I Need Help Bad !

[Indiana Ivy]

I did a really stupid thing, I bought some fish at WALMART ! BIG MISTAKE!!!!! Never do that ! I worried about it and done it anyway, we have no close pet shop, I bought 2 algae eaters, cant spell it, but sounds like....pa-cos-a-mus, you know. Now, my Comet and Goldfish is very sick, first started out as ick but now it is an explosion of several different things I think, they have drooping fins, wont eat, and have bright red streaks and spots all over them, they are loosing their tails, I feel so stupid and bad, I have had them for about 6 years, they were beautiful fish and they look at me as if saying, "why did you do this to me"? I think it is bacterial infection, but I dont know much about disease because I wasnt bothered with disease until the Walmart episode. I have been reading a lot of posts here and I know I havent done things the way it should be done, they are in a 30 gal tank, it didnt seem to bother them before though. I dont think the tank size caused this problem I am having at the moment. I treated with ick med and used a Fungas eliminator, and some aquarium salt, they arent any better, what elce can I do? I also have been changing water half a tank each day. I am afraid I am going to loose my fish. I really feel awful!

 

[The-Wolf]

oh dear
the red streaks indicate bacterial sceptacemia, coupled with the "loosing tails"
the outlook dosn't look good. sceptacimia is rarely treatable IME

I think that you brought a pleco (plecomastus Sp). Plecos are tropical fish,
although they can take the lower temps that goldfish are housed in.

 

[Indiana Ivy]

oh dear
the red streaks indicate bacterial sceptacemia, coupled with the "loosing tails"
the outlook dosn't look good. sceptacimia is rarely treatable IME

I think that you brought a pleco (plecomastus Sp). Plecos are tropical fish,
although they can take the lower temps that goldfish are housed in.

Yes, that is what they "were", they died I forgot to mention that, so, am I doing all I can do then? There are no cures for bacterial sceptacemia?

 

[RandomWiktor]

I have treated septicemia in goldfish sucessfully with frequent water changes, Maracyn-2 antibiotic, and plenty of aquarium salt. Add the reccomended aquarium salt "dose" for goldfish if you do not allready, change the water every couple of days, and give the full dose of Maracyn-2 daily for at least 5 days. I've heard from the betta folks that collodial silver can help, but I don't know what its effect is on goldfish.

Good luck. It can be a very, very nasty illness

 

[Indiana Ivy]

You know, its funny thats exactly what I bought today, so instead of the one packet the second day use 2 ?
And use salt too, ok I will do that. Is it ok to keep treating for the ick also? Or will the salt take care of that ?
The picture in my first post is them, they sure dont look like that now, so sad!

 

[RandomWiktor]

No. Add what the package says. When I meant full dose, I meant "listen to the package, full the full duration of the time he is on meds, in the amount it instructs." My bad, should have worded better.

I don't really know if you can mix Ich meds with Maracyn. Perhaps the company's webpage, which you *should* be able to find a google, can give a hint? I doubt salt alone will cure Ich since saltwater fish get it as well. The salt is more to reduce bacteria since most freshwater bacteria (such as the kind causing your septicemic poisoning) do not like saltwater.

 

[Indiana Ivy]

Ok RW I will do that, thanks so much ! They are still with me today, so maybe they will get better, still not eating though. I am in the process of tank cleaning right now and adding their meds. If they get better, I am going out to buy them a new 50 gal tank!!

I totally agree about the bettas I cant even look at them, it makes me MAD!! I have bought them before just to get them out of those tiny jars.

 

[RandomWiktor]

Don't be too worried about not eating if it takes them a few days; goldfish are goldwater, and take a long time to starve. They may indeed become a little compromised from it, but if I know goldfish, once they're feeling a bit better, their apetite will come roaring back
I hope they make a full recovery! Please do keep us posted.

 

[Indiana Ivy]

I think they are going to make it! They are swimming around a lot now, not eating much yet, but they are looking better, and the spots and streaks are getting lighter ! Hurray!!!!!! I have learned quite a bit here, I think you saved their lives!

