Lost Another Black Phantom

[Briarmoor]

Last week I lost another black phantom. No reason I can figure out. Same symptoms with the gulping although this one was still trying to eat close to the end. I had not changed water in 2 weeks owing to being out of town, so I can't even blame new water.

The rest of the fish seem fine, parameters are fine. I never notice other fish messing with the phantoms either. It is a mystery. I am just going to note that I cannot seem to keep black phantoms going and other than high pH I cannot sort this out.

Just wanted to pass it on to those who have followed my black phantom woes from the beginning.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I've only recently come back on the forum but i would like to help you out so you'll have to update me on your events;

a. How many tetras have you lost and what were their exact symtoms or any strange behavior leading up to their deaths, no matter how insignificant they may seem, i.e pale/faded coloring, gasping at the surface or lying lifeless/not having any energy at the bottom of the tank, flicking and scratching against objects etc?
b. What are your exact stats for ammonia, nitrates and nitrites and ph and have you added any meds to the tank recently, any rocks or tank ornements, plant fertilisers etc?
c. What have you been feeding your fish recently, how much and how often?
d. You say you havn't done a water change for 2weeks, this is not good as toxins can build up in the tank, especially if water has been evaporating, were you able to feed your fish during this time?

 

[Briarmoor]

I've only recently come back on the forum but i would like to help you out so you'll have to update me on your events;

a. How many tetras have you lost and what were their exact symtoms or any strange behavior leading up to their deaths, no matter how insignificant they may seem, i.e pale/faded coloring, gasping at the surface or lying lifeless/not having any energy at the bottom of the tank, flicking and scratching against objects etc?
b. What are your exact stats for ammonia, nitrates and nitrites and ph and have you added any meds to the tank recently, any rocks or tank ornements, plant fertilisers etc?
c. What have you been feeding your fish recently, how much and how often?
d. You say you havn't done a water change for 2weeks, this is not good as toxins can build up in the tank, especially if water has been evaporating, were you able to feed your fish during this time?

Tokis, thanks for offering your help. I am stumped.

a. I can't tell you how many phantoms I've lost since I added a couple after losing some of the originals, but I think I've lost 4 and have 3 from the original group left. The male always seems kind of pale, but eats and doesn't act sick. Without exception, the pre-death symptoms are swimming in one spot mostly and gulping. Eventually the scales stick out some, this varies in how bad the "pineconing" gets before they die. Some of these fish showed no interest in food, others seemed to want to eat, but somehow couldn't. I notice white stringy poop on the sick fish.

b. nitrates during this time were 20-40, nitrites and ammonia were zero, pH is always high, around 7.4 - 7.6. Added Melafix treatment to no useful end at one point, didn't treat the last 2 that died, the very first one I quarantined and treated with Maracyn-2. None have lived that got sick.

c. I vary the diet, mostly rotating thawed and warmed frozen food, bloodworms, spirulina enhanced brine shrimp, krill. If I don't thaw out food, I give flakes or some high dollar enriched tiny pellets. Mostly frozen though and this was all they got while I was out of town. Had been feeding twice a day and went back to once. Also, they get thawed fresh zuchinni, algae tablets, thawed frozen peas, tried spinach and they hated it. I vary the green foods daily too.

d. Only time the water has gone over a week between PWC was while I was gone out of town this one time. Some of the phantoms have died following water changes. This last one died before I changed water, right after I returned home. Can't find rhyme or reason.

 

[WILDER]

Not the writer of this information below.
Dropsy



Symptoms:

This disease is very common among African Cichlids, and is commonly called "Malawi Bloat," even though it affects fish from Lakes Tanganyika and Victoria. Dropsy is also very common within the Carp family and among Anabantids. It is characterized by swelling of the body and especially abdomen, which causes the scales to stand out with a pine cone appearance. Eyes may protrude or cave in. Reddening at the vent and/or base of fins may be observable as well as body ulcers and long pale feces. In advanced cases, skin discoloration and scale loss may also occur. Sick fish will not show any desire for food. They will often hang near the bottom, resting on the gravel, or at the top, gasping for air. In the latter stages of this disease, the fish may lose its equilibrium and hence ability to swim properly.



Cause:

Three main causes for Dropsy have been identified. The over use of salt (NaCl), prolonged exposure to poor water conditions, and improper diet, which lead to a parasitic infection. Other causes include poisoning, internal injuries and cancerous tumors. The swelling is not the disease itself, but rather a symptom, which is caused by a build-up of fluids in the body cavity due to internal organ failure.



Treatment:

Treatment of this disease is difficult, as by the time it is recognized, permanent damage to the internal organs of the fish will have occurred. Immediate treatment must be performed if there is to be any chance for survival. Metronidazole (Flagyl) and or Clout are the best medications for treatment of Dropsy. Notwithstanding, not much is known for certain about the etiology of this disease and some experienced aquarists use antibiotics to fight Dropsy. For oxytetracycline, baths of 20-100 mg/litre for five days is suggested. For tetracycline hydrochloride, treat with baths of 40-100 mg/litre for five days. And for minocycline hydrochloride a dilution of 250mg/10 gallons of water is recommended. On day 2 change all the water and add the medicine again at the same dose for another 2 days. Increase aeration during treatment. Do not use minocycline a third time in a row. Caution: tetracyclines are photo sensitive so turn the tank lights off during treatment and cover the whole tank with a blanket. If the fish is still eating, you can soak the food in a concentrated solution of the antibiotic before feeding.

You can read more about this disease, treatment, and how to prevent it in the future by reading our article: Malawi Bloat.