Help! Sick Cardinals

[jimboberdy]

hi,

i have had some cardinal tetras for about 4 weeks and have noticed that one has a white lump on his bottom lip and one fin. this wasnt there when i got him. it doesnt seem to bother him too much but i reckon it could be bad.

i went back to my lfs and noticed that another in there has the same thing on the bottom lip so i guess mine has the same.

what should i do?

28l tank (small)

1 platty
2 yoyo loach
1 shrimp
4 cardinals

please help

jimm

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Hiya Jim, did you cycle the tank before getting fish? what are your readings for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH?

if you've no clue what i'm on about read the link in my sig 'what's cycling?' which should explain more

 

[jimboberdy]

yes. sorry i forgot to mention it. yesterday they were good ammonia 0, nitrite 0 and nitrate 30. my lfs thought it was about perfik. pH is just over neutral tho my tap water comes at about 7.8 so i have to use a ph -down to get it reasonable. could this be the problem, it says its safe for fish!??

 

[Miss Wiggle]

what test kit are you using?

how did you set up the tank before adding fish? did you wait, add any ammonia or anything like that?

what has your maintenance routine been since you got the tank?

 

[jimboberdy]

i got some water from my lfs, kept testing it at the shop (dunno what test kit they use0. it took about 4 weeks untill the shop guy said i could add fish. i added a platy then 2 weeks later i added another (died) but the lfs guy did the tests in front of me and the readings were a ok ammonia zero or trace, nitrite 0 and nitrate between 20 -40 every time since then. i have since aded 2 yoyo loach and some plants (anubias). then 4 cardinals about a month later and a shrimp after that.

the tank has been going for about 4 months

what do you think??

oh and i o around either a 30% water change every week or 2 25% ones if i can convince myself that the fish are sick.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

unfortunately water from the lfs's tank will have done nothing, the filter bacteria you need are not sessile, meaning they do not live free swimming in the water but on the filter media, unless they gave you some media from their filter, a sponge or somethng this will have done nothign to cycle your tank. then leaving it for 4 weeks will have done even more of nothing unless you were adding fish food or ammonia or something like that. I suspect this may have been a bit of a scam from the lfs to keep you paying for water tests and get you to become a loyal customer and ensure your business when you come to buy fish.

i'd advise you to get your own test kit they're only about £18 and easy to use, i recommend the API fresh water master test kit. also read the link in my sig 'what's cycling?'

however this being said if the tank's 4 months old it's probably cycled by now one way or another.

can you post a picture of the lumps? do they look liek little grains of sand on the body or more like a growth/tumor? do they look at all fluffy?

unfortunately cardinals are not a great choice for new tanks, they like a tank at least 6 months old as they are quite sensitive. also they need a fair bit of swimming room, your tank is too small for them, and the yoy yo loaches and the platy. Unfortunately i do not think the lfs who sold you these is very good.

there is a link in my signature to fish who would be more suitable for your tank.

 

[jimboberdy]

wow that doesnt sound good. though to be fair my lfs didnt charge me for the tests.

the white bits look more like fluffy growths than grains of sand to me.

is it possible to treat them for this kind of thing??

thanx for the help by the way, your an angel,

 

[Miss Wiggle]

sounds like fungus or columnaris, google it for pics and see if that looks like what your fish have got

good news is it's fairly easily treatable, you want some pimafix, this stuff it's readily available in the UK and US. dosing instructions on the bottle.

clean water is a must so get yourself a test kit and monitor the water yourself

 

[Scotch_Egg]

Sounds like a fungus. One of my balloon mollies have that. You can get a interpet treatment 8 i think. Anti-Fungus and Fin Rot. Works wonders!

 

[jimboberdy]

thanks guys,

is columnaris a fungus as well. not sure what is available here in Australia? i will try a fungus treatment and see how it goes.

will this affect my shrimp??

 

[Miss Wiggle]

yes columnaris is fungus, did you have a look for pics and check that's what it is?

it can spread to other fish (and i assume to shrimp as well) but should be fine if treated promprtly.

there's always lots of fungus treatments available, just ask your lfs

 

[jimboberdy]

hey thanks alot. i cant find any pimafix (maybe its not available here in aus) but ive got some pretty expensive fungus killer so will see how i go.

i have taken my shrimp out for the fist day of treatment just incase. i figure that the treatment will be at its strongest for the first 24 hrs or so.

thanks again, i will let you know how it goes

jim