Help - Rescued Gourami Looking Very Bad

[fishnovice]

I had several fish literally dumped on me at 9.30pm.They came with a cheap big tank and were in a bucket with no heater or filter. Emotional blackmail I know but couldn't really leave them behind to die. The tank belonged to an old lady with arthritis who was no longer able to do water changes. Then the filter packed up and the water turned filthy brown. Fish included:
A. Two gourami -were in a very bad state when I got them so I put them in quarantine tank. They spent the first few days motionless at the bottom not even eating. Gradually they started moving and eventually came to the surface to feed. Having rescued goldfish kept in appalling conditions before I knew how to deal with this. However I noticed they have fin rot with bits missing on their tails and dorsal fins. Apart from frequent water changes with good filtration and aeration, what else should I do?

B. Large pleco (unknown species)approx 8in, currently in goldfish tank as I had nowhere else to put it late at night.Looks healthy and active but noticed a few white patches (oval 3mm long)on its head between the eyes. It's grey with black markings so I don't think it is normal colouring. Is this whitespot and how doI cure it? Can the goldfish catch it? So far goldies seem OK with no white spots.

C. Angelfish which sadly died after a few hours in my livebearers tank. Since then I've lost a platy and a male guppy (with no obvious sign of disease), which is worrying as I rarely lose fish. Anxiously checking the rest daily but they seem OK Should I treat the whloe tank and if so how?I have some baby bristlenoses there 1.5-2in long.

 

[Hagrid66]

For the white spot (if it is white spot) you can buy medication to put in the tank . Good luck with them.
Hagrid66 x

 

[Inchworm]

Hi fishnovice

It sounds to me like they all have bacterial infections from the poor water conditions. Clean water might be enough to do the trick but adding a little Melafix won't hurt and might help. If that doesn't do it, move on to an antibiotic or other anti-bacterial medication.

Here's an article about Old Tank Syndrome that you might find interesting.

http/www.bestfish.com/oldtank.html

 

[Gilli]

Well done on trying and good on you! - lots of people wouldnt bother. I would treat everyone with a broad range anti bacterial med (look on the net if you cant get to a fish shop) and plenty of water changes and good food - frozen bloodworm etc as well as flake which will help.


I wouldnt worry too much about the white patch on the plec - they do change colour according to the conditions they are kept in - mine got white patches all over and I freaked out but shes still with me 2 years on - still patchy and fit as a fiddle and breeding like a rabbit!

 

[fishnovice]

Hi fishnovice

It sounds to me like they all have bacterial infections from the poor water conditions. Clean water might be enough to do the trick but adding a little Melafix won't hurt and might help. If that doesn't do it, move on to an antibiotic or other anti-bacterial medication.

Here's an article about Old Tank Syndrome that you might find interesting.

http/www.bestfish.com/oldtank.html

Thanks for the link. I was aware of OTS but didn'r realise quite what was going on. I kept rescued goldies and the gourami in buckets containing their old filthy water diluted with 50% clean tap for 2 days, gradually adding 20% of water daily from my clean tanks for a week until they got used to clean water. You're probably right -putting the angel in my clean livebearers tank was too much of a shock and finished off a weak sick fish. Guess plecs are tougher as it seems happy with the goldfish. Plec had a clamped dorsal fin and hid behind filter for 2 days but now it's swimming actively with dorsal fin fully spread and even comes to the front of my tank. Just worried about the white spots on plec's head - pure white, oval, size and shape of rice grain. This is NOT normal plec colour change to blend with background which is more of a brown beige colour and in larger patches (my L001 does that on sand)

 

[Inchworm]

Hi fishnovice

I'm glad the article was helpful to you. Sometimes a bacterial infection will develop a white growth (fungus) on it. If this is the case, clean water will help but you might need more. I would suggest you ask about what kind of medicine is best to treat it in thePlecos Otos and other Loricariids section.

 

[fishnovice]

Hi fishnovice

I'm glad the article was helpful to you. Sometimes a bacterial infection will develop a white growth (fungus) on it. If this is the case, clean water will help but you might need more. I would suggest you ask about what kind of medicine is best to treat it in thePlecos Otos and other Loricariids section.

Tried post in Pleco section but they advised me to try Emergencies. Going crazy with worry that the sick fish in my tanks could wipe out all my pets, tropicals and goldfish. I'm begininning to regret taking them in although the gourami and plec are still alive and ple seems healthy apart from whits spots (like grains of rice on head) on a grey plec with black mrkings. Is there a cheap general medication I can add to ALL my tanks to treat finrot and bacteria and act as a precaution against possible infection from these newcomers?