Long Lasting Mystery Behaviour Needs Diagnosis.

[jonnyf84]

Hi all, well i'm baffled, tank stats are perfect

0 ammonia
0 nitrite
15 nitrate
ph 7.5
27 C
Weekly 40% water change - always dechlorinated and temp matched.

125 litre, medium/heavy planted (i have doubled the amount of plants compared to my pic), bog wood.

1 rtbs, 1 pair pearl gourami, 4 platie, 1 bristlenose, 12 neons.

disintigrating fins on plec and male gourami, all fish flicking, rtbs most of all. male gourami very stressed (swimming up and down glass all day). All feed well.

Its been close to a month and there is no improvement. This is one very well looked after tank so i am deeply upset that i can't provide a happy home for my fish despite my best efforts.

The internal filter sponge is quite old (although squeezed every 2 weeks), could this be it? i have exhausted all possible problems - i just don't get it. i really need help with this one guys.

 

[gaz gun man]

ignore me didnt read the post, sorry!

 

[gyillmard]

The flicking might be gill or fin fluke which despite its name is a bacteria and not a worm like thing. I eventually got rid of a bad out break on my (touch wood) third go using some stuff called sterazin by waterlife from my LFS. It seems the fluke bug is always in the water but fish get vulnerable to it when stressed like when bullied or newly arrived. Hope this helps Gyillmard

 

[ox5477]

For the stress aspect of it, your rtbs might be the issue. Most people have issues with these guys as they can be quite aggressive to others. with the tank volume being relativily small, the other could have no where to go so they may be getting pestered by the rtbs.....

Ox

 

[jonnyf84]

yea i did wonder about removing the rtbs but he is sick as well so i dismissed that theory.

i also contemplated the flukes but there is no visible sign, they dont hang near the water and dont have elevated gill movement.

 

[vinylman]

For the stress aspect of it, your rtbs might be the issue. Most people have issues with these guys as they can be quite aggressive to others. with the tank volume being relativily small, the other could have no where to go so they may be getting pestered by the rtbs.....

Ox

I think I'd go with the RTBS, too. He doesn't really have anyhwere to go in a 125ltr if he's feeling stressed out; if he's stressed, the others will be, too. If you can separate him and get him well, it's probably best to move him on. Hard to do, I know.