Mountain Minnow

[LongS]

I'm in the UK too, my local P@H don't stock JBL products. It’s mainly interpet and tetra, and i'm not familiar with them. Where about in the UK are you? If you have a Maidenhead Aquatics local they should stock JBL stuff.

Interpet do a simple methylene blue which will do the job in the medication tank, but it doesn't include the extras the JBL Ektol fluid does.

Hmm the carbon (if unused and clean) my help to begin with, but it may leech back into the water, also if your using chemicals you don't want to use carbon as it will absorb them too. Interpet “ammonia remover” is ok and try adding about 5ml a day for a few days and see if you see an improvement in the main tank. Also you'll need it for the medication tank too as it hasn't got a mature filter (which would only get hammered by the meth blue anyway)

The medication tank sounds fine for the fish. If you’re in the house all day I’d do ammonia tests every 6-8 hours to make sure the ammonia isn't creeping up. It's all you need to begin fixing the fish only to kill it with ammonia.

Well i'm back, i am in Corby, Northants and i visited pets at home and another place called pet warehouse or something like that.

I managed to get my hands on some Methylene Blue by king british (pet warehouse pets at home did not stock)
and some ammonia remover by interpet and also some API tonic aquarium salt.

I could not find any Ektol unfortunatly so hope this works.

I couldn't get an airpump as i didn't have enough cash. But the filter should be fine as it adjitates the entire surface of the water.

I will add ammonia remover and aquarium salt to the main tank and then dose the treatment tank with meth blue and aquarium salt also.

I am not sure on using ammonia remover with meth blue though? Is this ok to do so just incase the ammonia levels creep up?

 

[WILDER]

Need to read the whole thread again.

What test kit are you using, as I thought your ammonia reading was 0.

On the eyes of the fish do they look like white specs behind the lens of the eye.

 

[Hokum]

I've seen the API test kit not pickup low level ammonia. It'll appear yellow but its due to house hold lighting you can't see the colour due to metamerism. You'll need the ammonis remover anyway for the medication tank as the meth blue will kill the filter.

 

[WILDER]

Need to rule fluke out.

Signs of flukes are.
opaque body with excess slime, or greyish colour withe excess slime.
Red sores, or red pin prick marks on fish.
Flicking and rubbing.
Laboured breathing or gasping.
Red inflamed gills, or pale gills with excess slime.
Swimming in a jerky movement.
Weighloss, or sunken in belly.
Erratic swimming, darting.
Spitting food out.
Fins eaten away.

Young fish are more prone to flukes.

 

[LongS]

Need to ask some more questions.
Live plants can fetch parasites into the tank if they haven't been steralised.

Also red pin prick marks can be a sign of parasites. There are no visible red prick marks


Get a magifying glass and check your fish for parasites. No magnifying glass got him in a bag and shining a pencil torch to examineAlso check the scales are not raised in area's, as parasites can lift the scales. No scales raised
Any excess mucas on the fish. Just a whitish pale colour where he looks like he has been flicking
Any signs of darting or erratic swimming. Eratic swimming, as when he is out he constantly flick and rubs. Very fast swimmer usuallyDo the fish swim in a jerky movement. yes as aboveIs there a greyish white film on the fish, or a blue greyish film on the fish greyish white, also thought i could see it over his eyes the other night
Do the gills look red and inflamed, or pale with excess mucas. red and inflamed,
Any signs of laboured breathing, or gasping. very quick breathing, although might be stressed as i spent 10 mins trying to catch himAny red sores on the fish. no sores, just a little reddish underneathAny tiny white spots on the fish. no signs of whitespot
Any yellow spots, dusting of talc, gold dusting, or rusty coloured varnish on the fish. none visible, makes it hard thqt he is already a gold colour, again just a whitish colour in placesCan you see any moving objcts on the fish. None visible in gills, fins or body. checked with torch.


Flicking and rubbing can be due to bad water quality, irratation, parasites, bacterial, ph.

Have you changed declorinator.

no change in declorinator although started to use plant food.

 

[WILDER]

Take a look here to see if anything matches up.

http/www.aquarticles.com/articles/management/Lawler_some_signs_of_sick_fish.html

The symtoms you are describing point towards flukes.
But also it can be bad water quality.

Classic symtoms of flukes are swimming in a jerky movement, red imflamed gills, erratic swimming, laboured breathing.
Flicking and rubbing.

 

[WILDER]

I would do some research into skin and gill flukes.
Eye flukes will look like white specs behind the lens of the eye.

 

[LongS]

Just had a look, shone the torch into the eye but could not see white specs under the eye. To me this is pointing to water quality problems. Not sure why as i am using API liquid test kits. Usually very good.

Could the introduction of plant food irritate the fish?

I'll use this meth blue with salt and see what happens. I'll keep you guys updated

Thanks so much for your help both of you, it is really much appreciated

 

[Hokum]

DONT FORGET, use the meth blue in the medication tank! The salt (a small amount) will be fine too. Also use a little ammonia remover in both to begin with too.

I have the API kits and i dont believe the ammonia test 100% as i've been having rubbing/flicking white clouds for a while and on a hunch started adding ammonia remover for a while and they stopped, i've since been running a larger second filter and no longer need to add it.

 

[WILDER]

It's up to you but I'm more inclined to say flukes.
Fish tend not to swim in a jerky movement with bad water quality, they will dart around the tank instead.

The way to check for gills flukes it take a cloth soaked in tank water and wrap the fish in the cloth.
Ask someone to hold the fish down for you.
Steralise some tweezers and gently raise the gill flap up. Usually with a magifying glass you see if you can see any tiny worms.

 

[Hokum]

In the tank maybe, but i'm worried about a bacterial infection on his loach. I lost two white clouds due to Columnaris so i always tend to worry about other people suffering from it.

 

[LongS]

Ok i will try that tonight Wilder, i think i will leave him to settle for a couple of hours becuase he seems stressed.

If it is flukes, then will using meth blue combat it? or is there another treatment?

 

[WILDER]

Some flukes are egg layers so you have to keep treating to kill the young as they hatch.
Also flukes cause bacterial infections, as in the parasite hooks they carry a nasty bacteria which enters the fish blood stream when it pierces the skin.

The methylene blue might remove a few adult parasites, but you really need this jbl med, but I think you need a certain ph to use the med.
Then there sterazin by waterlife, or wormer plus.

Here a link to the jbl med.
http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/jbl-gyrodactol-p-138.html

 

[Hokum]

Won't it effect shrimp/snails etc?

I think Interpet Anti Crustacean Parasite may work too.

 

[LongS]

Great stuff, again thanks both of you for the help. I'm gonna treat it no matter what i'm determined. It's got me mad!! grrrr