 

[sylvia]

Can I just ask, is the tank cycled and how big is it? Septicemia is actualy usualy the result of bad water quality and can be treated simply by doing water changes daily. What are your parameters - ammonia, nitrIte and nitrAte? Also, have you been using de-chlorinator for water changes? Make sure you are. Unless the fish have a 'fungus' infection or something similar, antibiotics/meds are not necessary to cure septicemia. In fact, the tank will cycle faster if you don't add bacteria-killing meds in the tank (as cycling is all about allowing good bacteria to flourish). Luckily, goldfish are extremely hardy and very forgiving so they should be fine - even if the tank's not cycled yet.

 

[RandomWiktor]

Septicemia is actualy usualy the result of bad water quality and can be treated simply by doing water changes daily....Unless the fish have a 'fungus' infection or something similar, antibiotics/meds are not necessary to cure septicemia

It seems to be a common misconception on fish boards that just because poor water quality sets off a disease, it is the disease. Septicemia, which is often the result of poor water quality, is a bacterial infection that attacks the fish's weakened immune system when under some kind of stress (for example, breathing toxic ammonia in an overstocked tank). The most common bacteria culprits of this disease are Aeromonas, Pseudomonas, and Streptococcus. They CAN NOT be treated just by changing the water; they cause a massive systemic infection that attacks the vascular walls and heart, and will kill the fish without treatment. Clean water helps prevent septicemia, and will promote the action of the medications during treatment by reducing environmental stressors and lowering the presence of bacteria in the water, but it is not curative to do so, nor should people be advised to merely clean tanks in the instance of this disease. The fish will die if antibiotics are not used.

That said, it would be appreciated if Indiana Ivy could tell us about her filtration, water parameters, and other tank conditions, to prevent a future outbreak. However, it is entirely possible that the new fish she purchased brought some kind of tenacious bacteria with them that harmed the goldfish. The sudden addition of waste producers to a tank that is allready fully stocked could have also caused a sudden spike in ammonia/nitrate/nitrite.

 

[sylvia]

I am fully aware of what causes septicemia and what it is (blood poisoning). Treating with anti-bacterial meds would not improve the situation if an ammonia spike is the cause so knowing the water parameters is essential. It's all well treating for the bacteria but, if this is not the problem, (and half-daily water changes do NOT remove all ammonia) the situation may improve over time as the tank cycles but it will improve slower because of the unecessary meds. I agree that the meds are warranted in severe cases but there is nothing to say this was a severe case as we don't know anything about the water quality or what she was doing to change water.

Having said that, I just noticed something. You say you've had the fish in this tank (30 gallons?) for 6 years? Which fish do you mean exactly? Did you add 2 new plecs to a tank already containing goldfish? If so, which fish are sick? The old or the new? If this is the case, at least we know the tank's problem is not that it isn't cycled (though you are probably over-stocked) though the addition of 2 plecs (high waste producers) could still have caused a temporary spike in ammonia and the fact that the plecs died immediately (was it actualy immediately though?) suggests a water quality issue. You also didn't actualy say how many fish are in the tank - just that 2 are sick.

 

[Indiana Ivy]

Sylvia In the begining I said the tank was 30 gal, yes it is filtered, Yes I use the de-chlorinator. I never had a problem untill I got the plecs from wal-mart. I am totally convinced they are the reason mine got sick, yes, I only had the 2 goldfish before the plecs. And I took good care of them. The new ones (plecs) are dead.

Now, I must be doing something right, the water changes and the meds are working, thats all I care about.

I believe it it wernt for the antibiotics they wouldnt be alive now.


Oh yeah, I think the salt helped a lot too!

 

[RandomWiktor]

I'm glad they're doing so much better

Goldfish can actually have salt in the water regularly; I think the side of the aquarium salt container has instructions specifically for general goldfish care. I'm not 100% sure though. I add about half the reccomended dose to my goldies on a regular basis, and have seen a real improvement in their overall health. I'm sure the 75g I'm getting this Christmas won't hurt either!

 

[Indiana Ivy]

Oh I just had to tell you!!! I just saw the one who was the sickest eat food!!!!!