lady Set up a ten gallon with a good filter on it, and put new fish in for a few weeks or a month. That way you only have to treat the quarantine, instead of the regular tank