I think I might have a problem

[Wills]

Quite a while ago I brought home some very skinny rice fish to go in my 30 litre tank - all but 2 of the 12 died, some very quickly others over time. They seemed to gradually get thinner and thinner until they were flat and then die. They all seemed to be eating but not gaining weight. In the end I'd consigned myself to losing them all but 2 clung on and I ended up rehoming them to an LFS who put them in a show tank and they are still there today...

After those fish went I left the tank with just shrimp and snails for months and then added some Red Dwarf Rasboras and then a few months later some Rosy Loaches. I've had the Rosy Loaches for about 2 months now and I've noticed some of them look a bit thinner than the others and I'm worried its what ever the Rice Fish had, it could just be a gender thing as it looks like just the males are thinner but some of them are particularly thin.

I don't think its a particularly strong disease/parasite but wondering if there is anything I can add to the tank that is not too strong and that wont effect the snails or shrimp?

Wills

 

[Uberhoust]

From your comment it seems like you think there is something in the tank that is causing the issue. Have you looked outside the tank for an issue, may something that is continuously stressing the inhabitants, food not meeting their needs... Just thoughts no advice.

 

[Wills]

From your comment it seems like you think there is something in the tank that is causing the issue. Have you looked outside the tank for an issue, may something that is continuously stressing the inhabitants, food not meeting their needs... Just thoughts no advice.

I am going to increase feeding to see if that helps with all the shrimp in there a lot of mouths! Just a bit scarred after the rice fish I think as not had an issue like that for years

 

[Ellie11]

It is possible nothing was off in your tank. Sometimes bad lots are sold and will die quickly. I‘ve had pet shop owners say many fish come in dead or die soon. They are sedated for transport, a big box store employee told me. They had a few floating guppies and another small fish dead too.

 

[Colin_T]

I think I might have a problem​

Finally he acknowledges he has a problem. Yes Wills, you have MTS (Multiple Tank Syndrome). Now can we have an intervention and talk about this?

And fish losing weight over time usually have intestinal worms. See section 3 of the following link.

What to do if your fish has Stringy White Poop.

Fish do a stringy white poop for several reasons. 1) Internal Bacterial Infections causes the fish to stop eating, swell up like a balloon, breath heavily at the surface or near a filter outlet, do stringy white poop, and die within 24-48 hours of showing these symptoms. This cannot normally be...

www.fishforums.net

 

[Wills]

It is possible nothing was off in your tank. Sometimes bad lots are sold and will die quickly. I‘ve had pet shop owners say many fish come in dead or die soon. They are sedated for transport, a big box store employee told me. They had a few floating guppies and another small fish dead too.

The Rice Fish were from a really reputable retailer - it is inevitable that in the trade that some fish come through ill but this was a bit of an outlier for me from this store usually really solid.

I think I might have a problem​

Finally he acknowledges he has a problem. Yes Wills, you have MTS (Multiple Tank Syndrome). Now can we have an intervention and talk about this?

And fish losing weight over time usually have intestinal worms. See section 3 of the following link.

What to do if your fish has Stringy White Poop.

Fish do a stringy white poop for several reasons. 1) Internal Bacterial Infections causes the fish to stop eating, swell up like a balloon, breath heavily at the surface or near a filter outlet, do stringy white poop, and die within 24-48 hours of showing these symptoms. This cannot normally be...

www.fishforums.net

Thanks Colin I thought you might have thought this was about my MTS!

I think that the API General Cure might be worth a try seems like its quite quick and effective. It says on the API site that it does not effect filter bacteria or snails but do you know if cherry shrimp will be ok with it?

Wills

 

[Essjay]

API General Cure contains metronidazole which is prescription only in the UK. I can't find it on Amazon and the only sellers on eBay are in the US.

But we can get meds for intestinal worms here.
eSHa ndx for round worms (levamisole)
eSHa gdex for flukes and flat worms (praziquantel)
NT Labs Anti Fluke & Wormer/ Maidenhead Aquatics own brand AquaCare Anti Fluke & Wormer for both types of worm (flubendzole)

Note - flubendazole will kill shrimps and snails.

 

[AlexT]

Can't Colin prescribe it?

 

[Wills]

API General Cure contains metronidazole which is prescription only in the UK. I can't find it on Amazon and the only sellers on eBay are in the US.

But we can get meds for intestinal worms here.
eSHa ndx for round worms (levamisole)
eSHa gdex for flukes and flat worms (praziquantel)
NT Labs Anti Fluke & Wormer/ Maidenhead Aquatics own brand AquaCare Anti Fluke & Wormer for both types of worm (flubendzole)

Note - flubendazole will kill shrimps and snails.

Which eSHa products do you think would be the best alternative?

 

[Essjay]

It depends on which worms, if any, the fish have. It's usually suggested to treat for both, one med after the other.

 

[AlexT]

If Flubendazole treats for both, maybe that one?

 

[Colin_T]

If Flubendazole treats for both, maybe that one?

He will have to remove the shrimp and snails if using Flubendazole because it kills shrimp and snails.

--------------------

The most common worm infection in fish is thread/ round worms (Camallanus or Capillaria). Camallanus is highly contagious and I would treat for round worms first, then tapeworm after. Or use Flubendazole but move snails and shrimp out during treatment.

 

[GaryE]

Worms and Myco are the sources of most wasting. One is easy to treat, the other impossible.

Ricefish can have spectacular diseases. We had a retailer who used to buy from the cheapest farms as his business declined. He got some tempting ricefish I had never seen before, not just cultivars but different species. One was very spectacular, and I wanted it. I stuck to my usual routine of not buying at first sight and going back a week later (let the store do part of the quarantine) and they had a disease as rare as themselves. It was horrific looking, and took about 3 weeks to kill them all. It was the single grossest fish disease I have seen in 57 years of keeping fish.

Most diseases die with their hosts in a tank, but I don't know if shrimp can carry fish pathogens til fish return.

 

[Colin_T]

Ricefish can have spectacular diseases. We had a retailer who used to buy from the cheapest farms as his business declined. He got some tempting ricefish I had never seen before, not just cultivars but different species. One was very spectacular, and I wanted it. I stuck to my usual routine of not buying at first sight and going back a week later (let the store do part of the quarantine) and they had a disease as rare as themselves. It was horrific looking, and took about 3 weeks to kill them all. It was the single grossest fish disease I have seen in 57 years of keeping fish.

Most diseases die with their hosts in a tank, but I don't know if shrimp can carry fish pathogens til fish return.

You have me intrigued. What did the disease look like and what did it do to the fish?

Yes shrimp can carry some internal problems that can be transferred to fish

 

[Wills]

I'm pretty sure its not Myco (but thanks for switching that anxiety switch in my brain haha)... I think it would have taken some fish by now but not lost anything and the rosy loaches have been in for I'd guess 2-3 months?

I'm going to look at the esha products Essjay shared and do it in that order. I've also increased food for the tank as well, I'll do the corresponding water changes too don't worry.

Wills